The Shrine Church of Our Lady of Solace
A PARISH MINISTRY OF THE VOCATIONIST FATHERS
2866 West 17th Street
Brooklyn, New York 11224
Phone: (718) 266-
FAX: (718) 946-
REV. ARMANDO M. PALMIERI, S. D. V., Pastor
REV. SHIJU CHITTATTUKARA, S. D. V. , Associate Pastor
The Stations of the Cross
THE FIRST STATION: JESUS IS CONDEMNED TO DEATH
V. We adore You O Christ and we praise You
R. Because by Your holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
Pilate said to them, "Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?"
All of them said, "Let him be crucified!" Then he asked, "Why, what evil has he done?"
But they shouted all the more, "Let him be crucified!" So he released Barabbas for
them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified. -
Lord, you were condemned to death because fear of what other people may think suppressed the voice of conscience. So too, throughout history, the innocent have always been maltreated, condemned and killed. How many times have we ourselves preferred success to the truth, our reputation to justice? Strengthen the quiet voice of our conscience, your own voice, in our lives. Look at me as you looked at Peter after his denial. Let your gaze penetrate our hearts and indicate the direction our lives must take. On the day of Pentecost you stirred the hearts of those who, on Good Friday, clamored for your death, and you brought them to conversion. In this way you gave hope to all. Grant us, ever anew, the grace of conversion.
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory Be to the Father....
Through he heart, His sorrow sharing
All His bitter anguish bearing
Now at length the sword has passed.
THE FOURTH STATION : JESUS MEETS HIS AFFLICTED MOTHER
V. We adore You O Christ and we praise You
R. Because by Your holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
Simon blessed them and said to Mary his mother: "Behold, this child is set for the
fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword
will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be
revealed". And his mother kept all these things in her heart. -
Holy Mary, Mother of the Lord, you remained faithful when the disciples fled. Just as you believed the angels incredible message that you would become the Mother of the Most High, so too you believed at the hour of his greatest abasement. In this way, at the hour of the Cross, at the hour of the world's darkest night, you became the Mother of all believers, the Mother of the Church. We beg you: teach us to believe, and grant that our faith may bear fruit in courageous service and be the sign of a love ever ready to share suffering and to offer assistance.
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory Be to the Father....
Is there one who would not weep,
‘whelmed in miseries so deep,
Christ's dear mother to behold.
THE FIFTH STATION : JESUS IS ASSISTED BY THE CYRENEAN
V. We adore You O Christ and we praise You
R. Because by Your holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
As they went out, they came upon a man of Cyrene, Simon by name; this man they compelled
to carry his cross. Jesus told his disciples, "If any man would come after me, let
him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. -
Lord, you opened the eyes and heart of Simon of Cyrene, and you gave him, by his share in your Cross, the grace of faith. Help us to aid our neighbors in need, even when this interferes with our own plans and desires. Help us to realize that it is a grace to be able to share the cross of others and, in this way, know that we are walking with you along the way. Help us to appreciate with joy that, when we share in your suffering and the sufferings of this world, we become servants of salvation and are able to help build up your Body, the Church.
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory Be to the Father....
Can the human heart refrain
From partaking in her pain
In the 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.
I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath; he has driven and
brought me into darkness without any light. He has blocked my way with hewn stones,
he has made my paths crooked. He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower
in ashes. -
Lord Jesus Christ, you have borne all our burdens and you continue to carry us. Our weight has made you fall. Lift us up, for by ourselves we cannot rise from the dust. Free us from the bonds of lust. In place of a heart of stone, give us a heart of flesh, a heart capable of seeing. Lay low the power of ideologies, so that all may see that they are a web of lies. Do not let the wall of materialism become insurmountable. Make us aware of your presence. Keep us sober and vigilant, capable of resisting the forces of evil. Help us to recognize the spiritual and material needs of others, and to give them the help they need. Lift us up, so that we may lift others up. Give us hope at every moment of darkness, so that we may bring your hope to the world.
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory Be to the Father....
For the sins of His own nation
Saw Him hang in desolation
Till His Spirit forth He sent.
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.
He had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should
desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted
with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed
him not. -
Lord, grant us restless hearts, hearts which seek your face. Keep us from the blindness of heart which sees only the surface of things. Give us the simplicity and purity which allow us to recognize your presence in the world. When we are not able to accomplish great things, grant us the courage which is born of humility and goodness. Impress your face on our hearts. May we encounter you along the way and show your image to the world.
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory Be to the Father....
Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,
She beheld her tender child,
All with bloody scourges rent.
THE NINTH 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.
It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone in silence
when he has laid it on him; let him put his mouth in the dust -
Lord, your Church often seems like a boat about to sink, a boat taking in water on every side. In your field we see more weeds than wheat. The soiled garments and face of your Church throw us into confusion. Yet it is we ourselves who have soiled them! It is we who betray you time and time again, after all our lofty words and grand gestures. Have mercy on your Church; within her too, Adam continues to fall. When we fall, we drag you down to earth, and Satan laughs, for he hopes that you will not be able to rise from that fall; he hopes that being dragged down in the fall of your Church, you will remain prostrate and overpowered. But you will rise again. You stood up, you arose and you can also raise us up. Save and sanctify your Church. Save and sanctify us all.
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory Be to the Father....
Make me feel as you have felt;
Make my soul to glow and melt
With the love of Christ, my Lord.
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.
And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull),
they offered him wine to drink, mingled with gall, but when he tasted it, he would
not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them
by casting lots; then they sat down and kept watch over him there. -
Lord Jesus, you were stripped of your garments, exposed to shame, cast out of society. You took upon yourself the shame of Adam, and you healed it. You also take upon yourself the sufferings and the needs of the poor, the outcasts of our world. And in this very way you fulfill the words of the prophets. This is how you bring meaning into apparent meaninglessness. This is how you make us realize that your Father holds you, us, and the whole world in his hands. Give us a profound respect for man at every stage of his existence, and in all the situations in which we encounter him. Clothe us in the light of your grace.
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory Be to the Father....
Holy Mother, pierce me through
In my heart each wound renew
Of my Savior crucified.
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.
And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, "This is Jesus the
King of the Jews". Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right hand
and one on the left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and
saying, "You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself!
If you are the Son of God, come down from the Cross". So also the chief priests with
the scribes and elders mocked him, saying, "He saved others; he cannot save himself.
He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the Cross and we will believe
in him". -
Lord Jesus Christ, you let yourself be nailed to the Cross, accepting the terrible cruelty of this suffering, the destruction of your body and your dignity. You allowed yourself to be nailed fast; you did not try to escape or to lessen your suffering. May we never flee from what we are called to do. Help us to remain faithful to you. Help us to unmask the false freedom which would distance us from you. Help us to accept your "binding" freedom, and, "bound" fast to you, to discover true freedom.
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory Be to the Father....
Let me share with you His pain,
Who for all our sins was slain,
Who for me in torments died.
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.
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?"
That is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" And some of the bystanders hearing
it said, "This man is calling Elijah". And one of them at once ran and took a sponge,
filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink. But the
others said, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him". And Jesus cried
again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit". When the centurion and those
who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place,
they were filled with awe, and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!" -
Lord Jesus Christ, at the hour of your death the sun was darkened. Ever anew you are being nailed to the Cross. At this present hour of history we are living in God's darkness. Through your great sufferings and the wickedness of men, the face of God, your face, seems obscured, unrecognizable. And yet, on the Cross, you have revealed yourself. Precisely by being the one who suffers and loves, you are exalted. From the Cross on high you have triumphed. Help us to recognize your face at this hour of darkness and tribulation. Help us to believe in you and to follow you in our hour of darkness and need. Show yourself once more to the world at this hour. Reveal to us your salvation.
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory Be to the Father....
Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,
She beheld her tender child,
All with bloody scourges rent.
THE THIRTEENTH STATION : JESUS TAKEN FROM THE CROSS
V. We adore You O Christ and we praise You
R. Because by Your holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the
earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe, and said, "Truly this
was the Son of God!" There were also many women there, looking on from afar, who
had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him. -
Lord, you descended into the darkness of death. But your body is placed in good hands and wrapped in a white shroud (Mt 27:59). Faith has not completely died; the sun has not completely set. How often does it appear that you are asleep? How easy it is for us to step back and say to ourselves: "God is dead". In the hour of darkness, help us to know that you are still there. Do not abandon us when we are tempted to lose heart. Help us not to leave you alone. Give us the fidelity to withstand moments of confusion and a love ready to embrace you in your utter helplessness, like your Mother, who once more holds you to her breast. Help us, the poor and rich, simple and learned, to look beyond all our fears and prejudices, and to offer you our abilities, our hearts and our time, and thus to prepare a garden for the Resurrection.
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory Be to the Father....
By the cross with you to stay there
With you to weep and pray is
All I ask of you to give.
THE EIGHTH STATION: JESUS CONSOLES 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.
