We journey through Lent this year in the midst of a long and difficult pandemic. Covid-19 has changed so much of how we live our lives over the past several months, especially how we gather as a community of faith and how we pray together. As we begin our Lenten observance, we recall that Jesus’ passion and death speak to us in every age, in every context. Today, we will pray the stations of the cross as a meditation on the global pandemic.

Loving God, your Son’s sacrifice on the cross shows us that your divine love dispels every darkness in our human condition. In his suffering, you transform human suffering, and, in his death, you defeat the power of death. Jesus’ way of the cross speaks to us in every age, especially in this time of global pandemic. Receive our prayers today and inspire us to trust in his cross, which is truly our only hope. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.
Art: Stations of the Cross from the St. Francis of Assisi Chapel in Breen-Phillips Hall

Text of the Stations of the Cross in the time of Covid-19

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

The First Station, Jesus is condemned to death.
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you…Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Lord, as we enter into the mystery of your passion and death, we recall the early days of this pandemic. In these first days, we knew there would be suffering, sacrifice, and loss ahead but we could not grasp the scope of the pandemic and did not understand how long and difficult that path would be. Now, as we recall your sentencing, we cannot grasp how the Son of God, the sinless one, could be condemned to death. But in this moment you show us the key to all trials that we endure but cannot explain: trust in the love of the Father.

Let us pray now in silence for the gifts of hope and trust in times of darkness.

The Second Station, Jesus takes up his cross.
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you…Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Lord, you took up the weight of the cross for our sake. In this pandemic, our very existence has become heavy with the burdens of loneliness, frustration, confusion, and fear. The restrictions that have been placed on our lives weigh us down. Give us the strength to carry the cross of this pandemic as you carried your cross. Help us to prevent the spread of the virus and serve the needs of others just as you took up your cross in service of all.

Let us pray now in silence for the strength and endurance to persevere through the challenges of this pandemic.

The Third Station, Jesus falls for the first time.
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you…Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Lord, you know well that our burdens are great. When we stumble on the path to holiness or fall because of our sinfulness, you understand. Though you were perfect in holiness, you carried the weight of our sin when you carried the cross. Under that weight, even you fell. As we endure this pandemic, we have often fallen on this long path, sometimes from our sinfulness other times from our emotional exhaustion or physical fatigue. When we meditate on your first fall on the way of the cross, we remember that you became like us in all things but sin, and you know the suffering we experience.

Let us pray now in silence for all those who are despairing because of the psychological burdens of the pandemic.

The Fourth Station, Jesus meets his mother.
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you…Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Lord, you met your mother on the way to Golgotha where you would be crucified. We cannot imagine the depth of sorrow that you both experienced in that meeting, but we know that you drew strength from her loving presence on the way of the cross. In this pandemic, many family members have been prevented from comforting one another in a time of great need due to limitations on travel, gatherings, and visitors to hospitals and nursing homes. In these dark times, some have even passed into your kingdom without the comfort of loved ones at their side. We pray that your mother, Our Lady of Sorrows, will be their comfort in these lonely times.

Let us pray now in silence for family members who have been kept apart by this pandemic, especially the sick, the dying, and those mourning the loss of a loved one.

The Fifth Station, Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus to Carry His Cross
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you…Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Lord, the weight of your cross was overwhelming, so a bystander was pressed into service to help you carry it. We know very little about Simon of Cyrene, other than the fact that he shouldered the burden of the cross with you. In this pandemic, even the most basic tasks of fulfilling our essential human needs have become difficult and carry great risks. And yet there are people among us who continue to perform the duties of their professions as essential workers. They ensure that we have access to the resources, services, and care that we need to survive the long days of this extraordinary time. They are like Simon of Cyrene. Without them we would surely be crushed by the weight of this pandemic.

With profound gratitude, let us pray now in silence for the safety of all essential workers and first responders.

The Sixth Station, Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you…Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Lord, you holy face was covered in blood and sweat from the torment you endured on the way of the cross. One woman stepped forward and wiped your face with a linen cloth. The image of your face was left on that cloth. Veronica’s gesture of compassion and reverence revealed your holy face, an icon of the living God. Doctors, nurses, and caregivers continue those actions of compassion and reverence as they replace masks, oxygen tubes, and ventilators on the faces of Covid-19 patients. Their works of mercy offer gentle care and reverence for the dignity of the sick and the dying. They see your face, O Lord, in the faces of their suffering patients.

With profound gratitude, let us pray now in silence for the safety of all healthcare workers.

