Way of the Cross - St. John’s Social Justice Committee - Good Friday 2026
Today we commemorate the death of Jesus on the Cross. We come together to pray in a public way for the strength to meet Jesus in the faces of all who struggle in our world. We pray in a spirit of penance for our part in Good Friday’s crucifixion. We pray with hope in the Easter Resurrection of renewal of life. Trusting that God will help us remain steadfast on the journey, let us go forth in reverence to walk the Way of the Cross.
First Station
Jesus is condemned to death
The First Station: Jesus is Condemned to Death
Reader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Reader: Jesus, the sinless, innocent one is condemned to death. He is moved through a system disinterested in his innocence or guilt, meant only to dominate. Such systems still exist. In our own nation the death penalty is still practiced, exercised in racist and arbitrary ways. Though imposed upon those convicted of capital crimes, some innocents still fall victim to this broken system. Wrongfully convicted people can still be condemned, just as Jesus was. But guilty or innocent, the life given to us by our Creator is precious and must never be taken away by human hands. Pope Francis affirmed this when he made the following revision to the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person” (CCC, 2267).
All: Jesus, grant us the wisdom and understanding to abolish the death penalty in our state, in our country, in the world.
Second Station
Jesus carries his cross
The Second Station: Jesus takes up his cross
Reader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Reader: Jesus begins his long and painful journey. In the cross he bears the weight of a system that identified him as a threat, and marked him out for cruel and humiliating punishment. He walks with those who bear such pain today. He bears the cross with our immigrant brothers and sisters, so often demonized, even when they are hard-working, generous, long-standing community members. Isabel is one such woman. She has lived in the U.S. for 17 years, raising her well-behaved and studious children. Her husband was recently deported and she was summoned by ICE under threat of deportation. Going to court she did not know if she would see her children again. Though given the reprieve of an ankle monitor and regular check-ins, Isabel bears the weight of knowing she could be deported at any moment. This cruel and humiliating threat for a hardworking, generous mother of eight weighs on her. If she must bear the weight of deportation she does not know what will happen to her children. They would be left without food, shelter, and the emotional support a parent can give.
All: May we judge others as we want to be judged. May we show mercy and compassion to all.
Third station
Jesus falls for the first time
The Third Station: Jesus falls for the first time
Reader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Reader: The crushing burden of the cross forces Jesus’ body to the ground. Exhausted and in pain, the thought of continuing seems overwhelming. He knows what it is like to struggle forward, not knowing if he can bear it. The sin of racism weighs heavily on Richard. He struggles with every image and account of violence directed at brown and black people because of the color of their skin. He knows too many co-workers, friends, and relatives who embrace white nationalism. Richard educates himself. He participates in protests and advocates for justice, but little changes. When he falls into despair, Richard prays for strength to persevere in asking questions and changing minds. He knows he must bear the weight, because even if he ignores it, it never goes away. He is deeply aware of his brothers and sisters of color who have borne this burden with no reprieve, no choice. Their witness and God’s grace call Richard forward.
All: May we never stop working to replace racism with profound love for our brothers and sisters of color.
fourth station
jesus meets his mother
The Fourth Station: Jesus meets his Mother
Reader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Reader: As Jesus walks towards Calvary, his mother, Mary, watches him be taken prisoner by the government, a scapegoat She watches, unable to help. Here in the United States, here in the Midwest, here in our own city and neighborhoods, families have been forced to watch their loved ones taken away by our government. They have seen their children, brothers, sisters, parents, dragged away and imprisoned across state lines. They have seen their beloved ones deported to countries in which they have never lived, to facilities that strike terror into their hearts. So many communities have seen their presence become a scapegoat for society’s elites. How do we understand Mary’s pain through the eyes of our immigrant neighbors?
All: Mother Mary, stand with all parents whose children live in fear or have been deported. Teach us to stand in solidarity with those parents and children.
fifth station
simon of cyrene helps jesus to carry his cross
The Fifth Station: Simon helps Jesus carry the cross
Reader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Reader: Simon may not have wanted to get involved in Jesus’ suffering. He may have wanted to get out of that crowd and home to his own family, where he could try and forget that man who was crucified. Don’t we all want this sometimes—to retreat into our own corners of security and forget the devastation outside? And yet we are called to help lift each other's crosses. What crosses do my neighbors bear today? Food insecurity, lack of affordable housing, inadequate access to healthcare, unequal taxation, racism, unjust deportation. These injustices impact us all. As disciples we are called to seek the common good by listening to each other, and working together. We are called to problem-solve, to discover solutions that lift one another’s crosses. The Word of God is our guide. Organizations that support the Common Good and speak "truth to power" can provide the leverage we need to lift the cross. Let us support one another in voice and action to bring Light to our world and Love to our neighbor.
All: May we all work together to be the light that drives out darkness. As Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., reminded us, “hate cannot drive out hate; only Love can do that."
sixth station
veronica wipes the face of jesus
The Sixth Station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
Reader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Reader: Like all the disciples, Veronica could not change the path of the cross. Even so she stepped forward and risked herself to alleviate some small portion of Jesus’ suffering. She paved a model for women in ministry through the centuries. Without power to change or reform ecclesial structures, these women have stepped forth to alleviate some small portion of suffering for the Body of Christ, the Church. They witness the Body’s wounds today: clericalism, multiple sex abuse crises, exclusion, division, and a global Church increasingly starving for sacramental and pastoral care. They cannot change the path of the cross, but they risk themselves to keep pace with the suffering Body on its pilgrim journey. They will not walk away from its wounds. They offer their gentle touch: boldly, creatively, tenderly wiping the face of Christ in his people. Their ministry bears witness that the cross will never be the end.
