Based on the writing of St. Francis de Sales. Translated and somewhat amplified by The Most Rev. Lewis S. Fiorelli, O.S.F.S.
The Direction of Intention
My God, I give you this day, I offer to you, now, all the good that I shall do… and I promise to accept for love of you, all the difficulty I shall meet. Help to conduct myself during this day in a manner pleasing to you.
St. Francis de Sales… Pray for us. St. Jane de Chantal… Pray for us.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark
He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? What could one give in exchange for his life? Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this faithless and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” The Gospel of the Lord.
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.
From The Introduction to the Devout Life –
“If you want to correct a fault which you have committed, admit humbly that you deserve reproach. If the accusation is false then defend yourself peacefully and deny your guilt. You owe this out of respect for the truth and for the edification of your neighbor. If you are further accused, although you have presented a truthful account, then do not upset yourself any further and don’t try to press your innocence. After you have fulfilled your duty to truth you must also fulfill it to humility.”
Jesus was betrayed by one of his disciples, denied by a friend, persecuted by enemies, unjustly accused, and without cause condemned to death. We confess that we have also been accused but we have also found fault with others. We have been treated unjustly but we have also treated others unjustly. We desire what St. Francis de Sales recommends: Love for truth, courage to endure, humility, patience, fervor for prayer and a deep abiding trust in God. We must see the face of Jesus in all our sisters and brothers, for Jesus is truly in each of us.
Dear God, help us to tame our hearts and train them in gentleness. May we not dispute what comes our way but simply turn our heart back to Jesus Christ crucified and learn to love as he did.
The Second Station – JESUS ACCEPTS HIS CROSS
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you…
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
From a letter from Francis de Sales to Madame Brulart –
“Accept deeply from your heart the crosses which the Lord himself has given to you. Do not consider whether they come from valuable or aromatic wood. They are more truly a cross when they come from common, despised and foul smelling wood. It is strange that this always comes to mind and that I only know this melody. It is without doubt the song of the Lamb (Rev 5) a little sad but pleasing to the ear and beautiful. My Father, let it be done according to your will and not mine.”
Jesus did not seek his cross, it was sent to him, heavily laid on him. He only sought God – only that, which God had predestined for him. Jesus accepted the cross from the hand of God. We like to choose our cross for ourselves but it comes unforeseen and unavoidable. We need help to deeply grasp what St. Francis De Sales teaches. Every cross which comes to us comes from the hand of God. We need strength to bear it bravely and recognize it as the Will of God. We must cling to the cross of our Savior, meditate upon it frequently and carry it in our lives.
Heavenly Father, we raise our hearts and minds to you. May we embrace the good that we will do and the ills that we must suffer, because your providence has eternally willed it so.
The Third Station – JESUS FALLS THE FIRST TIME
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you…
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
From a letter from Francis de Sales to Madame de la Flechere –
“Embrace the cross that has been given you. Remain in peace. Tell the Lord often that you want to be what you should be according to his will and that you want the suffering that he will give you according to his divine will. Fight your impatience, not only at those times when you are sorely tried but even when there is no occasion; practice kindness and gentleness towards everyone especially toward those who are the most bothersome. God will bless your endeavors.”
From the very beginning Jesus did not do his will but desired to do the will of the Father. For the first time he falls under the weight of the cross. He gets up to follow the will of the Father to the bitter end. We do not seek the will of the Father but on the contrary our own. Therefore, we fall and suffer setbacks.
Through the intercession of St. Francis de Sales we seek the strength to always pick ourselves up and to desire the will of God. Nothing is so pleasing to the heart of God than to see us persevering in our lives.
Dear God, may we desire nothing here below but you alone. May we be willing to accept all that you may send to do whatever you may ask.
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.
From Francis de Sales’ Good Friday sermon in 1690 –
“Our dear Lady stood firm and steadfast even when her suffering was deeper than any woman ever felt over the death of her child, because there never has been anyone who loved the Savior as much not because he was her God but because he was her faithful and beloved Son… The love of our Lady was truly strong, her Love more tender. One could say, her pain at the suffering and death of Jesus was more profound than anyone else’s…This glorious mother stood firm and steadfast, completely submissive to the will of God.”
