The Good Friday Pilgrimage Stations of the Cross Script and Prayers
Characters in Order of Appearance
Schoenstatt University Men and Women
Pontius Pilate
Christ
High Priest
Sanhedrin
Crowd
James
Longinus, a Guard
Other Guard
Mary
Simon of Cyrene
Veronica
Mary Magdalene
Samaritan Woman
John the Apostle
Peter the Apostle
Two Women of Jerusalem
“Am I not to drink the cup that the Father gave me?”
1st Station Jesus is Condemned to Death
(Scene opens on the steps of the cathedral. Pilate, High Priest, and Sanhedrin stand stage right. Christ stands stage left. The crowd is gathered on the steps below).
Reader
The First Station. Jesus is Condemned to Death. You stand before Pilate, alone. No one is by your side to defend you. You devoted your life to serving others, caring for those ignored by the world. It seems none of that matters to them now. Have I become like Pilate to You, Lord? I have remained silent when others deny, condemn, and reject Truth. Jesus, forgive me for all the times I failed to defend you. Fortify my heart so that I may walk with you today and defend you.
Pilate What charge do you bring against this man?
High Priest This blasphemer claims to be the Son of God. He wishes to start a revolution and overthrow Caesar. He is a criminal.
Sanhedrin Question him. He’ll tell you.
Pilate (Crosses over to Christ to interrogate him) Are you the King of the Jews? (silence) Why did your own nation hand you over to me?
Christ You call me “King of the Jews” and “Son of God.” I simply bring Truth. You and they can’t understand the truth. I have spoken it in words, so that people may understand by faith. For the faithless, I can only pray.
Pilate What is truth? (Pause to think). This man is speaking nonsense. He cannot be guilty.
High Priest Release Barrabas to us.
Sanhedrin Crucify him!
Crowd (Together) Crucify him!
Pilate (Amazed) My hands are tied. I want to know about the truth he speaks of. But I must fulfill my duty. That’s my truth. We please the people. We keep the peace. It’s better that way. (To Crowd) Do what you want with him. (Guards seize Christ by both arms, bind his hands, and aggressively lead him away)
Pilate My wife told me to have nothing to do with him. I’ll leave him to the guards and blame his people for it. My conscience is clear. But… What to think of truth?
2nd Station Jesus Accepts his Heavy Cross
(Group with Christ and Guards set up on stage. Guards drag Cross over to him, unbind his hands)
Reader
The Second Station: Jesus Accepts his Heavy Cross: The world looks on fearful and confused as You receive Your cross, the great symbol of the Christian faith. May we all understand that the instrument of evil you carry becomes today Your instrument of salvation and mercy. Lord, as the splinters of Your cross, burden us daily, guide us into the mystery of redemption.”
Christ (As Guards place cross upon his shoulder, one guard holds a microphone to him) Father: forgive them. (pauses to adjust cross, feels its weight, breathes in and out). If you wanted, you could take this away. But…. I still felt all of their burdens. All of these suffering souls cried out to me through the ages, anguishing for your mercy. This heavy vessel of mercy… I carry it for them. For them, I say yes. This cross stretches from Eden to Gethsemane. I hope it shows the way back to the Garden. (Begins to walk forward, very slowly to allow dialogue to progress)
James (watching Guards and Christ as Christ walks slowly) I saw his glory on Tabor. Messiah. Teacher. Prophet. I saw the prophets. I heard God’s voice. “Listen to him!” He is God and Man, both, and that voice on Tabor urges me forward. “Listen to him!” “Anyone who follows me must carry his cross.” How could my God do this? He could break free. Why not? I am afraid. I hope he throws the cross off and shows his glory once more.
3rd Station Jesus Falls for the First Time Under the Cross
(Christ walks into center stage with Guard pursuing closely)
Reader The Third Station: Jesus falls for the first time under the cross. Lord, seeing you fall beneath the cross shakes my faith in the Almighty. How could the Son of God stumble with such human frailty? As you stand back up and continue to walk, you teach me the greatest
strength is to accept my weaknesses with courage and humility. You reveal to me the father’s strength as you endure this trial.
Christ (Falls over)
Guard (Angrily) Get up! (Whips)
Christ (Looks at Guard) You can’t see that I carry this for you, too. I want to lead you home.
