Youth Group Stations of the Cross Activity
Stations of the Cross Activity for Youth Group
This is an activity that we did with our youth group last year and found to be a very powerful way of doing the Stations of the Cross. We used this as a part of our worship time and at certain stations did worship. We set up the stations in advance, but there is not much you will need to do. I did include the handouts we gave, but the images did not come through. Goolge to find and image of a crown of thorns and a picture of some crosses and then attach both pictures over the questions at the bottom of the page. We used reflections for each station from Mother Angelica, but there are many reflections available if you do a google search.
Begin with Prayer:
Mary, my Mother, you were the first to live the Way of the Cross. You felt every pain and every humiliation. Obtain for me the grace to understand the mystery, the wisdom and the Divine love as I go from scene to scene. Grant that my heart, like yours, may be pierced through by the sight of His sorrow and the misery and that I may determine never to offend Him again. What a price He paid to cover my sins, to open the gates of heaven for me and to fill my soul with His own Spirit . Sweet Mother, let us travel this way together and grant that the love in my poor heart may give you some slight consolation - Mother Angelica
First Station: Jesus is condemned to death
Leader: We adore Thee, O Christ, and bless Thee.
All: Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
Read a reflection for fist station.
Activity: Take a crown of thorns. Write on your crown some of the ways in which you hurt Jesus: times or things you doubt about our faith, times you have questioned God’s love for you, and times you have been ashamed to let others know about your faith in Christ.
After a few moments of allowing people to write close this session.
Leader: Jesus Christ Crucified. ALL : Have mercy on Us. Amen.
Second Station: Jesus carries His cross
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
LEADER: Read a reflection.
Activity: Take a look at the crosses on this page. There are so many for us to choose from, but we must pick one up to follow Christ. Take a moment to pray and reflect about what Jesus may be asking you to bare patiently and lovingly. (Give a few minutes to respond to questions while Worship team plays the song.)
Leader: Jesus Christ Crucified. All: Have mercy on Us. Amen
The Third Station: Jesus Falls the First Time
All: Kneel through this station.
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world
Leader: .Read Reflection
Activity: Go back to your paper with the crosses on it. We must be prepared to face our failures. Ask God to give you insight on one way in which you can pick yourself back up when you fall. Wait to answer the other 2 until we reach that point in our stations. (Allow time to answer and then close.)
Leader: Jesus Christ Crucified. All: Have mercy on Us. Amen
The Fourth Station: Jesus Meets His Afflicted Mother
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All:
Activity: Jesus cared so deeply for His mother. His hurt was made worse because He saw the ways that it was hurting her. We can often be so insensitive, so unkind, so un-Christ like in the way that we treat our parents. Take a moment to pray that you would love your mom and dad in the same way that Jesus loved his parents. (Pause for prayer) On the back of your crown of thorns, write one way in which you will lessen the pain that you may sometimes cause your parents and something that you will do to bring them joy during this Holy Week. (Allow some time for writing the answers and then close.)
Leader: Jesus Christ Crucified. All: Have mercy on Us. Amen
The Fifth Station: Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world
Leader: Read Reflection .
Activity: On the back of your paper with the crosses, write the name of one person who you will help to
carry their cross and how you will help them. Then write someone that could help you carry your cross and how you will allow them to help you. (Allow time to write and then close.)
Leader: Jesus Christ Crucified. All: Have mercy on Us. Amen
The Sixth Station: Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All:
Leader: Read Reflection
Activity: As we sing this worship song, picture yourself coming from the crowd to wipe the face of Jesus. (Sing We Fall Down)After song, close station with:
Leader: Jesus Christ Crucified. All: Have mercy on Us. Amen
The Seventh Station: Jesus Falls A Second Time
ALL- KNEEL THROUGH THIS STATION
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world
Activity: Take this time to answer the 2nd way in which you will respond to failures. Give time to answer and then close.
Leader: Jesus Christ Crucified. All: Have mercy on Us. Amen
The Eighth Station: Jesus Speaks to the Holy Women
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world
Leader: Read Reflection
Activity: As we worship, let this be your prayer, “WHY I HAVE I NOT ADVANCED IN THE HOLINESS OF LIFE?” and listen for Jesus to speak to you. Sing a reflection song.
After the song close the session.
Leader: Jesus Christ Crucified. All: Have mercy on Us. Amen
The Ninth Station: Jesus Falls the Third Time
All – KNEEL DURING THIS SESSION.