The Way of the Cross of Jesus leads to the Way of the Cross of his mother. His suffering penetrates her like a sword. She becomes the Mother of suffering. She holds onto the Word in which she once gave her “yes” to him. Jesus holds onto the word with which he struggled on the Mount of Olives – “Father, not my will but yours be done.” And so they walk together the way of the Cross, mother and son. There are moments in our lives when we willingly say: Lord, your will be done. Difficult hours in which like Mary, we say “Yes.” But there are also times when that “yes” weakens. Dark hours when we want to say “no.” At those moments we need the grace to say once more “yes” as Mary did. Always listen to the Word of God with attention and reverence. Do not let it fall to the earth but take it into your heart like the Virgin Mary. She took into her heart all the words spoken of her child.
Dear God, help us to follow the example of Our Lady. There we will find obedience and humility. May we listen to her always and do whatever you tell us.
The Fifth Station – SIMON HELPS JESUS CARRY HIS CROSS
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you…
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
From the Spiritual Conferences –
“The Lord will only lay upon us a little from his cross; he lets us carry only the end of the crossbeam and in this way asks to be honored. Our cross which he lays upon our shoulders should be carried alone – which we can unfortunately not do. We are all too soon lost when he takes from us the long cherished joy in our exercises. We feel he deprives us of the joy and means to fulfill our tasks.”
Whoever walks in his usual way falls on the way of the Cross. Whoever has a daily cross to carry carries it with Simon from Cyrene. When we go our own way, we need to be stopped so we may learn to go with Jesus on his journey to the Cross. When we have crosses to carry we can find solace in understanding that it’s Jesus’ Cross that we can share out of love for him. We all have a vocation. We believe that God has called us to fill a special need that no one else can accomplish.
Dear God, make our relationships so firm, cordial and solid that we will never refuse to do or to suffer anything for the good of our neighbor.
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.
From a letter from Francis de Sales to Madame le Maitre –
“What should I say to you when I see you in such pain? Have courage I beg you. The bridegroom, whom you have chosen, is a bundle of myrrh. Whoever loves him cannot help loving the bitterness. Those whom he has filled with his most intimate love will always be plagued with homesickness. How can we press our crucified Lord to our breast without the nails and thorns, which pierced him, piercing us?”
Jesus’ pain touches Veronica’s heart. His suffering awakens her compassion, his need moves her. She holds out the cloth toward him. He leaves behind an image of his face, an impression of love. Manifold are the impressions he leaves behind for us, above all there are people in whom we can recognize his image.
Whether in suffering or in joy, in need or in happiness, he gazes upon us from roses and from thorns. Like Veronica we can offer our lives filled confidence in him, so that he will leave behind some trace of himself. The opportunity to do great things does not come along very often, but at every moment we can do little acts with great love.
Faithful God, may we belong entirely to you in the midst of so much busyness brought on by the diversity of worldly things.
The Seventh Station – JESUS FALLS A SECOND TIME
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you…
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
From a letter from Francis de Sales to Jane de Chantal –
“Since you are on the right path, my daughter, continue on it. Be patient with your inner cross. Our Savior has chosen it for you so that one day you will recognize what a better person you are because of it. Do you not see, my dear daughter, the disquiet of the day is lightened by the quiet of the night? It is a clear sign, that our soul needs nothing more than to be entirely submissive to God and to learn equanimity of soul. So it is that one may serve God whether in the middle of thorns or roses.”
Our King is crowned with thorns: a slave on the way to death. He falls, he stands up, he drags his cross behind himself. When our lives are full of thorns and when we fall and can go no farther, we need to be lifted up. We want to blossom anew and be a rose among the thorns. The virtues, which were so dear to the heart of Saint Francis de Sales are a source of strength: a poor simple life, a pure kind heart, and a humble love of God, patience toward others and especially toward ourselves. When we think that we have fallen we must turn again to God’s mercy without hesitation or delay.
Patient God, strengthen us to conduct ourselves with true humility and good faith, that we may be raised up to heights that are truly great.
The Eighth Station – JESUS COMFORTS THE WOMEN
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you…
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
From a letter from Francis de Sales to a Religious woman –
“It is without doubt that true humility, patience and love for him, who sends our cross, demands that we accept it and without complaining about it. But remember, my very dear daughter, there is a difference between talking about our suffering and complaining about it. Yes, one can speak about it and in many situations is duty bound to do so as one is duty bound to remedy the suffering. But that should occur freely without exaggerating it in word or in complaint, because pitying yourself is not talking about your cross, but to complain about a greater suffering than you have. Speak openly and truthfully about it without any qualms.”
