5 Powerful Ways to Meditate on the Passion of Christ
When was the last time you meditated on the sufferings of Christ’s Passion?
Saint Alphonsus de Liguori reminds us:
“There is no practice more profitable for the entire sanctification of the soul than the frequent meditation of the sufferings of Jesus Christ.”
Here are five ways to do it:
The above graphic reads:
- Read Scripture Verses on the Passion
- Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary
- Stations of the Cross
- Devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows
- Divine Mercy Chaplet
How to meditate on the Passion of Jesus:
1) Read Scripture Verses on the Passion
The Gospel writers provide various accounts of the last days and moments of Jesus Christ’s life on earth. Read these passages and take them to prayer: Matt. 26-27, Mk. 14-15, Lk. 22-23 and Jn. 18-19.
2) Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary
The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary are traditionally prayed each Tuesday and Friday. However, during the season of Lent, the faithful are invited to pray with them daily.
The five Sorrowful Mysteries detail the agony and death of Our Lord:
- The Agony in the Garden
- The Scourging at the Pillar
- The Crowning with Thorns
- The Carrying of the Cross
- The Crucifixion of Jesus
3) Stations of the Cross
Praying with your parish on Fridays during Lent is the best (and most popular) way to participate in the Stations of the Cross. However, this devotion has been adapted in a variety of ways for the faithful to pray.
Here are the fourteen stations of Jesus’ journey to Calvary:
1) Jesus is condemned to death.
2) Jesus is given His cross.
3) Jesus falls for the first time.
4) Jesus meets His mother Mary.
5) Simon of Cyrene is forced to carry the cross.
6) Veronica wipes blood off of Jesus’ face.
7) Jesus falls for the second time.
8) Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem.
9) Jesus falls for the third time.
10) Jesus is stripped of His clothing.
11) Jesus is nailed to the cross – the Crucifixion.
12) Jesus dies on the cross.
13) Jesus’ body is removed from the cross – the Deposition or Lamentation.
14) Jesus’ body is placed in the tomb.
As you approach each station you pray, “We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. Because, by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.”
Next, you will announce each station and recite the scripture passage or meditation it coincides with. There is typically a moment of reflection or thought to ponder based on the station itself. Then, you repeat this process along the journey through the 14 stations.
EWTN has a great guide for praying the Stations of the Cross here.
4) Devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows
Walking with Our Lady on the road to Calvary is an intimate way of meditating on the Passion. This can be done by praying the Seven Sorrows Rosary or Mary’s Way of the Cross (“Via Matris”).
Here is a helpful guide for praying the Seven Sorrows Rosary.
Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us!
5) Divine Mercy Chaplet
Jesus gave Saint Faustina Kowalska the Divine Mercy message. In her diary, she shared Jesus’ desire to extend His merciful love to all who will accept it. She also wrote about the practice of meditating on the Passion of Christ.
Jesus told her, “There is more merit to one hour of meditation on My sorrowful Passion than there is to a whole year of flagellation that draws blood; the contemplation of My painful wounds is of great profit to you, and it brings Me great joy” (Diary, 369)
Praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet is a great way to meditate on Christ’s suffering for our sins.