Good Friday Radio: The Chaplet of the Way of the Cross
Sharing My Personal Meditative Devotion That Led to My Book & Substack!
Welcome to FM Radio for Apr. 18, 2025.
Friday Meditations are usually my way of thanking paid subscribers for their generous contributions by providing exclusive content for them. But for today, Good Friday during the Christian Holy Week leading up to Paschal Sunday (better known in English as Easter), I decided to do a special meditation. And I want everyone to have access to it!
I’ve kept a daily meditative prayer devotion to Jesus’ Way of the Cross for years. This regular practice of reflecting led to my book, Good Neighbor, Bad Citizen, and this Substack.
My personal devotion usually takes less than 20 min.; the audio file here is less than 17 min. I’d like to share the format I use as the foundation for meditating on the events of Jesus’ persecution, death and victory.
I won’t tell you exactly what you should think or feel while meditating — and I’d be suspicious of anyone who tried to hyper-dictate what your experience should be — but will tell you that having a basic format/foundation helps me. Perhaps it helps you, too?
Here’s an audio recording of me reciting what I call, “The Chaplet of the Way of the Cross”:
For those who want to read the devotion, the “Transcript for audio” section is after the “Building the foundation” section (where I explain how it gets made!). The audio file has about five seconds of silence at the beginning, so you can scroll down to the transcript after you press “play” if you want to read and listen simultaneously.
You’ll know you’ve found the transcript when you see the large photo of the person praying (a bigger version of this thumbnail):
— Building the foundation —
I pray intentionally for the cause of mercy, and use some repeated verbal prayers to orient my meditation on the 15 stations (14 traditional stations, plus the Bonus Station I included in my book, Good Neighbor, Bad Citizen).
Remember, the goal of good meditation — like any good prayer — isn’t to box you in, but to give you a foundation from which you can steady yourself, look around, and use as a jumping-off point to a new connection.
With that in mind, let’s go over some verbal prayers that provide this foundation. Many are repeated (hence, calling it a “chaplet”).
The most well-known formal prayers
The Sign of the Cross is a basic acknowledgement of the ways I experience the Holy Transcendent: as source of creation (“Father”); as revealed fully in humanity (Jesus, the “Son”); and as a continuous life force available to me to the extent that I’m open to receiving (“Holy Spirit”).
God doesn’t kick down the door. God knocks gently, respecting our free will. We each have to decide whether or not to answer.
The Sign of the Cross (from Jesus’ commissioning of the disciples in Matthew 28:19):
In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
The Our Father reminds me to orient myself toward something other than my own selfishness. There’s so much packed into this relatively small set of words: faith, hope, charity, sustenance, mercy, guidance, and victory.
The “Lord’s Prayer / Our Father” (from Matthew 6:9-13):
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name;
Thy kingdom come;
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass
against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
The Hail Mary reminds me of the best example in the Gospels of a person who actually does all the good things I say I’m going to do: Mary, the mother of Jesus!
The “Hail Mary” (combined from Luke 1:28, Luke 1:42-43, and the epistle James 5:16):
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;
blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners
now and at the hour of our death.
And the Glory Be reminds me that I don’t seek only the right-now, but a meaning that can span the past, present, and future.
The “Glory Be” (a common doxology invoking the Trinity [previously cited] and eternity):
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Repeated prayers and their Gospel sources
I also adapt other bits of dialogue from the Gospels to make short prayers.
In cases where the words are spoken by someone other than Jesus, very little needs to be adjusted to make the sentiment appropriate for a devotional. But when Jesus is the speaker, I change the perspective to be that of a person approaching Jesus and requesting what Jesus gives.
For example, here’s a formal prayer I’ve adapted from both a petition made by someone other than Jesus and a teaching of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount. I pray this before each set of three stations and again in the closing:
“O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” (Luke 18:13)
… and …
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7)
These become:
O God, be merciful to me, a sinner, as I pray Your way of the cross.
Teach me to ask and receive.
Teach me to seek and find.
Teach me to knock and be open to the answer.
—
Here’s an example of Jesus giving a lesson to the Apostles during the Last Supper. I keep the sentiment, but turn the vantage point to one of a person speaking to God. I pray this three times for every station, plus once at the summation of each trio of stations:
“Remain in me, as I remain in you.” (John 15:4)
This becomes:
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
—
Here’s a simple plea made to Jesus by a person who asks for mercy on behalf of someone else (most appropriate for this devotional!). I pray this three times in the closing:
“I do believe, help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)
This becomes:
Jesus, I believe; help my unbelief.
—
It’s a conversation, not a lecture
Notice the use of the second-person pronouns for God (“You”/”Thy”). When I pray, I like to address God as someone with whom I’m speaking, rather than as a third-person figure about whom I’m speaking.
Praying is seeking God’s will. I find that making this simple change of speaking with God instead of speaking about God makes my meditation better by orienting me to dialogue instead of monologue. The orientation toward conversation reminds me to be alert for insights — like listening, but with something other than my physical auditory senses — and this puts me in more of a seeker mode. I encourage you to try it, too!
— Transcript for audio —
The Chaplet of the Way of the Cross.
In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
For the cause of mercy — to love people in their imperfections — especially for the souls in purgatory.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name;
Thy kingdom come;
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass
against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;
blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
Stations 1, 2 & 3: Sentencing
Reflection passage:
The way of the cross begins with three stations that show Jesus’ ordeal is no mere accident.
Humans are limited. Suffering is when we hit our limits. And Jesus, with His human nature in harmony with His divine nature, experiences human limitations. Jesus can truly suffer, as all humans can.
Sometimes, suffering is the result of evil, when another person or group of people purposely takes advantage of someone’s limitations to manipulate the victim and inflict damage. Another word for this intentional evil is “sin.”
