Novena to the Holy Cross
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
~ALL RESPOND~
Amen
The Lord of glory was nailed to the cross
~All Respond~
For the salvation of the world.
HYMM
~ALL~
Alone, in depths of woe,
Upon that scornful tree
Hangs Christ, redeemer of the world,
In shame and agony.
His feet and hands outstretched
By hammered nails are torn;
In mocking, on his head is thrust
A crown of bitter thorn.
Come, kneel before the Lord:
He shed for us his blood;
He died the victim of pure love
To make us one with God.
PSALM 116:1-9
GOD DELIVERS JESUS FROM DEATH
ANTIPHON
~ALL~
O God, YOU HAVE DELIVERED MY LIFE
FROM DEATH.
I love the Lord who has heard
my voice and my supplications,
and has listened to me
whenever I called.
The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I pray, save my life!”
Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
The Lord preserves the simple;
when I was brought low,
the Lord saved me.
Return, O my soul, to your rest;
for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.
For you have delivered my life from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling;
I walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.
ANTIPHON
~ALL~
O God, YOU HAVE DELIVERED MY
LIFE FROM DEATH.
PSALM PRAYER
Let us pray
(pause for quiet prayer)
God of compassion,
you were attentive to your dear Son
when he cried out to you on the cross.
Helpless as he was, you saved him
from the snares of death
and the deadly darkness of the tomb.
May we walk with Jesus in the land of the living,
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
~ALL RESPOND~
AMEN
READING
DEATH ON THE CROSS
JOHN 12:31-36
Jesus said to the crowd, “Now is the judgment
of this world; now the ruler of this world will be
driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the
earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this
to indicate the kind of death he was to die. The
crowd answered him, “We have heard from the
Law that the Messiah remains for ever. How can
you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up?
Who is this Son of Man?” Jesus said to them, “The
light is with you for a little longer. Walk while
you have the light, that the darkness may not
overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do
not know where you are going. While you have
the light, believe in the light, so that you may
become children of light.”
SILENCE
~RESPONSE~
In the cross is victory, alleluia!
~ALL RESPOND~
IN THE CROSS IS POWER, ALLELUIA!
CANTICLE OF THE CROSS
PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11
ANTIPHON
~ALL~
The sign of the cross will appear in the Heavens, WHEN THE LORD RETURNS IN GLORY ALLELUIA!
Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death---
even death on a cross
Therefore God also highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
LITANY OF THE CROSS
Lord Jesus, you embraced you bitter passion
and your dreadful death on the cross for us:
~ALL~
LORD, HAVE MERCY.
Lord Jesus, you were condemned to the cross by
Pontius Pilot:
~ALL~
LORD, HAVE MERCY.
Lord Jesus, you stumbled again and again
beneath the weight of the cross:
~ALL~
LORD, HAVE MERCY.
Lord Jesus, as you hung on the cross
you were taunted and mocked by priests and
soldiers:
~ALL~
LORD, HAVE MERCY.
Lord Jesus, you forgave your enemies from the
cross:
~ALL~
LORD, HAVE MERCY.
Lord Jesus, you promised Paradise to a repentant
criminal:
~ALL~
LORD, HAVE MERCY.
Lord Jesus, from the cross you confided
your sorrowful mother to your beloved disciple:
~ALL~
LORD, HAVE MERCY.
Lord Jesus, you called out in agony on the cross
and died with a great cry:
~ALL~
LORD, HAVE MERCY.
Lord Jesus, you were taken down from the cross
and laid in your mother’s arms:
~ALL~
LORD, HAVE MERCY.
Lord Jesus, you conquered death by your death
and brought life to those in the grave:
~ALL~
LORD, HAVE MERCY.
NOVENA PRAYER
As we stand beneath the shadow of your cross,
Lord and Savior of the world,
we put our trust in your undying love for us
in all our needs.
(Here we state our needs.)
You hear the voice of our hearts
as we worship, petition, and thank you,
now and always and for ever and ever.
~ALL RESPOND~
AMEN.