Guard (Chuckles) Home? Me? My home is here, in my authority. Power. This man knows nothing about me. (pause) Yet his look told me something I didn’t know before… No. I’m fine. My eyes are acting up again. This is my duty, and duty is my protection. (Whips Christ) Get up! Move!
Christ (Rises silently)
4th Station Jesus Meets his Holy Mother
(Christ walks into center stage with Cross. Mary is waiting at the side.)
Reader The fourth station: Jesus meets his holy Mother. Lord, until now you've felt unrelenting pain and suffering. Now the Father permits you to see your Mother. Together you comfort each other knowing that this pause to rest won't last. Lord, when I feel the weight of my cross, I want to respond like you and turn to our Mother. In her care, I place all my fears and reservations, so I can advance with courage, faith, and love.
Mary (Runs up to Christ in tears. Guards watch closely) My son… what did they do to you? You’re covered in blood. I’ve never seen so much blood, and it’s yours…. How can they do this? (Kisses his face) You’re all I have left...
Jesus (weakly) Mother… you know I must return to my Father’s house. Please understand what I mean. My purpose is to serve and lay it down for my friends. (Guard pushes Mary away)
Mary (reaches for Christ as guards whip him and force him to walk away slowly) No… (to herself) I still have strength despite my years. I could pull him away from these guards and we could run away. Lord… must you take him from me? My only son? My little boy? It cuts through my heart. (breaths deeply) Be it done. Your will be done. Only let me carry that cross too, with my fragile heart.
5th Station Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus Carry the Cross
(Christ and Guards walk to the top of the hill (center stage) Simon and John walk up to stage left.)
Reader The fifth station: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross. Throughout my days, I sometimes feel distant from people. I often fail to take initiative and help those in need. Help me be like Simon of Cyrene and open my heart to others. Give me a desire to help. Simon learns how to give himself completely to a stranger, learning along the way he was doing the right thing. Lord, I pray that by carrying my cross I can help others in their time of need.
Simon (To John) Who is this? I heard the commotion passing through.
John (Inconsolable and distracted, talking more to himself than to Simon) He’s my best friend. But he’s even more than that. He’s my teacher. Messiah. Lamb of God. (Turns to Simon.) I know it because he—
Guard to Simon) You! Foreigner! Make yourself useful.
Simon (Turns to run but is seized by another Guard. Reluctantly accepts the Cross behind Christ) I wanted to come to visit the city. That man back there was delusional, and now here I am carrying a cross. This man is so weak already. I can feel him shaking. In fact, my shoulders are already weak, too. But… it doesn’t feel heavy. Isn’t he supposed to be a criminal? But he’s carrying most of the weight for me. I can’t keep up. Who is this?
6th Station Veronica Offer Jesus a Cloth
(Christ walks into stage right. Veronica and Mary Magdalene approach and set upstage left, in tears.)
Reader The sixth station: Veronica offers Jesus a cloth. Lord, it hurts me to see your suffering, especially as I remember its purpose: to save me and the world. I want to reach out and follow you, but my fear often overwhelms me. Imprint your holy, transformative face onto my soul, just as you did on Veronica’s cloth. Let me reflect your loving gaze in all of my actions and thoughts.
Veronica (crosses stage silently to Christ. Wipes his face with a cloth.)
There’s so much blood on your face it’s almost silly to try and wipe it away. But it’s all I can do. A moment of refreshment might help a little. I made this cloth myself, and now it shows your face, drawn in blood. Your sacred blood. (Guards push her away. She rejoins Mary Magdalene. Christ and Guards freeze)
Mary Magdalene (Demanding tone) Veronica, show me the veil, please. (Looks at it sadly.) This picture of his face isn’t him. It’s nothing compared to the words he spoke to me. He cast out my fears and freed me.
Veronica (touches Mary on the Shoulder) Mary, this is the blood of the Lord. Those things he spoke to you? No one can take them away. Now it’s time for us to be his signs to the world. Look—(shows her cloth) he will always be with us.
7th Station Jesus falls the Second Time under the Cross
(Peter and a member of the crowd stand stage right. Christ walks into center stage. Christ falls over and lays on the ground. Guard and others Freeze onstage. Peter remains on edge of the crowd, walking towards and away from Christ to show his fear and hesitation to follow Christ).