The Seventh Station, Jesus Falls for the Second Time
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you…Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Even with the help of Simon of Cyrene, you fall again under the weight of your cross, O Lord. In a similar way, the burdens of this pandemic unfold for us in new and unexpected ways. Many of us have fallen to our knees under the weight of the economic strain created by this pandemic. Job losses, reductions in work hours, economic uncertainty, and loss of income have created an intangible suffering in our society. Many of our family members and friends feel the pain of these economic changes. May we have the strength to get back up and continue down the difficult path before us, just as you did, Lord.

Let us pray now in silence for all those who suffer from the economic hardships of this pandemic.

The Eighth Station, Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you…Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Lord, your closest disciples had mostly abandoned you after you were arrested and condemned to die. And yet the women of Jerusalem bravely stepped forward to console you on the way of the cross. In this time of physical distancing, quarantining, and other precautions, we welcome the creativity of our communities in breaking down the barriers of social isolation. Driveway visits, birthday parades, video calls, and notes in the mail help us remember that we are not alone. Like the women of Jerusalem, help us to be a source of comfort to those in need.

Let us pray now in silence for the creativity to support our communities and loved ones in this pandemic, even when we cannot be physically present to one another.

The Ninth Station, Jesus Falls for the Third Time
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you…Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Lord, as you fall for a third time, we call to mind all the ways that our society has collectively fallen down under the weight of this pandemic. We acknowledge that the burden of this disease has been disproportionately carried by the poor, people of color, and vulnerable populations. We recognize that this virus has revealed inequities in our country, especially in access to healthcare. As we meditate on your third fall under the weight of the cross, we think of all the ways that we have failed to remove the unjust burdens carried by our brothers and sisters.

Let us pray now in silence for all those who lack access to healthcare, housing, safe work environments, and community support during the pandemic.

The Tenth Station, Jesus is Stripped of his Garments
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you…Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Lord, as we approach the final hours of your life in this meditation, we turn our thoughts to the suffering of those who have contracted Covid-19. We pray that their affliction may be united to your holy suffering and transformed in your redeeming love. As you were stripped of your garments before your crucifixion, so too are Covid patients stripped of their ordinary clothes as they don a hospital gown for medical treatment. This transition is a moment of palpable vulnerability for every patient. In sharing our human condition, O Lord, you understand the vulnerability and weaknesses of our bodies.

Let us pray now in silence for all those who are hospitalized for the treatment of Covid-19.

The Eleventh Station, Jesus is Nailed to the Cross
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you…Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Lord, when you willingly chose to die on the cross for our sake, you knew that you would experience physical pain. Since the start of this pandemic, millions of people have suffered through the pain that this virus causes. We seek to prevent this pain in any way possible and we work to alleviate the suffering of all those who experience it. But, like the nails that pierced your body, the pain of this disease is unavoidable for so many who contract the coronavirus. Be their source of comfort in their time of great distress.

Let us pray now in silence for all those who suffer from the pain caused by Covid-19.

The Twelfth Station, Jesus Dies on the Cross
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you…Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Lord, we remember that crucifixion kills by asphyxiation. The weight of your body hanging on the cross prevented you from filling your lungs with live-giving air. Those who die of Covid-19 also struggle to breathe. As their lungs fail and they pass from life into death, you are especially close to them in the suffering that you yourself knew in your death on the cross.

Let us now pray in silence for all those who have died from Covid-19.

The Thirteenth Station, Jesus is taken down from the Cross
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you…Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
After you gave up your spirit on the cross, O Lord, your followers took down your body and prepared you for burial. In this pandemic, funerals and burials have been a great challenge for so many families. Loved ones have struggled to travel to be with family members for funerals and gatherings for services have been limited. In these trying circumstances, grant comfort to all those who are mourning the passing of a loved one who died during this pandemic.

Let us pray now for all those who have buried loved ones since the outbreak of Covid-19.

The Fourteenth Station, Jesus is laid in the Tomb
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you…Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Jesus, the crucified and risen Christ, your tomb is the gateway to our hope in your resurrection. The season of Lent reminds us that the promise of Easter always awaits us. Even as we have sacrificed so much in this pandemic and lost so many beloved members of our communities, we still trust that there will be a day when we will emerge from our homes to physically embrace one another in friendship and love. As you laid in the tomb between your crucifixion and resurrection, you patiently awaited the will of the Father. Grant us the patience to endure in faith the dawning of a new day.

In silence, let us now pray for an end to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Loving God, your Son’s sacrifice on the cross shows us that your divine love dispels every darkness in our human condition. In his suffering, you transform human suffering, and, in his death, you defeat the power of death. Jesus’ way of the cross speaks to us in every age, especially in this time of global pandemic. Receive our prayers today and inspire us to trust in his cross, which is truly our only hope. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.