The Stations of the Cross by St. Alphonsus Liguori takes you on a spiritual journey through Christ’s Passion, from his condemnation to his burial. At each of the fourteen stations, you will find a meditation on that moment, prayers, and verses from the ancient “Stabat Mater” hymn.
This version remains one of the most widely used formats for the Stations of the Cross, particularly during Lent and especially on Good Friday. St. Alphonsus wrote it in 1761, focusing on making the meditation accessible while maintaining theological depth.
The Stations of the Cross
by St. Alphonsus Liguori
Video — The Stations of the Cross
Act of Contrition
O MY GOD, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because of Thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin. Amen.
Opening Prayer
O LORD JESUS CHRIST, Thou hast made this journey to die for us with love unutterable; and we have so many times unworthily abandoned Thee; but now we love Thee with our whole hearts, and because we love Thee, we repent sincerely for having ever offended Thee. Pardon us, our God, and permit us to accompany Thee on this journey. Thou goest to die for love of us; we wish also, our beloved Redeemer, to die for love of Thee. Lord Jesus, we will live and die always united to Thee. Amen.
The First Station
Pilate Condemns Jesus to Death
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
Let us consider how Jesus Christ, after being scourged and crowned with thorns, was unjustly condemned by Pilate to die on the cross.
Prayers:
O ADORABLE JESUS, it was not Pilate but our sins that condemned You to die. We beseech You, by the merits of this sorrowful journey, to assist our souls on their journey to eternity. We love You, beloved Jesus. We love You more than we love ourselves. With all our hearts we repent of ever having offended You. Grant that we may love You always; and then do with us as You will.
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
At the cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.
The Second Station
Jesus Accepts His Cross
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
Let us consider Jesus as He walked this road with the cross on His shoulders, thinking of us, and offering to His Father in our behalf, the death He was about to suffer.
Prayers:
OUR MOST BELOVED JESUS, we embrace all the sufferings You have destined for us until death. We beg You, by all You suffered in carrying Your cross, to help us to carry ours with Your perfect peace and resignation. We love You, Jesus. We repent of ever having offended You. Never let us separate ourselves from You again. Grant that we may love You always; and then do with us as You will.
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Through her heart, His sorrow sharing
All His bitter anguish bearing,
Now at length the sword has passed.
The Third Station
Jesus Falls The First Time
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
Let us consider the first fall of Jesus. Loss of blood from the scourging and being crowned with thorns had so weakened Him that He could hardly walk; and yet He had to carry that great load upon His shoulders. As the soldiers struck Him cruelly, He fell several times under the heavy cross.
Prayers:
OUR MOST BELOVED JESUS, it was not the weight of the cross but the weight of our sins which made You suffer so much. By the merits of this first fall, save us from falling into mortal sin. We love You, Jesus, with all our hearts. We are sorry that we have offended You. May we never offend You again. Grant that we may love You always; and then do with us as You will.
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Oh, how sad and sore distressed,
Was that Mother highly blessed,
Of the sole-begotten One!
The Fourth Station
Jesus Meets His Mother
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
Let us consider how the Son met His Mother on His way to Calvary. Jesus and Mary gazed at each other; their looks were like arrows piercing their loving hearts.
Prayers:
OUR MOST LOVING JESUS, by the pain You suffered in this meeting, grant us the grace of being truly devoted to Your most holy Mother.
And you, Mary, our Queen, who was overwhelmed with sorrow, obtain for us by your prayers a tender and a lasting remembrance of the Passion of your Divine Son.
We love You, Jesus, above all things. We repent of ever having offended You. Never allow us to offend You again. Grant that we may love You always; and then do with us as You will.
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Christ above in torment hangs,
She beneath beholds the pangs,
Of her dying, glorious Son.
The Fifth Station
Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus Carry His Cross
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
Let us consider how weak and weary Jesus was. At each step, He was at the point of expiring. Fearing that He would die on the way, when they wished Him to die the infamous death of the cross, they forced Simon of Cyrene to help carry the cross after Our Lord.
Prayers:
OUR BELOVED JESUS, we will not refuse the cross as Simon did; we accept it and embrace it. We accept in particular the death that is destined for us, with all the pains that may accompany it. We unite it to Your death, and we offer it to You. You have died for love of us; we will die for love of You, and to please You. Help us by Your grace. We love You, Jesus. We repent of ever having offended You. Never let us offend You again. Grant that we may love You always; and then do with us as You will.
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Is there one who would not weep,
Whelmed in miseries so deep,
Christ’s dear Mother to behold?
The Sixth Station
Veronica Wipes The Face of Jesus
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
Let us consider the compassion of the holy woman, Veronica. Seeing Jesus in such distress, His face bathed in sweat and blood, she presented Him with her veil. Jesus wiped His face, and left upon the cloth the image of His sacred countenance.
Prayers:
OUR BELOVED JESUS, Your face was beautiful before You began this journey; but, now, it no longer appears beautiful, and is disfigured with wounds and blood. Alas, our souls also were once beautiful when they received Your grace in Baptism; but we have since disfigured them with our sins. You alone, our Redeemer, can restore them to their former beauty. Do this by the merits of Your Passion; and then do with us as You will.
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Can the human heart refrain,
From partaking in her pain,
In that Mother’s pain untold?
The Seventh Station
Jesus Falls The Second Time
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
Let us consider how the second fall of Jesus, under His cross, renews the pain in all the wounds of the head and members of our afflicted Lord.