Reader The seventh station: Jesus falls the second time under the cross. Lord, you fall again. It moves my heart to see how human you are. You subject yourself to this for my sake, because of your love for me. I’m often so unwilling to bear my own weaknesses. Lord, help me to bear them and offer them to you with love.
Peter Jesus. The one who convinced me to walk on water. Now he’s walking to his death. How can I find the hope to walk alongside? I want to support him, but I’m scared. He was the only person who believed I could be more than a fisherman. But all I did in the Garden was fall asleep. All I did when they asked if I knew him was deny him.
Crowd Member If he’s the Son of God, why doesn’t Elijah come save him? Why doesn’t he just get up?
Peter (rebuking crowd member) Don’t you understand what’s happening? He’s dying because of the hardness of our hearts. People reject sacrifice because it seems a waste of time. It is the only way to transform the world. I know because he sacrificed pride for me. So I give up mine. (to the crowd) I know him! This is my Lord! No more hiding.
8th Station Jesus Meets the Weeping Women
(Two women from the crowd enter. Samaritan Woman enters stage left. They walk up to Christ who meets them in the middle)
Reader
The eighth station: Jesus meets the weeping women. The women weep before You. They, like us, can only see suffering, not the mission of redemption. In moments of darkness, fear blinds us, and we fail to see the omnipotent God before us. May we have the courage of faith in God’s Providence for our lives and contribute as his instruments, accomplishing his missions for his Church.
Woman in Crowd Mountains fall on us! Let it end!
Other Woman in Crowd Why bear children into a world without you? Why nurse them only so they can suffer a life without you, Teacher?
Christ Don’t cry for me. Let me carry it. Your despair is a fragment of this cross. Take up your burden and carry it with me. It will open your heart, so the children you bear might know who I am. (Guard pulls him away. He and Guard freeze)
Woman in Crowd I can’t carry my own sorrow. What does he mean? I can’t watch this.
Other Woman in Crowd He once said, “The world will reject me.” He knew, somehow. Martha, I will stay here if you—
Samaritan Woman (Interrupts) You! Israelite women. (hushed). Listen. We know this man. He asked me for water one day at my well. Everything else may end but water will remain. I gave him a drink, but he gave me living water. It changed my pain into new life. Now I feel brave enough to talk to you. I don’t care who sees. Let the mountains fall on us, but he will stand again.
(Guard whips Christ to keep walking. The three women wince, and continue walking.)
9th Station Jesus Falls a Third Time under the Cross
(Christ falls over a third time. Peter and John walk up, behind him and close to the crowd.)
Reader The ninth station: Jesus falls a third time under the cross. Lord, Your great sacrifice of love encourages us to do the same, even when we make mistakes. As You fall the third time, I think of the many burdens resting on Your shoulders: burdens that I have contributed to. Yet, You respond with love and only love. Let me, too, respond to you with love when I face darkness.
Peter He fell a third time. So did I. I wish I could carry this cross for him. I would take his place on the cross if I could. But I am unworthy to die like my Lord… How could I ever deny him?
John (To Peter) Why choose us? There were so many other greater men. Men of action. I’m just a dreamer with a quiet heart. “It is the Spirit that gives life, the words he spoke are Eternal Life.” Those words keep me hoping.
Peter (to John) “Beloved One.” He called you that. “On this rock, I build my church.” I’m no solid foundation. Yet his forgiveness fortifies me. I caught his eye, and I could swear he smiled. I am here, I can stand firm. I will carry his cross too.
John “Whoever believes has eternal life. Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, you shall not have life within you.” (to Peter) We ate, so you and I live. I promise to you, Jesus, that I will stay until the moment you die.
10th Station Jesus is Stripped of His Garments
(Guard reflects away from Christ.)
Reader The tenth station: Jesus is stripped of his garments. Lord, when I feel exposed, shameful, or humiliated, let me remember you. When the guards stripped the clothes from your back, shame and humiliation became parts of your passion. You demonstrated that these negative feelings become catalysts for redemption. They allow us to forget ourselves for the sake of others. Lord, detach us from our self-centeredness each time we face humiliation. Educate us in the school of selflessness.