The women weep for Jesus. People along the way complain about him. He does not
complain. He is as quiet as a lamb being led to the slaughter, he continues on the way to his cross. When we cry for him, he says, “Cry for yourself.” When we begin to complain we need help to focus on him, the one who without complaint, walked his way of the cross. With child-like confidence place all your cares before the Lord, who watches over all those who love him.
Gentle God, help us to be open to your presence in all whom we meet. Give us your grace so that we may neither speak what is ill nor do what is wrong to others, but instead learn to love our neighbors out of love for you.
The Ninth Station – JESUS FALLS THE THIRD TIME
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you…
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
From a letter from Francis de Sales to Madame von Ruans –
“I consider it really unfortunate to see you troubled by so many tribulations. You would be more worthy of compassion if God did not hold tightly in his hands the resolution, which he has given you, namely to be his entirely. Because without him your soul would not only be overwhelmed but, my dear daughter, it would collapse under the many contradictions and the weight of your suffering would have crushed you. But you are alive, my dear daughter, and continue on, persevere and accept all these troubles on yourself. Through this testing the Lord sees in you a true daughter. Remain so, my dear daughter; place your sorrows under the providence of your Savior. He will lift you up and carry you with his strength.”
The weight of our sins forces Jesus to the ground for the third time. Even his most trusted disciple denies him three times. Three times Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me”? He who with great sorrow loves Jesus, to him Jesus gives his trust anew. Not just three times but many times we have denied him. Again and again we fall into sin. To our Lord, we commit our sorrow, the remains of our love. We desire to be lifted and once again be trusted by him. It is fine to be aware of our imperfections but we must not stop there, nor fall into discouragement, but pick ourselves up with a holy confidence in God…God is with us, have courage!
Gracious God, in our life’s journey, help us to go on our way simply, straight-forwardly, openly and with child-like trust – sometimes led by your providential hand, other times carried in your loving arms.
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.
From a letter from Francis de Sales to Jane de Chantal –
“May the Lord who has stripped you of your attachments be praised! How happy my soul is to know you are in this most desirable situation. Remain there in peace, in a total simple trust without considering what you are wearing. You must remain stripped until the Lord clothes you. With complete peace, my dear mother, may you be clothed in Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Live totally for God in self-abnegation from all things but above all from yourself. Jesus holds you as a slave of his holy cross, stripped of everything which does not belong to him.”
They rip off his clothes. Jesus stands there naked exposed to the view of everyone. He gazes upon his father. He stands naked before HIM. Only one desire fills Jesus, to do his father’s will. St. Francis de Sales led St. Jane de Chantal to self-abnegation. We want to be led there as well. In union with both Saints, we want to be stripped of everything which doesn’t belong to our Lord. We don’t want to exclude anything.
We want to be stripped of ourselves. Love poverty and the poor, for by this you will become truly rich in the love of God.
Forgiving God, help us to be lowly. May we learn to love our misery as a means by which your goodness shows us your mercy.
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.
From a letter from Francis de Sales to Jane de Chantal –
“The best crosses are the heaviest and those we struggle against the most in the depths of our heart. Crosses which you encounter on your way are excellent and even more so those we meet at home. To the extent that they are annoying they are better than a hair shirt using the discipline and everything else which you may have found as harsh. It is in this that the most generous of the children of the cross are revealed and those who are at home on Mount Calvary. The crosses which we choose ourselves are always more acceptable, because there is something of ourselves in them and therefore they crucify our self less. Humble yourself and accept the crosses gladly which are laid on you.”
From the wood of the crib to the wood of the cross sums up Jesus’ life. He had nowhere to lay his head. No home or place in the world. He is at home on Mount Calvary. He is at home with the Father. The abandoned son, the sacrifice for all humanity goes home to his Father. Often we act like God’s lost children, abandoned to live among strangers. Far from God we arrange our lives as we want. We don’t allow our will to be crucified. For that very reason, we desire that our will may be crucified to the will of the Father. We want to be led where St. Francis de Sales has led others – to the place of crucifixion, to Mount Calvary where we may live in God’s love. Mount Calvary is the mountain of love. We cannot have life without love, or love without the Redeemer’s death.
