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𝕋ℍ𝔼 ℂ𝔸𝕋ℍ𝔼𝔻ℝ𝔸𝕃 𝕆𝔽 𝕋ℍ𝔼 𝕀𝕄𝕄𝔸ℂ𝕌𝕃𝔸𝕋𝔼 ℂ𝕆ℕℂ𝔼ℙ𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ
𝔸ℕ𝔻
𝕊𝕋 𝕄𝔸ℝ𝕐’𝕊 ℙ𝔸ℝ𝕀𝕊ℍ, 𝕊𝕃𝕀𝔾𝕆

 

 

All Mass services will be held online only.
Use our link below to join us in Prayer everyday at 10.30am and 7pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stations of The Cross

1. JESUS IS CONDEMNED TO DEATH

~Arrested in the dark, taken away from his friends and loved ones, abandoned.~


Reflection:
Dear Jesus! How awful. Who ever thought it would end like this for you. Your poor mother has to hear this. How hard it is for any parent to watch their children endure any kind of suffering. Life seemed to condemn us to death from the moment we are born. Why? You died for us. At least I know now that this is not the end. thank you Jesus. Amen.

 

From the residents of Nazareth House, St. John’s Nursing Home, and Mowlam Nursing Home in Sligo.

 

2. JESUS TAKES UP HIS CROSS
 
~Jesus accepts his heavy cross as he embarks on his journey to his death.~
 
Reflection:
Jesus accepted his cross just as we learn to accept our responsibilities in life, such as study, work and caring for others. Do we willingly take on our tasks or do we leave others to take up our burdens. When we see the cross we are reminded that Jesus suffered and died for us. He carried his cross without complaint. We each carry different burdens in life and seeing Jesus carry the cross gives us courage to face these challenges.
Lord, help us to face our hardships with strength and courage.
 
 
From the students of Mercy, Summerhill and Ursuline College for the Sligo Parish Cluster Project.
 
 
 
3. JESUS FALLS FOR THE FIRST TIME
 
~The burden too much to bear, helpless, unable to prevent the fall, but gets up again.~
 
Reflection:
My dear Jesus? The cross was too heavy. You had to fall. What a load. I fall because of the load of life I carry in my whole body. Oh I know my heart is still young. I imagine I can run around as I did as a child, carefree, but my body soon reminds me of my age. There is no one at home now to pick me up. The children have left. They have their own lives to live. Help me dear God when I
fall. Amen.
 
 
From the residents of Nazareth House, St. John’s Nursing Home, and Mowlam Nursing Home in Sligo.
 
 
4. JESUS MEETS HIS MOTHER
 
~We adore you O Christ.~
 

Reflection:
Did Jesus meet his mother, or did his mother come to him? When your child is suffering you feel a type of bond – especially according to mums. Often when a child is sick, they’ll ask daddy where’s mummy, and daddy might be thinking it too. But when a child is sick once mummy or daddy comes home, they feel comforted and relieved – they know you are there. How the presence of a loving parent changes the child’s world. Also from the perspective of the parent – the relief of being with your child – being there. As adults we are often so consoled by our parents, and for many in a special way by their mum. At times as adults we try to keep things from our mum, not wanting to worry her, but mums always know when something isn’t right. Among the job descriptions women have, the title “mother” commands the most power and respect!
 
 
From the perspective of parents to small children.
 
 
 
5. SIMON HELPS JESUS CARRY HIS CROSS
 
~Who is this man that is helping Jesus as he struggles with the weight of the cross? I think they call him Simon? I don’t know whether to call him brave or foolish for trying to help Jesus. He could be punished for doing so…~
 
Reflection:
Jesus struggled with the weight of his cross, just as we struggle with the pressure of life today such as school, relationships and more. How willing are we to accept help from others? Do we let people in, in times of need or do we push them away? Likewise, do we stop to help others, even those we don’t know? We can’t get through life alone. We all need support in times of need.
Please God let me accept my weaknesses and be willing to receive help from others.
 
 
From the students of Mercy, Summerhill and Ursuline College for the Sligo Parish Cluster Project.
 

