People have told lies
about Jesus to get him into trouble. Pilate, the judge, knows that he is
innocent. Pilate says he could set Jesus free, or a very bad man. The people
choose to let the very bad man go free and to have Jesus killed.
Dear God help
us not to tell lies to get other people into trouble. Help us to stand up for
people when everyone else is telling lies about them. Give us strength always to
choose good and reject evil. Amen.
2
Jesus takes his cross.
Jesus has been beaten up, he is
tired, thirsty and hungry and now he has to carry a very heavy piece of wood.
Jesus is to be killed even when he hasn't done anything wrong. He doesn't
grumble. Jesus just picks up the cross and carries it along.
Dear God, when
there are things I don't want to do, help me to remember Jesus, and just do them
cheerfully. It doesn't seem fair when I'm asked to do other people's work
especially clearing up someone else's mess. Let me do these things for Jesus'
sake. Amen
3
Jesus falls for the first time.
The soldiers have been rushing
him, the cross is heavy and Jesus' wounds are hurting badly. Jesus prays to God
to help him and forces himself to get up and carry the cross again. Jesus knew
that it was important to God for him to carry on.
Dear God, when I do something
wrong, I fall from the standard you want from me. Help me to know that I can get
up and try again, because you love me and I can keep on trying whatever happens.
Amen.
4 Jesus
meets his mother.
Mary is crying and she puts her
arms around Jesus, but she isn't allowed to stay. It is very hard for Jesus and
Mary that his mother should see him bruised and beaten. It is hard for a mother
who cannot do anything to help or to stop her children getting hurt.
Dear God,
comfort me when I have to be separated from people I love, help me to comfort
others when they are away from the ones they love. Help me to tell you about my
loneliness in prayer to you. Amen.
Jesus
is getting too weak. The soldiers stop Simon from what he was doing and force
him to help Jesus carry his cross. Simon was working and he didn't know Jesus.
Simon did not want to help. It was a very nasty job to carry a cross, it made
Simon feel dirty, but he did it all the same.
Dear God, make me strong when I
have to do something that I don't like, or makes me feel ashamed, even when I
know that you would want me to do it. Let me be like Simon and be proud that I
did it for you. Amen.
Veronica's
heart goes out to Jesus and she pushes through the crowd. Veronica wipes Jesus'
face with her handkerchief to refresh him. She is surprised to see a picture of
Jesus on her handkerchief when Jesus gives it back to her.
Dear God, let me say
thank you to people when they help me, and help me to do kind things for people
without expecting a reward. Amen.
7.Jesus
falls a second time.
Jesus is very weak now and the
soldiers are pushing him to go faster. He tries but falls again and the heavy
cross falls on top of him.
Dear God, thank you for showing me that I can always
get up and keep going. That God will never ask me to do more than I can cope
with. He will always be there to help me and show me where to look for the
answer if I ask and listen. Remind me never to push people too far or too hard.
When other people fall or get hurt, let me feel sorry for them and try to help
if I can. Amen.
The women are feeling sorry for
Jesus. He tells them to be kind to others (that makes Jesus happy). When you are
ill, tired, or unhappy it is hard to behave well. Jesus is not thinking about
himself but he is thinking kindly of others.
Dear God, help me to be thoughtful
of others so that I can make people happy and share what I have. Please let me
put others first and not always keep the best of everything for myself. Amen.
Jesus is nearly all in. The
soldiers are frightened that a riot might break out, and are in a hurry to kill
Jesus before the Holy Day (the Passover). It is almost impossible for Jesus to
push himself back onto his feet. The pain is agonising. Jesus prays for God's
strength to finish his journey. Jesus manages it for God.
Dear God, Jesus is a
hero. Help me to encourage other people especially when they are down. When
others rush to help me when I don't want it, let me be kind and remember that
each of us needs to help and be appreciated sometimes. Amen.
10.Jesus'
clothes are taken away.
The soldiers are preparing
to crucify Jesus. The clothes are sticking to his wounds, which hurt very much.
Jesus is fighting against sin and death. For God's sake, to show his love for
all of us, so that we can live forever in heaven, Jesus wants to win. We want
him to win, we are on his side, and want him to win now.
Dear God, keep me
strong in the battles I have to fight to be good and true to you. Don't let me
forget that I can pray for your help at any time and when I am at Mass with my
family. Jesus I'm on your side. Amen.
11.Jesus
is nailed to the cross.
Jesus lies flat on the cross. A
soldier hammers spikes into his hands and then feet. The soldiers fit the cross
into a hole in the ground. All of Jesus' weight is now hanging from the nails.
It is a very sad day, that first Good Friday. All of nature cries out. The sky
is dark and there is a huge thunderstorm. Jesus hurts all over, but he knows
he's done the right thing. Jesus forgives the people for what they have done to
him. Even now that Jesus is dying he still keeps thinking of others.
Dear God,
help me to forgive those that hurt me. Help me to live so that Mary will be
proud to have me as her child. Jesus I love you. Amen.
12.Jesus
dies on the cross.
Jesus hangs on the cross for
three hours. He prays to God and tells him that he has finished what had to be
done. He bows his head and dies. A soldier slits Jesus' side with a spear. The
blood and water pouring from Jesus' side is a sign that he gave everything.
Jesus once told his disciples that he would rise to life again three days after
his death, to show them that life had won the fight over death.
Dear God,
wherever I am or whatever happens, may I always be thankful that Jesus died for
me. Jesus I believe you bring life. Amen.
13.Jesus
is taken from the cross.
Now
Jesus is lying on his mother's lap, washed clean from the dirt and the blood.
Mary's heart is broken. She does not cry because Mary is waiting three days.
None of Jesus' enemies are here, only his friends, who can stay near Mary and
wait for the third day.
Dear God, let me say, with the disciples and Mary:
'Jesus I love you'. When someone dies, help me to know that they are living with
you and I shall see them in heaven. Please help me to be kind and helpful to
others who are sad at losing loved ones Amen.
14.Jesus
is put into the tomb.
Jesus'
body is dressed in clean clothes and sprinkled with sweet perfume ready to go
into the tomb. The tomb is like a cave cut into a big rock. When they have laid
him to rest in the tomb, Jesus' friends leave him, and close the door of the
cave, by rolling a great stone across the entrance. Jesus' enemies know about
the three days, and set soldiers to guard Jesus' tomb. They are afraid that the
disciples will steal Jesus' body. The soldiers sit up and wait, guarding Jesus'
body. We wait to welcome the risen body of Christ with a great shout: 'He is
risen!'.
Dear God, teach me to wait, when I can't have what I want right away.
Help me to pray to you even when you don't seem very near to me. Amen.