A Way of the Cross

Below is a little something I created. I got a spark from the “new” way of the cross by John Paul II, and spent some time exploring the various versions that exist, including the Philippine one. The idea of a Scriptural way of the cross was one I found interesting, but I found the versions a bit…missing a little something (sorry, JP). So I made this. Looking at it now that it’s finished, I realized that it’s set up a bit like an Orthodox akathist or canon. The Collects I took from Chambers  – so to sound cool I nickname this the Sarum Way of the Cross.

Round One (meditations 1 – 4):

O Jerusalem, look to the East and see; 

lift up thine eyes, O Jerusalem, and see the power of thy King.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, unto ages of ages. Amen.

Praise be to Thee, O Lord, King of eternal glory.

1: The Last Supper:

The Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee. For by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world. 

2: The Garden of Gethsemane:

And Jesus came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow.

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee. For by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

3: Jesus is Arrested:

Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand. And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve. And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely. And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him. And they laid their hands on him, and took him.

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee. For by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

4: Jesus Before the Sanhedrin:

And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death. And straightway in the morning they bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate.

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee. For by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, unto ages of ages. Amen.

Praise be to Thee, O Lord, King of eternal glory.

Collect:

O Lord! We call on Thy Name, and entreat Thee, that, as by the strength of Thy Name, Thou didst refresh our fathers, when in danger of perishing, with the food of Angels ; so Thou wouldst nourish and recreate us by the feast of Thy mysteries. Through our Lord Jesus Christ who livest and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, to the ages of ages. Amen.

Round Two (meditations 5 – 8):

O Jerusalem, look to the East and see; 

lift up thine eyes, O Jerusalem, and see the power of thy King.

5: Jesus judged by Pilate:

And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto them, Thou sayest it. And the chief priests accused him of many things: But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled. Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired. And there was one named Barabbas, who had committed murder. And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them. And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews? And they cried out again, Crucify him.

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee. For by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

6: The Scourging of Jesus:

Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, and said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands. Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee. For by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

7: Simon Carries the Cross:

And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him. And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee. For by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

8: Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem:

And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee. For by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, unto ages of ages. Amen.

Praise be to Thee, O Lord, King of eternal glory.

Collect:

O God of strength! Passing all understanding! Who mercifully givest to Thy people mercy and judgment ; grant to us, we beseech Thee, faithfully to love Thee, to walk in the way of righteousness, and to hate the accursed sins of vanity and pride. Through Christ our Lord, who livest and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, to the ages of ages. Amen.

Round Three (meditations 9 – 12):

O Jerusalem, look to the East and see; 

lift up thine eyes, O Jerusalem, and see the power of thy King.

9: Jesus is Crucified:

And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, and saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself. And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, This Is The King Of The Jews.

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee. For by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

10: The Good Thief:

And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee. For by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

11: Jesus Speaks to His Mother:

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee. For by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

12: Jesus Dies:

And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. And they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee. For by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, unto ages of ages. Amen.

Praise be to Thee, O Lord, King of eternal glory.

Collect:

O Lord Jesus Christ, Who didst will to be shown forth in the substance of our mortality, and suffering for us didst not refuse to submit to the horns of the cross ; grant, we beseech Thee, that we may be worthy to be made partakers of Thy Divinity, and may ever glory and rejoice in Thee, Who livest and reignest in the Unity of the Father, and the Holy Ghost, God, unto ages of ages. Amen.

Round Four (meditations 13 – 16):

O Jerusalem, look to the East and see; 

lift up thine eyes, O Jerusalem, and see the power of thy King.

13: Jesus is Pierced:

The Jews, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, besought Pilate that their legs might be broken. Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee. For by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

14: Jesus is Buried:

When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple: He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee. For by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

15: Mary’s Sorrow:

And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. And Anna gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee. For by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

16: The Resurrection:

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee. For by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, unto ages of ages. Amen.

Praise be to Thee, O Lord, King of eternal glory.

Collect:

O God! Who in the holy morning of Thy Resurrection, madest Thy joy to be heard, when, returning from hell, Thou didst fill the earth with gladness, which Thou hadst left in gloom ; we beseech the Ineffable Majesty of Thy Power, that as Thou didst cause the holy company of the Apostles to rejoice in Thy rising, so Thou wouldst vouchsafe to illumine this Thy church, which with outstretched hands doth beseech Thee, with the radiance of Thy celestial splendour, Who livest and regnest with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, God, unto the ages of ages. Amen.

 

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