Opening Prayer:

Lord Jesus, help me such that through meditating on Your Way of the Cross, I may pick up my cross daily and follow You, persevering in the lift to which You have called me, in order to serve you in my health care profession.

So, Pilate wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them, and after he had Jesus scourged, handed Him over to be crucified.

Lord Jesus, Pilate acted against his own conscience when he condemned you to death. Help me to form my conscience well, according to Your law and then give me the fortitude to resist conforming to the will of others when I am asked to act against my conscience.

Heart of Jesus, source of justice and love, have mercy on us.

And when they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the purple cloak, dressed Him in His own clothes and led Him out to be crucified.

Lord Jesus, King of the Universe, You endured torture, mocking, insult and crucifixion for love of me. Help me to embrace my own crosses for love of You.

Heart of Jesus, aflame with love for us, have mercy on us.

Jesus said to His disciples, “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.”

Lord Jesus, You warned all Your disciples of the cost of discipleship. Losing my life may not mean physical persecution but simply not getting my way, not having enough time or not being appreciated. Help me to realize that when my profession demands this of me, I am losing my life for the sake of the Gospel and for You.

Heart of Jesus, generous to all who turn to You, have mercy on us.

Simeon blessed the parents of Jesus and said to Mary, His mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Holy Mary, you stood by your Son Jesus in the midst of His suffering, participating in it as if it were your own. Stand by me, Blessed Mother, in my trials. Help me to persevere in saying “yes” to the will of God as you did and never let me give in to the temptation to despair.

Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mother, have mercy on us.

They pressed into service a passerby, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus to carry His cross.

Lord Jesus, Simon was forcibly interrupted in his own agenda in order to help You carry the Cross. Help me to willingly interrupt my own agenda when my friends, colleagues, patients, families or strangers need assistance carrying their crosses.

Heart of Jesus, well-spring of all virtue, have mercy on us.

Then the King will say to those on HIs right, “Come you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed Me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for Me, in prison and you visited Me.”

Lord Jesus, you clearly indicate that faith in you requires action. I am not a health care professional purely of my own initiative. Help me to remember that from the foundation of the world, you have a plan for me to be an instrument of mercy, if I simply cooperate with the grace You provide.

Heart of Jesus, patient and full of mercy, have mercy on us.

Then He sat down, called the Twelve and said to them, “if anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”

Lord Jesus, in Your divine condescension though God, you take on all the weaknesses of a human body. Your falls on the Way of the Cross demonstrate the kind of humility I must be willing to have. Help me to take on the role of servant with humility and purity of intention, not seeking my own glory but the glory of Your kingdom.

Heart of Jesus, broken for our sins, have mercy on us.

A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented HIm. Jesus turned to them and said, “daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children.”

Lord Jesus, you admonished the women of Jerusalem for weeping for the wrong reasons. I too often mourn for the wrong things, be it prestige, appreciation, money or security. Help me to seek only the Father’s will, trusting in HIs providence to provide for my true needs.

Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation, have mercy on us.

Jesus said to His disciples, “whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for man.”

Lord Jesus, it is difficult to be the slave of all. I feel pulled in so many different directions by patients, staff, administration, government and family. Help me to remember that this is all the manifestation of the service You require of Your disciples.

Heart of Jesus, victim of our sins, have mercy on us.

Lord Jesus, the humiliation of the Cross included the indignity of being stripped naked. However, it was through this indignity that you demonstrated the Father’s mercy restoring me to the dignity of a son or daughter of God. Help me to become a conduit of the Father’s mercy by helping to restore the fallen dignity of others.

Heart of Jesus, overwhelmed with insults, have mercy on us.

Lord Jesus, you freely laid down on the Cross and allowed yourself to be nailed to it for me and my sins. Teach me to have compunction for my sins and to trust that you are there and help me never to sin again.

Heart of Jesus atonement for our sins have mercy on us.

Lord Jesus, through your death on the Cross, you gave us your Spirit and from your pierced Heart, flowed the water of Baptism and the blood of the Eucharist. Help me to grow in the virtues of faith, hope and charity that were infused into my soul at Baptism. And when I am struggling, help me to become ever more configured to You through the gift of Yourself in the Eucharist.

Heart of Jesus, pierced by a lance, have mercy on us.

Lord Jesus, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were secret disciples but now come forward in public to give You a proper burial. The forces of secularism want me to keep my faith private and out of the public arena. Help me when I am tired or afraid to acknowledge You to rely on the power of Your cross to strengthen me.

Heart of Jesus obedient even unto death have mercy on us.

Lord Jesus, You were lifted up from the earth not just on the Cross but also in your resurrection and ascension. Help me to continue to hope in eternal life and bring others with me. Draw me ever closer to You and help me to fall to the ground and die in order to bear the fruit You desire for me in this life and the next.

Heart of Jesus our life and resurrection, have mercy on us.