Jesus turning to them said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep
for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will
say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that
never gave suck!' Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us'; and
to the hills, 'Cover us'. For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen
when it is dry?" -
Lord, to the weeping women you spoke of repentance and the Day of Judgment, when
all of us will stand before your face: before you, the Judge of the world. You call
us to leave behind the trivialization of evil, which salves our consciences and allows
us to carry on as before. You show us the seriousness of our responsibility, the
danger of our being found guilty and without excuse on the Day of Judgment. Grant
that we may not simply walk at your side, with nothing to offer other than compassionate
words. Convert us and give us new life. Grant that in the end we will not be dry
wood, but living branches in you, the true vine, bearing fruit for eternal life (cf.
Jn 15:1-
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory Be to the Father....
O Sweet Mother! Fount of Love
Touch my spirit from above
Make my heart with yours accord.
The pictures of the Stations of the Cross are of the actual oil paintings on canvas Stations that have hung in the church since its construction in 1925. Each canvas work is inside an exquisite handcrafted inner frame that is placed in the center of an outer frame gilded with gold leaf trim and lettering. In spite of their age, they are as fresh as the day they were mounted without any need of restoration.
To see a large size image of and meditate upon each of these priceless works of religious art, please click the image at each Station. A new window or tab will open.
THE SECOND STATION: JESUS IS MADE TO BEAR HIS CROSS
V. We adore You O Christ and we praise You
R. Because by Your holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters, and
they gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe
on him, and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They
put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, "Hail,
King of the Jews!" They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head.
After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him.
Then they led him away to crucify him. -
Lord, you willingly subjected yourself to mockery and scorn. Help us not to ally ourselves with those who look down on the weak and suffering. Help us to acknowledge your face in the lowly and the outcast. May we never lose heart when faced with the contempt of this world, which ridicules our obedience to your will. You carried your own Cross and you ask us to follow you on this path (cf. Mt 10:38). Help us to take up the Cross, and not to shun it. May we never complain or become discouraged by life's trials. Help us to follow the path of love and, in submitting to its demands, to find true joy.
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory Be to the Father....
O how sad and sore distressed
Was the mother highly blessed
Of the sole begotten one.
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.
Surely he has born our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was
bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and
with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned
everyone to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. -
Lord Jesus, the weight of the cross made you fall to the ground. The weight of our sin, the weight of our pride, brought you down. But your fall is not a tragedy, or mere human weakness. You came to us when, in our pride, we were laid low. The arrogance that makes us think that we ourselves can create human beings has turned man into a kind of merchandise, to be bought and sold, or stored to provide parts for experimentation. In doing this, we hope to conquer death by our own efforts, yet in reality we are profoundly debasing human dignity. Lord help us; we have fallen. Help us to abandon our destructive pride and, by learning from your humility, to rise again.
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory Be to the Father....
Christ above in torment hangs
She beneath beholds the pangs
Of her dying, glorious Son.
THE FOURTEENTH STATION : JESUS LAID IN THE SEPULCHRE
V. We adore You O Christ and we praise You
R. Because by Your holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, and laid it in his
own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door
of the tomb, and departed. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting
opposite the sepulcher. -
Lord Jesus Christ, in your burial you have taken on the death of the grain of wheat. You have become the lifeless grain of wheat which produces abundant fruit for every age and for all eternity. From the tomb shines forth in every generation the promise of the grain of wheat which gives rise to the true manna, the Bread of Life, in which you offer us your very self. The eternal Word, through his Incarnation and death, has become a Word which is close to us: you put yourself into our hands and into our hearts, so that your word can grow within us and bear fruit. Through the death of the grain of wheat you give us yourself, so that we too can dare to lose our life in order to find it, so that we too can trust the promise of the grain of wheat. Help us grow in love and veneration for your Eucharistic mystery to make you, the Bread of heaven, the source of our life. Help us to become your "fragrance", and to make known in this world the mysterious traces of your life. Like the grain of wheat which rises from the earth, putting forth its stalk and then its ear, you could not remain enclosed in the tomb: the tomb is empty because he the Father "did not abandon you to the nether world, nor let your flesh see corruption" (Acts 2:31; Ps 16:10 LXX). No, you did not see corruption. You have risen, and have made a place for our transfigured flesh in the very heart of God. Help us to rejoice in this hope and bring it joyfully to the world. Help us to become witnesses of your resurrection.
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory Be to the Father....
Virgins of all virgins blest!
Listen to my fond request:
Let me share your grief divine.