Narrator 1: The First Station Jesus is condemned to death...Stabat Mater verse is sung by choir while station is moving, then narrator speaks. Narrator 2: The Second Station Jesus

Stabat Mater verse is sung by choir while station is moving, then narrator speaks.

Narrator 1: The First Station Jesus is condemned to death

Wait to begin reading until all characters are in front of curtain. But don’t wait until they are in position.

We adore you O Christ and we praise you…

And as soon as it was morning the chief priests, with the elders and scribes, and the whole council held a consultation; and they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him to Pilate. 2 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 3 And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4 And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” 5 But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate wondered.

6 Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner whom they asked. 7 And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barab′bas. 8 And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he was wont to do for them. 9 And he answered them, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?”10 For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up.11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barab′bas instead. 12 And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man whom you call the King of the Jews?” 13 And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” 14 And Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barab′bas; and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

Scene Freezes until meditation is finished

Narrator 2: Meditation


Narrator 2: The Second Station Jesus takes up the Cross

Part 1: Wait to begin reading until all characters are in front of curtain.


5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold, the man!”

Scene freezes during short song.

Part 2: Begin Reading right after song

13 When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, and in Hebrew, Gab′batha. 14 Now it was the day of

Pilate gets up

and moves to

center &

Jesus moves

as well.

Pilate turns &

frees

Barabbas.

At every station, the actors freeze on

stage during the entire meditation, so

that they resemble statues.

Jesus sits on the Judgment seat of Pilate, wearing

the crown of thorns. Lights are on him alone. All

other actors move behind curtain.

Pilate’s soldier

moves behind

curtain to

retrieve

Barabbas.

Actors

return &

continue

scene.

Preparation of the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Here is your King!” 15 They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”16 Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.

17 So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Gol′gotha.

Scene Freezes



Narrator 3: The Third Station Jesus falls for the first time



l7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.

Scene Freezes



Narrator 4: The Fourth Station Jesus meets his Mother



12 “Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow.”

Wait to begin meditation until Mary and Jesus are in place.


Pilate’s

soldier goes

to back to

retrieve

Cross.

Jesus falls.

Cross makes

loud sound.

Soldiers attempt to keep

Mary away, but she moves

close enough to kneel before

Jesus. The scene freezes

while they look at one

another.


Narrator 1: The Fifth Station Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry his Cross



21 And they compelled a passer-by, Simon of Cyre′ne, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.

Allow the scene to complete before reading Meditation. Scene Freezes



Narrator 2: The Sixth Station Veronica wipes the face of Jesus



40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’

Allow the scene to complete and for Veronica to show veil before

reading Meditation. Scene Freezes



Simon is picked up from the

crowd by outside soldier. (he

is sitting with the students).

Veronica gets up from crowd (of

students) and makes her way to Jesus.

Soldiers attempt to stop her, but they

fail. Veronica wipes Jesus’ face.

She shows veil to crowd. One light shines

on this.

Narrator 3: The Seventh Station Jesus falls the second time



6 I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning. 7 For my loins are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh. 8 I am utterly spent and crushed; Wait for Cross to fall. I groan because of the tumult of my heart. 9 Lord, all my longing is known to thee, my sighing is not hidden from thee. 10 My heart throbs, my strength fails me; and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me. 11 My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my kinsmen stand afar off.

Scene Freezes



Narrator 4: The Eighth Station Jesus consoles the women of Jerusalem



27 And there followed him a great multitude of the people, and of women who bewailed and lamented him. 28 But Jesus turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 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!’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us’; and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31 For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

Scene Freezes


Jesus and Cross Fall here.

Simon kneels.

Soldiers whip mercilessly and

try to make Jesus rise until

“kinsman stand afar off.”

Weeping women

come from crowd of

students, crying,

again, pushing back

the soldiers.


Narrator 1: The Ninth Station Jesus falls the third time

Don’t wait until everyone is on stage—start reading as Jesus gets JUST in front of curtain.


For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sinning. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Scene Freezes


Stabat Mater verse is sung by choir while station is moving. Choir may have to sing verse twice while curtain is

rolled and actors proceed onto stage.

