In PDF format

To request a copy in prayer book format
send a self-addressed stamped envelope to us at:
Stations of the Cross
Friends of St. John the Caregiver
P.O. Box 320,
Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043.

The Stations of the Cross for Caregivers

1. Jesus is condemned to death
Dear Lord, it’s so hard on my loved one and on me when a medical report brings bad news. Please give us the courage to make this journey – wherever it may lead – one step at a time, always with you. Amen.

2. Jesus takes up his cross
Heavenly Father, there are times when I just don’t want to believe what has happened and what is happening. Please help me, and my precious loved one, accept the realities that face us. Amen.

3. Jesus falls the first time
Holy Spirit, give us strength when an emergency arises. When we need to rush to the doctor or hospital. When we need to call the medics. When the lights are flashing and the siren wails. Amen.

4. Jesus meets Mary, his Mother
At times, my heart is breaking, Lord. It’s so hard to watch someone I love suffer so much. So hard to realize what I can do is limited. Help me accept the fact that I can’t do everything. Amen.

5. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry his cross
Lord, thank you for choosing me to be a caregiver for my loved one. Help me ask for help when I need it and accept it when it’s offered. Help me to find what’s best for him (her) and to recognize it when you show it to me. Amen.

6. Veronica wipes Jesus’ face with a veil
Heavenly Father, thank you for the healthcare professionals and others who use their knowledge, skills and compassion to help my loved one. May they someday know how much that has helped me, too. Amen.

7. Jesus falls the second time
Dear Lord, it’s so hard when I seem to have everything set up and then there’s a setback. Give me patience and perseverance. Give me the wisdom to recognize that as this journey continues the needs will change. Amen.

8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
Jesus, richly bless those who have stepped forward to give my loved one a laugh, to offer me a little break, to let us know they are thinking of us and keeping us in their prayers. Amen.

9. Jesus falls the third time
Lord, you know I’ve begged you to heal my loved one. To give us more time. If that’s not to be, then as that body grows weaker, as that minds slips further away, let his (her) soul grow stronger as it prepares to see you face to face. Amen.

10. Jesus is stripped of his clothes
Holy Spirit, you continue to show me that possessions, position and power have no meaning, no worth, at some points in our lives. At this point in my loved one’s life give him (her) what is truly valuable: your gifts, your peace. Amen.

11. Jesus is nailed to the cross
Lord, you know I would gladly take on some of my loved one’s pain, anxiety and fear. Help me realize part of the sacrifice you’re asking me to make is accepting the fact I can’t do that. Amen.

12 Jesus dies on the cross
Dear Jesus, one of the last things you did before you died on the cross was ask St. John to take care of your Blessed Mother and for her to accept that care. You ask the same of me and my loved one. Help us accept, and be faithful in, our vocations of caregiver and care-receiver. Amen.

13. Jesus’ body is removed from the cross
Dear Lord, I pray for former caregivers mourning the loss of their loved ones. For widows and widowers, for siblings, for children, for parents, for family members and friends. Help them know how much good they did. How much, by serving their loved one, they were serving you. Amen.

14. Jesus is buried
Dear Lord, sometimes it feels as if I’ve been buried under the many demands of caregiving. Labored and burdened, I come to you asking for rest. Help me remember one day my caregiving duties will end, a time I look forward to and a time I dread. Amen.

[In recent times, a 15th station is sometimes added.
It is the first of the “Stations of Light.”]
15. Jesus rises from the dead
Dear Jesus, first to rise from the dead, continue to lead us to eternal life where you will wipe every tear from our eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning, no more crying or pain. Where my loved one and I will live forever in eternal joy and peace with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.