Guard (Walks from stage right to left) I whipped him, only to feel the lash of guilt on my own soul. Serving the empire, I see pure hatred. It’s in the eyes of criminals and executioners. My own family even shows it. But this man is different. His gaze speaks something higher. He is marching toward that hill for somebody. (to the crowd) How does love endure through that pain? When love like this comes to our souls, why do we crush it? (pauses, grows angry.) It’s because love is pathetic. Duty is more important.
(whips Christ) Keep moving!
11th Station Jesus is Nailed to the Cross
(Christ hangs on the Cross. Pilate watches and reflects on his part in the crucifixion.)
Reader The eleventh station: Jesus is nailed to the Cross. Lord, they drive nails into Your hands and feet. I feel the rush of pain with you. You lay down your life for your friends, to be crucified. You embrace redemptive suffering as the means to purify our hearts. Let the suffering I experience, small compared to yours, partake in your salvific work. Let it purify the hearts around me. Allow my heart to be crucified with yours for the salvation of souls.
Pilate (Emotional, pauses after meditation. Gives people time to process seeing Christ hanging on the Cross. Christ is covered in blood all over his face and clothing.)
I can’t believe I feel so… wrong. I do this all the time. But he’s different. Yes. I wrote “King of the Jews” above his head. What I have written, I have written. He is the king. Of all of us, really. That’s why I wrote it. What other king would die for his people, though they all misunderstand him? Not Caesar.
12th Station Jesus Dies on the Cross
(John, Mary, Veronica, Mary Magdalene, Joseph of Arimathea, Guards, and Pilate watch Christ. Mary and John are kneeling near Christ.)
Reader The twelfth station: Jesus dies on the Cross. There you are my Lord, hanging on a Cross out of love. As you breathe your last, you think of us, you think of all of humanity, and you give us your Mother. I suffer with her, our hearts feel as one as she sees her own son expire. My heart weeps, because I know I, too, have crucified you with my own sins. Yet, I trust in the Father’s perfect and relentless love--the love from which you bear the ultimate sacrifice.
Christ (after a pause. To Mary) Woman! Behold your son. (To John) Son! Behold your mother. Take care of her. (Pause). (To guard) I thirst… (Guard brings a stick with a cloth to Christ’s mouth to drink a sip of water. After a pause, he looks up to the sky in the anguish of death.) Father! Take my spirit. (dies)
**All pause to pray in silence**
John My best friend. He’s gone. How can that be? The Spirit of God will come and lift us up, he said. But my heart feels too heavy to be lifted. My hope remains just a glowing ember. Only the strength of his words fans that little flame. (To Mary) Mother, I am your son now. He said it with his dying breath. Stay with me so you won’t have to be alone. What’s mine is yours.
Guard (Pierces side of Christ. Red and blue ribbon could stream from the spear to represent the blood and water. Guard springs back.) Blood and water! This man surely was the son of God because I was blinded, but now I see who he is. (Throws spear to ground, removes Christ from Cross with help from John and Crowd members. Places Christ’s head in Mary’s lap)
No mother should have to see her son killed.
13th Station Jesus is Placed in the arms of His Mother
(All is still. Everyone watches Mary hold her Son.)
Reader The thirteenth station. Jesus is placed in the arms of his mother. My Lord, you took up the Cross. For my sake, you died. Now you lie in the arms of your Mother, our Mother. What pain she must feel, seeing her beautiful and tender child taken from her. The unimaginable grief the Blessed Mother felt, however intense, never stopped her from trusting in the Father’s will. Her “yes” carried the weight of our sins, yet she gave it fully. Help us to say yes like you, Mary. Transform our hearts. Help us to accept even the sting of His death as we await the salvation of redemptive life.
Mary (Holding Christ. Pauses to allow people to reflect on meditation.) No… I held everything in my heart so it would be strong. But no one could ever be ready for this. I lost you in the Temple when you were young. I remember the panic I felt then. Come back, I prayed in my heart then. Come back. My only son. My love. Come back.
14th Station Jesus is Laid in the Tomb
(Joseph approaches the Guard and Pilate quietly and slowly, looking around and searching the crowd.)
