My Lord Jesus Christ,
thou hast made this journey to die for me
with inexpressible love;
and I have so many times
unworthily abandoned thee.
But now I love thee
with my whole heart,
and because I love thee,
I am sincerely sorry for having ever offended thee.
Pardon me, my God,
and permit me to accompany thee on this journey.
Thou dost go to die for love of me;
I want, my beloved Savior,
to die for love of thee.
My Jesus, in thy heart and in thy death
I will live and die.
Amen.
CATHOLIC 17TH CENTURY AD (FORMALIZED)
The Stations of the Cross: Opening Prayer
Also known as Via Crucis Opening Prayer ยท Way of the Cross Opening
About this prayer
The Stations of the Cross, also called the Way of the Cross, is a Catholic devotion in which fourteen scenes from Christ's Passion and death are commemorated in sequence, traditionally before images or carvings depicting each scene. The practice developed from the medieval custom of pilgrims retracing Christ's steps through Jerusalem. The Franciscan order was given custody of the holy sites in Jerusalem in 1342 AD and subsequently promoted the devotion in churches across Europe. The standard fourteen stations were formalized by the 17th century. Pope John Paul II introduced an alternative scriptural form of fifteen stations in 1991 AD. The devotion is most widely practiced during Lent, particularly on the Fridays of Lent and on Good Friday. The opening prayer given here is the standard form said before the first station.
When it's said
The opening prayer is said at the beginning of the Stations of the Cross devotion, before moving to the first station. The full devotion visits all fourteen stations, with prayers at each. The Stations are typically prayed communally during Lent, led by a priest or deacon, with the congregation moving from station to station or remaining seated while the leader moves. They are also prayed privately.
Notes on the text
The fourteen traditional stations are: 1. Jesus is condemned to death; 2. Jesus takes up his cross; 3. Jesus falls the first time; 4. Jesus meets his mother; 5. Simon of Cyrene carries the cross; 6. Veronica wipes Jesus' face; 7. Jesus falls the second time; 8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem; 9. Jesus falls the third time; 10. Jesus is stripped of his garments; 11. Jesus is nailed to the cross; 12. Jesus dies on the cross; 13. Jesus is taken down from the cross; 14. Jesus is laid in the tomb.
Source
Traditional Catholic devotion, 17th century formalized form. Text from F.X. Lasance, The Blessed Sacrament Book, 1913. Public domain.
Last reviewed: May 2026 against primary source.