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world
Leader: Read Reflection
Activity: Take this time to write the 3rd way you respond to falls and failures. Keeping in mind the frustration that may come at this point and the knowledge that Jesus understands because He experienced the same thing. (Pause while giving time for people to write and close.)
Leader: Jesus Christ Crucified. All: Have mercy on Us. Amen
The Tenth Station: Jesus is Stripped of His Garments
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world
Leader: Read Reflection.
Activity: Silently rip or cut a piece of this white cloth that will represent the Garments of Jesus. (We used a clean white bed sheet for the students to rip. When each person has their garment, close the session.)
Leader: Jesus Christ Crucified. All: Have mercy on Us. Amen
The Eleventh Station: Jesus is Nailed to the Cross
ALL: Kneel During this Station
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world
Leader: Read Reflection.
Activity: As we kneel and sing, I invite each of you to come take a turn to pound this nail into the cross. As you pound, think about the sin that most often gets in the way of your relationship with God and repent of it.
After song, close session. (We had a wooden cross with a hammer and nails to pound into it. As the kids did this we also sang a worship song.)
Leader: Jesus Christ Crucified. All: Have mercy on Us. Amen
The Twelfth Station: Jesus Dies on the Cross
All: KNEEL OR LAY DOWN During this session.
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world
Leader: Read Reflection
Activity: Imagine or think back to the time when you first heard that Jesus Died on a Cross to Save YOU from Your Sins. As we kneel or bow to Jesus in silence, take a marker and write on your garment the word that comes to mind when you think of His great love and sacrifice.
Leader: Jesus Christ Crucified. All: Have mercy on Us. Amen
The Thirteenth Station: Jesus is Taken Down From the Cross
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world
Leader: Read Reflection.
Activity: As we sing, pray that God would help you to see that doing His Will is more important than success in the eyes of the world. After the song ends, close session.
Leader: Jesus Christ Crucified. All: Have mercy on Us. Amen
The Fourteenth Station: Jesus is Laid in the Sepulcher
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world
Leader: Jesus Christ Crucified. All: Have mercy on Us. Amen
Activity: One final worship song and then
Closing Prayer
My Jesus, I have traveled Your Way of the cross. It seems so real and I feel so ashamed. I complain of my sufferings and find obedience to the Father's Will difficult. My Mind bogged down by the poverty, sickness, starvation, greed and hatred in the world. There are many innocent people who suffer so unjustly. There are those born with physical and mental defects. Do we understand that You continue to carry Your cross in the minds and bodies of each human being? Help me to see the Father's Will in every incident of my daily life. This is what You did - you saw the Father's Will in Your persecutors, Your enemies and your pain. You saw a beauty in the Cross and embraced it as a desired treasure. My worldly mind is dulled by injustice and suffering and I lose sight of the glory that is to come. Help me to trust the Father and to realize that there is something great behind the most insignificant suffering. There is Someone lifting my cross to fit my shoulders – there is Divine Wisdom in all the petty annoyances that irk my soul every day. Teach me the lessons contained in my Cross, the wisdom of its necessity, the beauty of its variety and the fortitude that accompanies even the smallest cross. Mary, My Mother, obtain for me the grace to be Jesus to my neighbor and to see my neighbor in Jesus. - Mother Angelica
Pages to print out:
Insert image of a crown.
Write on your crown some of the ways in which you hurt Jesus: times or things you doubt about our faith, times you have questioned God’s love for you, and times you have been ashamed to let others know about your faith in Christ.
Handout 2
Insert pictures of many crosses.
What are do I most often complain about? _______________________________________________________________________
Is this my cross in life to bare or is it a result of a selfish attitude? _____________________________________________________
What is a cross that God may be asking you to carry? ______________________________________________________________
How can I better carry the cross that God has given to me? _________________________________________________________
23Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.
25What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? Luke 9:23-25(NIV)
Jesus, You understand when I fall and when I fail. Help me to get back up each time I fall. Though it is hard, though it is embarrassing, though it may seem that I will never make it, give me the courage and strength to rise and continue to carry on.
We must be prepared to face failure in this life. For each of the stations where Jesus falls, think of one action you will take when you fail at something. (Go to Confession, Adoration, Ask for help/seek advice, etc.)
The 1st time I fail at something I will:
The 2nd time I fail at something I will:
The 3rd time I fail at something I will:
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