Reader The fourteenth station. Jesus is laid in the tomb. This moment, when they laid you in your tomb, Lord, felt to every onlooker like the end of your ministry. Much like them, we sometimes feel confused and even desperate when we don’t understand why bad things happen. You call to us from the tomb. You say, “have faith in me. Learn to say “your will be done,” learn to say, “thanks be to God,” and learn to say, in the face of suffering, “I thirst for it.” These words carry me through, Lord, as I see you laid to rest.
Joseph of Arimathea (To Crowd) I know this man. Teacher. I don’t have many means, but I can give him a proper burial and a tomb. I can give the finest oils for my Lord and a burial for a good King. I snuck around at night to debate him. That one night changed my heart but I’ve been afraid to tell anyone. Today I will do something brave. (To Pilate, loudly) I know this man. May I take his body and bury him?
Pilate (Nods)
Joseph (Touches Mary’s shoulder. She embraces Christ in tears but lets him go. John, Guards, Pilate, and Joseph carry Christ away to the Sacristy. Veronica consoles Mary while Mary Magdalene remains, kneeling. Everyone else leaves the stage.)
Mary Magdalene I won’t go. He said he would come back. Teacher. You called me by name. I know, somehow, this tragedy, too, is an act of mercy. I will lay flowers at your tomb, and keep watch with you while God’s spirit passes over us.
“Now, on the first day of the week, Magdalene came to the Tomb early, when it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the Tomb.”
Script: Zachary Larson. Meditations: Schoenstatt University Men and Women.
Based on “The Way of the Cross,” in Heavenwards by Joseph Kentenich. A special thanks to Megan McQuaid and James Van Matre for founding the Good Friday Pilgrimage.
The pilgrimage concludes with the Good Friday Liturgy at 7:00 pm. Everyone is invited to stay for a cup of soup and a roll after the service. PBJ sandwiches will also be available.
Meditations for the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary
1st Sorrowful Mystery — The Agony in the Garden Mother, out of love and for the world’s salvation you gave the Savior his body and life. In the garden his inner anguish causes him to sweat blood, but nothing can break his readiness to suffer. I, too, place all the bitter suffering of my soul ever at your disposal for the capital of grace.
2nd Sorrowful Mystery — The Scourging at the Pillar You allow the Savior to stand at the pillar and atone for the offenses of our sensuality. Your motherly heart trembles with each blow; for us you bear with him each burst of pain. With both of you, I offer myself to the Father as a sacrifice of justice for our times.
3rd Sorrowful Mystery — The Crowning with Thorns Our Lord permits the executioners to crown his divine head with thorns and to mockingly scorn him. Your Fiat was a yes to this as well, because by this suffering he atoned for our arrogance. With joy and in apostolic spirit. I offer with you my will as an instrument to Christ.
4th Sorrowful Mystery — Jesus Carries the Cross Your Fiat lets the Lord carry the cross which our dread of sacrifice has placed on him. Without bitter complaint, he carries it to the place of sacrifice, urged on by redeeming love. I silently want to help him carry the cross, even when my feelings rise in revolt.
5th Sorrowful Mystery — The Crucifixion I see the Redeemer of the world hanging on the cross, urged thus far by the ardent longing of his love. You relinquish your motherly rights and freely offer him up that we might receive salvation and light. Great and holy bearer of the sacrifice, lead me to the eternal High Priest.
Fatima Prayer O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy. Jan 21, 2018
Schoentatt Prayer of Confidence I trust your might, your kindness, Mother dear, I do believe that you are always near. Schoenstatt’s great Queen, O Mother mild, I blindly trust in you and in your Child.
Divine Mercy Chaplet
The Chaplet of Mercy is recited using ordinary rosary beads of five decades. The Chaplet is sometimes preceded by two opening prayers from the Diary of Saint Faustina and followed by a closing prayer.
1. Make the Sign of the Cross In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. Opening Prayers You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us. O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!
3. Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, Amen.
4. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.
5. The Apostle's Creed I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day, He rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
6. Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
7. On the Ten Small Beads of Each Decade For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
8. Repeat for the remaining decades Saying the "Eternal Father" (6) on the "Our Father" bead and then 10 "For the sake of His sorrowful Passion" (7) on the following "Hail Mary" beads.
9. Conclude with Holy God (Repeat three times) Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
10. Optional Closing Prayer Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion — inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.