 

6. VERONICA WIPES THE FACE OF JESUS
 
~Disfigured, unrecognizable. Only love can look pain in the eye and wholeheartedly respond.~
 
Reflection:
Dear Jesus. Weren’t you blessed to find someone so caring on that awful journey. What an awful sight you must have been, blood, sweat, tears. Did she remind you of your mother wiping your face when you were a child? It reminded me of those days, mum’s apron soft and soothing. I remember also sitting at my husband’s bedside wiping his face while he fought to die, to live. I still keep his jumper under my pillow, 15 years later.
 
 
From the residents of Nazareth House, St. John’s Nursing Home, and Mowlam Nursing Home in Sligo.
 
 
 
7. JESUS FALLS THE SECOND TIME
 
~We adore you O Christ…~
 
Reflection:
We fall, but we get up again – we set the bar too high for ourselves, fail, and fall. But we get up again. Sometimes, as parents, we repeat the mistakes our parents, or the mistakes we’ve made before, though we do not want to. But we get up, our family needs us to, so we do. Falling is the inevitable, but there is hope in getting up, that we will rise and aim again to be the type of person, or parent, or spouse we feel called to be.
 
 
From the perspective of parents to small children.
 
 
 
8. THE WOMEN OF JERUSALEM WEEP
 
~Was it empathy? Sympathy? Or compassion? God stumbling by, seen only by those who give without counting the cost?~
 
Reflection:
Dear Jesus, we saw some tears together. No one can get to this age and not be moved to tears at different times along this road. I suppose it is the price we pay for loving and for being loved. None of us die suddenly, every death of someone we loved takes part of us with them. A lot of me has gone already. Will anyone be left to weep for me? Amen.
 
 
From the residents of Nazareth House, St. John’s Nursing Home, and Mowlam Nursing Home in Sligo.
 
 
 
9. JESUS FALLS THE THIRD TIME
 
~Jesus collapsed from carrying the cross as he was so tired for the third time. Jesus’ body aches and he suffered from pain, but Jesus prayed for strength to carry on with the help of the faith of God. Jesus’ thoughts: I have fallen out of sheer exhaustion; I am determined not to give up, my body aches, I’m in so much pain, I pray to my father to give me strength, I know it would be easy to give up here, but I find strength, I am near the end, so I get up to continue on, I will persevere.~
 
Reflection:
I fail sometimes and I am tempted to give up but I know that like Jesus I should carry on. Jesus didn’t give up after calling three times. Jesus prayed to God our Father for strength. In times of struggle we should also pray to God for strength. I know that God is always around like he was for Jesus.
 
 
From the students of Mercy, Summerhill and Ursuline College for the Sligo Parish Cluster Project.
 
 
 
10. JESUS IS STRIPPED OF HIS GARMENTS
 
~The last humiliation, clothing removed by others, exposed and bear. Silence, resignation, surrender.~
 
Reflection:
Dear Jesus, how awful, stripped bare. To take your dignity from you. Insulted. It is remarkable how a few words can also strip you of your dignity. Utter humiliation. It has not stopped, Jesus – people are still being humiliated today by others and by life. Loosing independence can be painful if you do not have a caring gentle soul to assist you. Let us be more caring of each other Lord. Amen.
 
 
From the residents of Nazareth House, St. John’s Nursing Home, and Mowlam Nursing Home in Sligo.
 
 
 
11. JESUS IS NAILED TO THE CROSS
 
~We adore you O Christ…~
 
Reflection:
Jesus is in a position from which there is no return, he took a stand and is seeing it through to the end. Once you have children you’re nailed, your life finishes and theirs continues no matter what the sacrifices and no matter their response. Sometimes as parents we must take a stand, stick to a decision, even if the kids hate you! Nails hurt; life sometimes hurts. It’s as simple as when a parent takes a position regarding something the children have done, or haven’t done, and now you have to see it through for their good. Sometimes it happens in family life that we get nailed to a problem or an issue a member is having. It hurts, and you have to let the nailing happen, but you hang on for love. Sometimes our children are nailed to their problems, or the consequences of their choices. We make sacrifices, but with love and support we have to allow our children, our adult children, learn to make sacrifices of their own too.
 
 
From the perspective of parents to small children.
 