All: Beyond its wounds, may we recognize the face of Christ in the Church. Let us support all whose vocations are unrecognized and unnamed.
seventh station
jesus falls for the second time
The Seventh Station: Jesus falls a second time
Reader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Reader: Jesus’ exhaustion deepens. This second fall, and the weight of the cross, make movement seem impossible. There is no way to turn back from this path. How like our own suffering earth! For years we have been warned about thresholds beyond which changebecomes less and less effective. The consequences of climate change affect every corner of our planet. We have abused the gift of creation, spoken into being by the Eternal Word. As the Word made flesh lies in the dirt under the weight of the cross, we look at God’s creation crushed under human abuse. Not just plants, animals, earth itself, but this cross burdens those made in God’s image too. In Laudato Si, Pope Francis reminded us that the poor are most affected by climate change. He encouraged policies reducing dependence on fossil fuels primarily responsible for climate change. As people who have thrived in a society and economy built on fossil fuels, we are beginning to see the weight of eroding coastlines, extreme weather, crop failures and massive fires. We ask God’s grace that creation may rise from under this weight.
All: As people of faith, we commit to caring for God’s creation as a Common Good meant for all.
eighth station
jesus meets the women of jerusalem
The Eighth Station: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
Reader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Reader: Many women ministered with and supported Jesus in his time here on Earth. As he meets them on this final journey he warns them not to weep for Him, but to weep for their own children (Luke 23:28). This mystery, of love coupled with worry and suffering, is meaningful to us as the passion and death of Jesus brings the hope of Easter. Just as the Daughters of Jerusalem ministered to Jesus, hospice nurses work around the clock to provide end-of-life comfort care. To hear the stories of a hospice nurse is an opportunity to embrace her compassionate experiences in empowering patients and family members to confidently manage a quality of life until “the angels come.” In her mind, this is the work of mid-wifing into eternity.
All: As we remember our own experiences of sadness, loss, and difficulty, we are reminded of those who reached out to help us in a time of need. Lord, help us seek out opportunities to relieve others' worry and suffering.
ninth station
jesus falls for the third time
The Ninth Station: Jesus falls the third time
Reader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Reader: How many times can a person get back up? Weakened in body and weary in spirit Jesus falls yet again under his burden. Why should he rise only to face more suffering? Through fear, pain and sorrow he does rise and continues his path. He walks now with those whose lives seem a series of suffering. He walks with Lupita, who comes from a small village in the beautiful but remote mountains of Guatemala. Because they speak a native dialect, not Spanish, her husband could not find work in the city. First fall. They decided to go to the U.S. for a better life. Her husband worked at a meat packing company, sending money for Lupita and their two small daughters to join him. The journey to Omaha was very difficult. She and her daughters and spent six months in a detention center until they were released with help from their church.Second fall. Their family was happy and anxious to welcome another daughter and a son. Because her husband’s salary was not enough, Lupita took a meat packing job. They worked long, hard hours. She was employed for more than five years before ICE raided the plant and held her in North Platte’s jail. Third fall. After five months, she was fortunate to return to her family. Lupita rises again and again. The Lord knows the weight of her burden.
All: May we encourage our Congressional leaders to respond courageously to reform our broken immigration system.
tenth station
jesus is stripped of his garments
The Tenth Station: Jesus is stripped of his garments
Reader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Reader: His life nearly drained, Jesus’ persecutors take what little he still has. The basic decency of covering for his wounded, suffering body. He knows what it is to be exposed and to lose the very little one has to hold onto. He is with all the vulnerable whose dignity is stripped. In our own time and place families, children, the sick and elderly are left without access to food support and medical care. These are not luxuries; they are basic human rights. Just as Jesus was denied every human dignity as he was beaten, crucified, and stripped naked on His cross, so do we continue to strip our vulnerable brothers and sisters even as they struggle to follow the laws and live in peace in our country. The time is now to restore the basic human rights to all those seeking help from the state and federal governments. We must repair the damage done when our safety nets are ripped away and discarded.
All: We pray for our leaders as they address the widening gaps in our social safety nets. May we respect the dignity of every person whom Gold calls Her own.
eleventh station
jesus is nailed to the cross
The Eleventh Station: Jesus is nailed to the cross
Reader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Reader: Here, Jesus is treated as a criminal while asking his Father to forgive tormentors. This loving Jesus remains with us today as we suffer through our own many and varied crosses. In recent time, members of Sacred Heart Parish (one of our Historic 24th Street Family Parishes) learned the significant power of love and compassion in helping a prison inmate. Parishioners' offerings of letters, visits, and prayers helped relieve his brokenness and empowered him to choose the pathway toward redemption and rehabilitation. In an open letter of thanks, he encouraged all of us to recognize the impactful outcome of showing kindness and empathy to those behind bars. We stand with Mary and the Beloved Disciple, gazing on suffering we cannot stop, bearing witness and companioning our wounded ones, praying that the cross is not the end.
All: Open our eyes, Lord, to see this crucifixion as a symbol of broken humanity. Help us “be there” for our brothers and sisters and find ways to encourage them to come down from the crosses that shackle them.
twelfth station
jesus dies on the cross
The Twelfth Station: Jesus Dies
Reader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
We pause and pray in silence as we recall Jesus’ death.
thirteenth station
the body of jesus is taken down from the cross
The Thirteenth Station: Jesus is taken down from the cross
Reader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Please join in singing “Were You There (When They Crucified My Lord).”
fourteenth station
jesus is laid in the tomb