For Jesus, His suffering on His way of the cross isn’t from illness or old age. Jesus is punished by people who target His human limits, who intend to torture and kill Him, and who believe their actions are justified.
Jesus doesn’t merely suffer; He is sentenced to suffer. It is both sad and sinful.
(end reflection passage)
O God, be merciful to me a sinner, as I pray Your way of the cross.
Teach me to ask and receive.
Teach me to seek and find.
Teach me to knock and be open to the answer.
Station 1 – Pilate condemns You
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Station 2 – You take Your cross
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Station 3 – You fall the first time
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Sentencing: It is no accident; they sentence You to suffer
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Stations 4, 5 & 6: Sharing
Reflection passage:
When Jesus stumbles under the weight of the cross, a little bit of chaos crashes the strict, orderly proceedings.
Good chaos!
Too often, the human psyche reverts to primitive, closed-minded ethics: Order — the known/controlled — is good, and chaos — the unknown/uncontrolled — is evil. But Jesus often causes chaos for human order during His public ministry, presenting a fascinating complement to the Genesis accounts of God making order from chaos.
Yes, chaos can be good! And order can be evil, as the Roman regime demonstrates quite clearly. Chaos also brings unexpected possibility and the opportunity for people to embrace the chaos, to grow, to act with virtue.
In Stations 4, 5, and 6, the unexpected happens. Possibility happens. Yes, there is overwhelming, evil order all around them. But despite this evil, there is opportunity for Mary, for Simon, for Veronica.
(end reflection passage)
O God, be merciful to me, a sinner, as I pray Your way of the cross.
Teach me to ask and receive.
Teach me to seek and find.
Teach me to knock and be open to the answer.
Station 4 – You meet Your mother
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Station 5 – Simon helps carry Your cross
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Station 6 – Veronica wipes Your face
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Sharing: They share in Your suffering
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Stations 7, 8 & 9: Courage
Reflection passage:
Speaking of courage, it takes more than overcoming fear to be courageous. To act with courage is to act with integrity, to act in accordance with one’s best self, in spite of risks and danger. Plenty of evil acts are committed by those who overcome fear; that isn’t courageous.
In Stations 7, 8, and 9, Jesus appears weaker and more vulnerable than at any point prior. He falls in Station 7, and again in Station 9. In between, in Station 8, He still has the courage to tell people the truth: a truth that is difficult to say, and perhaps difficult to hear, too.
Have you ever known a person who, despite great hardships, sought to help others? Have you ever known a person who kept a realistic perspective, no matter the emotional pressures of a situation? Have you ever known a person who overcame obstacles by being more honest, rather than more manipulative, toward others?
Jesus, carrying His cross, is that courageous person.
(end reflection passage)
O God, be merciful to me, a sinner, as I pray Your way of the cross.
Teach me to ask and receive.
Teach me to seek and find.
Teach me to knock and be open to the answer.
Station 7 – You fall the second time
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Station 8 – You console the weeping women
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Station 9 – You fall the third time
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Courage: You show true, virtuous courage, despite hardship
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Stations 10, 11 & 12: Hatred
Reflection passage:
It has been said that love and hate aren’t really opposites, because they’re each an intense feeling. As the thinking goes, love and hate are very close; the real opposites are love and apathy. This only makes sense if love and hate are merely emotions.
But what if love and hate are more than emotions? What if they involve acts of intentionality, of the will, expressing a person’s core beliefs about existence?
In this deeper exploration, love and hate are indeed opposites. The virtue of love (often called “charity”) is to will the good of another person, regardless of any benefit to the charitable person. The vice of hatred is to will the misfortune, destruction, demise — even the very nonexistence! — of another, for the hater’s selfish desire.
In Stations 10, 11, and 12, the evil against Jesus reaches its apex. He endures more than mere dislike or disagreement; He suffers the most extreme hatred.
(end reflection passage)
O God, be merciful to me, a sinner, as I pray Your way of the cross.
Teach me to ask and receive.
Teach me to seek and find.
Teach me to knock and be open to the answer.
Station 10 – You are stripped
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Station 11 – You are nailed to the cross
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Station 12 – You die on the cross
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Hatred: You endure ultimate hate; You love everyone
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Stations 13, 14 & Bonus: Mercy
Reflection passage:
Sentencing.
Sharing.
Courage.
Hatred.
And, finally, Mercy.
Adoration and praise recognize the good and wonderful things that people do. But to show mercy is to love people in their imperfections.
All humans — full of flaws and other limitations — need mercy. Fortunately, God has inexhaustible love, inexhaustible mercy, for people. Even more fortunately for earthly lifespans, humans can learn mercy and then practice mercy toward others.
It’s true that people can commit terrible sins, and so create glimpses of Hell on earth.
But people can also create glimpses of Heaven on earth, through acts of love, especially mercy.
(end reflection passage)
O God, be merciful to me, a sinner, as I pray Your way of the cross.
Teach me to ask and receive.
Teach me to seek and find.
Teach me to knock and be open to the answer.
Station 13 – Your friends receive Your body from the cross
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Station 14 – You are placed in the tomb
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
BONUS STATION – You live after death
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Mercy: Lord, You are never outdone in mercy
Lord, help me remain in You, as You remain in me.
Conclusion
O God, be merciful to me, a sinner, as I pray Your way of the cross.
Teach me to ask and receive.
Teach me to seek and find.
Teach me to knock and be open to the answer.
Jesus, I believe; help my unbelief.
Jesus, I believe; help my unbelief.
Jesus, I believe; help my unbelief.
For the cause of mercy — to love people in their imperfections — especially for the souls in purgatory.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Thank you for joining me today for my personal devotion.
However you like to meditate, however you like to pray … May you be a good neighbor, even if it makes you a bad citizen.