 
 
12. JESUS DIES ON THE CROSS
 
~I can’t bear to look! How could this man suffer such a cruel death when all He tried to do was good? They are driving in the nails to his hands and feet as if He is a common criminal who has committees the most heinous of crimes.~
 
Reflection:
Jesus suffered at the hands of others, but He forgave the people for their wrong doing. We should follow in Jesus’ footsteps by forgiving those who hurt us. Help us to remember Jesus’ teaching ‘to love God and love your neighbour as you love yourself’ and put this into practice in our everyday lives. Help us also to forgive ourselves when we do wrong. Often times we can run ourselves down and replay our mistakes or perceived shortcomings over again and again in our heads. We must let go of our last troubles and learn from them in order to become better people in our future. Lord, help us to have the courage and strength to forgive ourselves and those around us.’
 
 
From the students of Mercy, Summerhill and Ursuline College for the Sligo Parish Cluster Project.
 
 
 
13. JESUS IS TAKEN DOWN FROM THE CROSS
 
~We adore you O Christ…~
 
Reflection:
Things in life come to an end, life phases or stages come to a close – the child doesn’t need nappies anymore, finishes school, leaves home – one thing ends while another life phase begins. We might not want a phase to end, but we cannot control life. Thinking of the onlookers at the crucifixion, some seemed resigned to what was happening, some were perhaps bewildered and were somewhere between despair and the hope that things couldn’t be as bad as they appeared. Jesus is now given back to them, but he is dead. No matter what happens to our children, or our spouse, we are so relieved to be able to hold them. We want to be able to hold onto them, even in the face of death. We can hold onto hope, even though we don’t know what’s going to happen next. Sometimes our children think we parents know nothing about life at all, even though actually, we’ve been there, done that, and have a bit more insight to what happens next in the life of a teenager than they think. Sometimes an event might seem like ‘the end of the world’ to one of our children, when life has already taught us, their parents, that this is just one of many challenges this child will face. Our job is to hold them, supporting them through it, giving them hope.
 
 
From the perspective of parents to small children.
 
 
 
14. JESUS IS LAID IN THE TOMB
 
~Journey’s end, wrapped in swaddling type of cloths. No gold, no frankincense and myrrh for burial, not yet. Left alone, sealed in, no air, no need.~
 
Reflection:
Dear Jesus, so this is it. That was some journey. I am luckier than most, I got to grow old, see more than most. And what excites me most is that I know, I believe that I have seen nothing compared to what awaits me. Truth be told I am happy to be leaving now. It is my time to say goodbye. Who would have thought when my parents got me baptised that I would have had a friend as wonderful as you in my life. Dear Jesus, Hello.
 
 
From the residents of Nazareth House, St. John’s Nursing Home, and Mowlam Nursing Home in Sligo.
 
 
1. JESUS IS CONDEMNED TO DEATH
 
~We adore you O Christ and we praise you…~
 
Reflection:
Finger pointing or looks of disapproval are simply part of a parent’s lot; being dismissed by others, even family members, because of your parenting choices is hard. Putting family first, and the vision of family life we have in our family, can lead others to reject and ridicule us. Condemnation creeps into our minds in many ways. The guilt we feel if work takes us away from the family, though we are providing for them and their future. The pain of missing your child’s milestone moments, not having the energy to engage fully with household issues when we do come home – as parent, it can be so easy to condemn ourselves. Parenting is such a gift, yet its hard these days when you feel condemned for conforming to stereotypes and condemned if you don’t. Putting your children first incurs condemnation from some, but pursing a career incurs it from others. At times you feel like Pontius Pilot when you’re making decisions for the lives of your children and spouse. For Jesus, being condemned was the start of a very specific journey. Becoming parents is similar, the start of a journey that also has a redemptive value to it, through the sacrifices and decisions we make for each other.
 
 
From the perspective of parents to small children.
 
 
 
2. JESUS RECEIVES HIS CROSS
 
~No retaliation, resigned, the weight, the beginning of the end, the last journey, alone.~
 
Reflection:
Dear Jesus, we in the twilight of our years have been carrying our crosses with you for many years. Now we need to rest. Now we need to pass the cross over to someone younger, someone stronger. The cross was a burden and a blessing. Thank you for allowing me to be part of your life. I do not want to be a cross for others. Let them see me as a blessing, not a burden. Amen.
 
 
From the residents of Nazareth House, St. John’s Nursing Home, and Mowlam Nursing Home in Sligo.