Prayers:
O MOST GENTLE JESUS, how many times have You forgiven us? And how many times we have fallen again, and begun again, to offend You? By the merits of this second fall, give us the grace to persevere in Your love until death. Grant, that in all our temptations, we may always have recourse to You. We love You, Jesus, with all our hearts. We are sorry that we have offended You. Never let us offend You again. Grant that we may love You always; and then do with us as You will.
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,
She beheld her tender child,
All with bloody scourges rent.
The Eighth Station
Jesus Meets The Women of Jerusalem
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
Let us consider how the women wept with compassion seeing Jesus, so distressed and dripping with blood, as He walked along. Jesus said to them, “Weep not so much for Me, but rather for Your children.”
Prayers:
OUR JESUS, laden with sorrows, we weep for the sins which we have committed against You because of the punishment we deserve for them; and, still more, because of the displeasure they have caused You, who have loved us with an infinite love. It is Your love, more than the fear of Hell, which makes us weep for our sins. Our Jesus, we love You more than ourselves. We are sorry that we have offended You. Never allow us to offend You again. Grant that we may love You always; and then do with us as You will.
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
For the sins of His own nation,
Saw Him hang in desolation,
Till His spirit forth He sent.
The Nineth Station
Jesus Falls the Third Time
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
Let us consider how Jesus Christ fell for the third time. He was extremely weak and the cruelty of His executioners was excessive; they tried to hasten His steps, though He hardly had strength to move.
Prayers:
OUR OUTRAGED JESUS, by the weakness You suffered in going to Calvary, give us enough strength to overcome all human respect and all our evil passions, which have led us to despise Your friendship. We love You, Jesus, with all our hearts. We are sorry for ever having offended You. Never permit us to offend You again. Grant that we may love You always; and then do with us as You will.
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
O sweet Mother! fount of love,
Touch my spirit from above,
Make my heart with yours accord.
The Tenth Station
Jesus Is Stripped Of His Garments
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
Let us consider how Jesus was violently stripped of His clothes by His executioners. The inner garments adhered to his lacerated flesh and the soldiers tore them off so roughly that the skin came with them.
Prayers:
OUR INNOCENT JESUS, by the torment You suffered in being stripped of Your garments, help us to strip ourselves of all attachments to earthly things so that we may place all our love in You, who are so worthy of our love. We love You, O Jesus, with all our hearts. We are sorry for ever having offended You. Never let us offend You again. Grant that we may love You always; and then do with us as You will.
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Make me feel as thou hast felt;
Make my soul to glow and melt,
With the love of Christ, my Lord.
The Eleventh Station
Jesus Is Nailed To The Cross
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
Let us consider Jesus, thrown down upon the cross, He stretched out His arms and offered to His eternal Father the sacrifice of His life for our salvation. They nailed His hands and feet, and then, raising the cross, left Him to die in anguish.
Prayers:
OUR DESPISED JESUS, nail our hearts to the cross that they may always remain there to love You and never leave You again. We love You more than ourselves. We are sorry for ever having offended You. Never permit us to offend You again. Grant that we may love You always; and then do with us as You will.
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Holy Mother, pierce me through!
In my heart each wound renew,
Of my Savior crucified.
The Twelfth Station
Jesus Dies On The Cross
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
Let us consider how Jesus, after three hours of agony on the cross, is finally overwhelmed with suffering and, abandoning Himself to the weight of His body, bows His head and dies.
Prayers:
OUR DYING JESUS, we devoutly kiss the cross on which You would die for love of us. We deserve, because of our sins, to die a terrible death; but Your death is our hope. By the merits of Your death, give us the grace to die embracing Your feet and burning with love of You. We yield our souls into Your hands. We love You with our whole hearts. We are sorry that we have offended You. Never let us offend You again. Grant that we may love You always; and then do with us as You will.
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Let me share with you His pain,
Who for all our sins was slain,
Who for me in torments died.
The Thirteenth Station
Jesus Is Taken Down From The Cross
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
Let us consider how, after Our Lord had died, He was taken down from the cross by two of His disciples, Joseph and Nicodemus, and placed in the arms of His afflicted Mother. She received Him with unutterable tenderness and pressed Him close to her bosom.
Prayers:
O MOTHER OF SORROWS, for the love of your Son, accept us as your servants and pray to Him for us.
And You, Jesus, our Redeemer, since you have died for us, allow us to love You, for we desire only You and nothing more. We love You, Jesus, and we are sorry that we have offended You. Never let us offend You again. Grant that we may love You always; and then do with us as You will.
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Let me mingle tears with thee,
Mourning Him Who mourned for me,
All the days that I may live.
The Fourteenth Station
Jesus Is Laid In The Tomb
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
Let us consider how the disciples carried the body of Jesus to its burial, while His holy Mother went with them and arranged it in the sepulcher with her own hands. They, then, closed the tomb and all departed.
Prayers:
O, OUR BURIED JESUS, we kiss the stone that closes You in; but You gloriously did rise on the third day. We beg You, by Your resurrection, that we may be raised gloriously on the last day, to be united with You in heaven, to praise You and love You forever. We love You, Jesus, and we repent of ever having offended You. Grant that we may love You always; and then do with us as You will.
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
By the cross with thee to stay,
There with thee to weep and pray,
Is all I ask of thee to give.
Closing Prayers
Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers five times in honor of the Passion of Jesus.
Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time for the intentions of the Holy Father.