Narrator 2: The Tenth Station Jesus is stripped of his garments

Wait to begin reading until all characters are ON STAGE. But don’t wait until they are in position.


23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus they took his garments and made four parts, one for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was without seam, woven from top to bottom;24 so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the scripture,

Time the following with the soldiers casting lots.

“They parted my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.”

Allow scene to complete, when soldiers are in midst of throwing dice. Scene Freezes



Jesus stumbles and groans and

ALMOST falls when he gets JUST on

stage.

When he moves to the middle, he

collapses. Soldiers are to see that

the Cross makes a loud noise

WITHOUT hitting Sebastian.

Whipping Soldiers: Trade whips with Curtain soldiers. Roll curtain while station is

moving.

Lights on stage turned on. Jesus, soldiers move on REAL stage, followed by Mary,

John. Mary Magdalene, Cross-helpers, and…

Barabbas, Joseph, weeping women, etc. move to center-stage below while

avoiding blocking lights.

One soldier is to rip “ripping cloth” behind

Jesus while others remove robe roughly. Jesus

reacts in pain, but silently.

Two soldiers begin casting lots for tunic.

During this scene remaining

soldiers begin moving cross into

place and get into position. This

will need to be practiced

carefully for safety of actors.

Narrator 3: The Eleventh Station Jesus is nailed to the Cross

Begin reading soon after movement begins again.


33 And when they came to the place which is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. 35 And the people stood by, watching; but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him vinegar, 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

Scene Freezes



Narrator 4: The Twelfth Station Jesus dies on the Cross



28 After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfil the scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A bowl full of vinegar stood there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished”; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. say: Please Kneel.

Thunder. Silence. (Count to 10 and begin reading again).

Since it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the sabbath (for that sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him; 33 but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 35 He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth—that you also may believe. 36 For these things took place that the scripture might be fulfilled, “Not a bone of him shall be broken.” 37 And again another scripture says, “They shall look on him whom they have pierced.”

say: Please Sit.

Scene Freezes


The nailing and lifting will be

practiced carefully and

repeatedly to ensure safety of all

actors on stage.

This will be practiced carefully

and repeatedly to ensure safety

of all actors on stage.

Mary, John, and Magdalene

move to front of cross kneeling.

Crew member will play thunder sound. Iights will

flash on and off, then go out. When reading begins,

lights go back on.

Soldier will pierce, then kneel.

Soldier will put

sponge to lips.


Narrator 1: The Thirteenth Station Jesus is taken down from the Cross



38 After this Joseph of Arimathe′a, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him leave. So he came and took away his body. 39 Nicode′mus also, who had at first come to him by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds’ weight. 40 They took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Scene Freezes


Stabat Mater verse is sung by choir while Mary holds Jesus in her arms. …

Narrator 2: The Fourteenth Station Jesus is laid in the Tomb



And Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, 60 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. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the sepulcher.

Narrator 3: Allow actors to bring Jesus’ body down the stage and lay on cot.

Meditation

say: Please Kneel and face the Cross. (All cast members come down and kneel with others at foot of stage with Jeus’ body coversed in center.)

Joseph and soldiers will remove Jesus’ body

from Cross, and lay it front of Mary with

carrying cloth positioned beneath him.

After 13th

station, soldiers and other

helpers will lift and guide Jesus’

body to end of stage, then rest.

After genuflection, they will carry

him down the stage.

They will place him on the cot & use

carrying cot to cover him.

The cot will be carried to center

stage below.

Let us pray:

Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus while before Your face I humbly kneel and, with burning soul, pray and beseech You to fix deep in my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope, and charity; true contrition for my sins, and a firm purpose of amendment. While I contemplate, with great love and tender pity, Your five most precious wounds, pondering over them within me and calling to mind the words which David, Your prophet, said to You, my Jesus: "They have pierced My hands and My feet, they have numbered all My bones." Amen.

say: Prayers for the Intentions of Pope Francis: Our Father…, Hail Mary…, Glory Be…

Documents

Narrator 1: The First Station Jesus is condemned to death...Stabat Mater verse is sung by choir while station is moving, then narrator speaks. Narrator 2: The Second Station Jesus