The Second Station Jesus Takes Up His Cross
We adore you O Christ and we praise you.
Because by your Holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Remember
‘I was in prison and you came to see me’ (Mt 25:36).
In this station we remember prisoners.
Reflect
God created the heavens and the earth.
He saw all that he made and it was very good.
The air we breathe is God’s gift to us.
We took the axe and laid it to the tree (Mt 3:9).
We made a cross of all that God created
and gave it the one who set us free.
We tie heavy burdens on others shoulders 
and do not lift a finger to help them (Mt 23:4).
An unprecedented 70.8 million people around the world have been forced from home by conflict and persecution at the end of 2018. Among them are nearly 30 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of 18.
Sorrow now follows the experts in religious law
for depriving God’s people of the gifts of his love
with harsh and cruel judgements.
We echo the words of Micah and T. S. Eliot:
‘O my people what have I done unto thee’? (Micah 6:3)
Stabat Mater Hymn
‘By the dire and deep distress
More than human mind can guess,
Lord, our grief in mercy see:
Hear our fervent litany.’
(#20 Hymn in the Divine Office, Volume 2)
Pray (Pray phrase by phrase very slowly)
Hail Mary,
Full of Grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners
now,
and at the hour of death. Amen.
Sing
Refrain
Then sings my soul,
my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!
Refrain
O Lord my God!
When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works
Thy hand hath made;
I see the stars,
I hear the mighty thunder.
Refrain
And when I think that God,
His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die –
I scarce can take it in:
That on the Cross,
my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died
to take away my sin
Refrain
