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We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You,
because by Your Holy Cross, You have
redeemed the world.
First
Station: Jesus is Condemned to Death
Lord,
have mercy on me, a sinner.
Seventh Station: Jesus Falls the
Second Time
Lord, forgive me for I have sinned
against You.
Twelfth Station: Jesus Dies on the Cross
Lord, remember me when You come into
Your kingdom.
The Resurrection of Jesus from the
Dead
My Lord, and my God, the Giver of
Life, draw us back to You!
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"Repent and believe the Good News!"
Penance means conversion. The Confraternity of
Penitents is a world wide private Catholic
association of the faithful, completely loyal to our
Pope and the Magisterium.
Our Rule of Life has been reviewed by our bishop and
recognized in these words: "this Rule does not
contain anything contrary to our faith; therefore it
may be safely practiced privately by you or by
anyone inclined to do so. . . . His Excellency
is appreciative of your efforts to live and promote
Franciscan spirituality and especially promote the
neglected practice of penance and he wishes you
success" (January 30, 1998).
Members of the Confraternity of Penitents live this
Rule in their own homes, devoted to prayer, penance,
fasting, conversion, and works of mercy modeled on
Jesus Christ and inspired by the lives and teachings
of
St. Francis,
St. Dominic,
St. Therese,
St. Benedict,
St. Augustine,
St. Ignatius,
and all the saints, most especially Mary, the Mother
of God, who lived a life of true penance
(conversion) in perfect union with our Lord.
May Our Lady and all the saints intercede for all
who wish to embrace a life of penance, anywhere in
the world, so that the grace of God will assist them
to obtain every virtue necessary for a life of
holiness and surrender to the Will of God! Amen.
PRAYER OF PENITENTS
"Most High, Glorious God, enlighten the darkness
of my mind, give me right faith, a firm hope,
and perfect charity that I may always and in all
things act according to Your Holy Will. Amen."
(Saint Francis's prayer before the San Daminao
Crucifix)
MISSION OF PENITENTS
"Go and repair My House
which, as you can see, is falling into ruin." (The
message given to St. Francis in a voice from the San
Damiano Crucifix.)
ACTION OF PENITENTS
To pray for God's
specific direction in one's life so that, through
humbly living our Rule of Life, each penitent may
help to rebuild the house of God by bringing love of
God and neighbor to his or her own corner of the
world.
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Mary the Immaculate,
Grieving over an Aborted Baby
by Lee Tidwell (1984)
PROLIFE
STATIONS OF THE CROSS
The Prolife Stations of the
Cross were written by Father Frank Pavone of
Priests for Life and are reprinted here with
permission.
Meditations
for Pro-Life Stations of the Cross
The First Station:
Jesus is Condemned to Death
Though innocent, Jesus is
condemned by the power of the State. In like
manner, our innocent brothers and sisters in the
womb have been condemned. Their rights and
dignity are not recognized. In this, they bear a
special likeness to Jesus.
The Second Station: Jesus is Made to Bear His
Cross
The salvation of the world
carried a heavy price for our Lord, the agony of
the cross. As He accepts His cross, let us also
resolve to endure suffering that others may
live. Let us pay the price for standing up for
our preborn brothers and sisters.
The Third Station: Jesus Falls the First Time
Almighty God was weak
because He chose to be like us. He had power and
glory from all eternity, yet He chose to be
immersed in the world of suffering. We pray that
the benefits and advantages we have in life may
not cause us to forget our pre-born brothers and
sisters.
The Fourth Station: Jesus Meets His Afflicted
Mother
There is no deeper
relationship than that of mother and child. They
belong together. When one suffers, the other
suffers. To love and defend one means to love
and defend the other. To be pro-life means to
serve both the child and the mother. It means to
ask our society, "Why can't we love them both?"
The Fifth Station: The Cyrenian Helps Jesus to
Carry His Cross
Many watched the Lord
suffer. Simon the Cyrenian helped alleviate that
suffering. Many lament abortion. Some actually
get involved to help to stop it. We pray that
all people may take their active place in the
pro-life movement.
The Sixth Station: Veronica Wipes the Face of
Jesus
The compassion Veronica
shows reflects the compassion of so many medical
doctors and nurses, who treat their patients
with dignity. We pray for repentance and renewal
in the medical profession. May the tools and
skills meant for healing nevermore be used for
killing.
The Seventh Station: Jesus Falls the Second Time
In working to defend life,
there are many setbacks and obstacles. Yet we
know the meaning of the cross. In weakness,
power reaches perfection. We do not look to our
own strengths and talents alone, but to Christ.
His own strength will sustain us.
The Eighth Station: Jesus Speaks to the Women of
Jerusalem
Christ told these women to
weep for themselves and for their children. He
does not want false worship, but repentance. He
does not want followers who cry out to Him but
then ignore injustice and bloodshed. May all who
believe in Christ likewise stand up for the
defenseless children.
The Ninth Station: Jesus Falls the Third Time
Despite the falls, nothing
can stop our Lord, because He is on a mission of
love. If the pro-life movement is not a movement
of love, it is nothing at all, but if it is a
movement of love, then nothing will stop it.
Love is stronger than death, more powerful than
hell.
The Tenth Station: Jesus is Stripped of His
Garments
Nobody can stop us form
loving our preborn brothers and sisters. Those
stronger than we may strip us of popularity,
possessions, or power, but they cannot strip us
of love. We love others with the same love that
Christ showed for us.
The Eleventh Station: Jesus is Nailed to the
Cross
The powers of this world
crucified the God who made this world. All power
and authority come from God. All who exercise
power have to account for it before the throne
of God. We pray that those in government may use
their powers to protect the innocent babies in
the womb.
The Twelfth Station: Jesus Dies on the Cross
Our Lord died. So many of
His children have died with Him. His passion is
re-lived with every abortion, one every twenty
seconds in our country. We only know a fraction
of the horror of this act in the sight of God.
We only know a fraction of the horror of
Christ's crucifixion. May all our brothers and
sisters killed by abortion rest in Christ's
peace and be saved by His cross.
The Thirteenth Station: Jesus is Taken Down from
the Cross
Mary experienced the pain
of holding her dead Son. So many mothers grieve
after their abortions. We ask that Mary may
comfort them, help them face the truth about
abortion, and lead them to forgiveness and
healing.
The Fourteenth Station: Jesus is Laid in the
Tomb
A tomb is a memorial. It
helps us remember the one who can no longer
speak. May we and our society remember the
babies who cannot speak. May we also remember
Our Lord's Resurrection, and His promise of
eternal life. He has conquered abortion because
He has conquered death. May we bring His victory
to every part of our world!
Confraternity of Penitents
520 Oliphant Lane
Middletown RI USA
02842-4600
401/849-5421
bspenance@hotmail.com
copenitents@yahoo.com
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