Loving God, help us to preserve gentleness in the midst of sorrows and sufferings and peace in the midst of problems, that we may be perfected by you.
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.
From a letter from Francis de Sales to Jane de Chantal –
“May we always be nailed to the Cross! A hundred thousand arrows may pierce our flesh if only the burning arrow of the love of God pierces our heart first. May that arrow allow us to die his holy death, which is more valuable than a thousand lifetimes.”
Jesus returned his life to the Father. He lies in his hands. He dies in his arms. His cry on the cross moves his heart. His death touches our hearts. We want to place our lives in his hands. Whether in light or in darkness, we want to pray with St. Francis de Sales – “Live Jesus!” Dying to self so that others might live is the greatest gift we can give to God.
~pause in silence~
Lord, give us the grace to die to all other loves in order to live in your love, so that we may not die eternally.
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.
From the Treatise on the Love of God
“There stands the glorious mother at the foot of the Cross of her son. What are you looking for mother of life on Mount Calvary, in this place of death? She may have answered; I am looking for my child, who is the life of my soul. But why are you looking for him? Is it to be with him? But he is at the agony of death. I am not looking for joy but only for him. My love filled heart drives me to seek union with him who is my beloved child, my deeply beloved one.”
Mary conceived Jesus, gave him life. She loved him and suffered for him and now has accompanied him on his way to his death. Now she conceives him anew. God gave Jesus to her and has taken him from her. With empty hands she utters her “Yes” to the will of the Father. Naked we came into the world and naked we will return to God. We received life from God and now we give it back. We don’t want to stand empty handed before him when he takes our lives into his hands. Do not think that you can overcome your problems in a day. Be patient. Perfection will have to wait for another life, another world.
Almighty God, help us to see our own powerlessness as the seat of your power and our misery as the throne of your mercy. May we entrust our lowly lives to you that your glory may be made known to all.
The Fourteenth Station – JESUS IS BURIED
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you…
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
From a letter from Francis de Sales to a Religious sister –
“May God be praised for this test which divine providence has laid upon you in this sickness so he can heal you with his grace. Because, as you know, you will never become the bride of the glorified Christ if you have not been first of all the bride of the crucified Christ. You will never share in his triumphant glory if you have not felt the suffering love at the foot of the Cross. For this reason let us ask the Lord God to always be your strength and courage in suffering and also your modesty, your gentleness and humility in his consolation.”
Now Jesus’ living body has died. On the evening before he gave his disciples bread and said to them: “this is my Body which will be given up for you.” When we receive him in the bread, we say, “Amen,” to the body of Christ. When we live in him, he is the head and we are the body. If we let him die in us, then in the midst of life we are dead. With St. Francis de Sales we trust he will lead us through sin and death into his new life. Come, O sons and daughters, blessed from all eternity. Be strong, firm, persevering, unchanging and so remain in order that nothing may separate you from Jesus Christ!
God, Creator of the universe, we offer you thanks and praise. Among the beauties of your creation, you have given us the capability of eternal life. May we be perfectly united to your divine majesty when you bring this world to its completion.
Closing Prayer
From a letter from Francis de Sales to Jane de Chantal –
“Let us put our happiness in the hand of the crucified Jesus. Let us walk the rest of this thorn filled path which leads to heaven in peace and patience. We must make use of all anxiety, all our sufferings, all unpleasantness, all irritation, and all our woes for the sake of his divine love. They are the means to progress in the sacred service of his divine majesty.”
We have made the Stations of the Cross in the spirit of St. Francis de Sales. It is in his spirit that we would like to continue to live, which he lived before us; a spirit of humility, gentleness, kindness, patience for others and an abiding love for God. Every day we seek to begin anew in the words, which came from his innermost spirit. “Live Jesus!”
Gentle God, help us to keep our eyes lifted up on high to you; increase our courage by holy humility, fortify it with meekness, confirm it by a steady effort. Give us the grace to make our minds rule over our inclinations and moods and not to allow fears to take hold of our heart. May the efforts we make this day teach us how to be gentle each day that follows. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
