These prayers are for use on Fridays and other appropriate occasions (but not during the Christmas, Epiphany or Easter seasons).
A procession may be made towards a suitable cross, before which lights may be burning, or a cross may be carried in. It may be mounted upright or laid on the ground, with lights burning around it.
On the cross, Jesus offered himself to the Father for the whole world. At the foot of his cross, we join our prayers with his.
One of the following may be said
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
Allbecause by your holy
cross
you have redeemed the world.
All Holy
God,
Holy and strong,
Holy and immortal,
have mercy upon us.
(or)
We glory in your cross, O Lord,
and praise and glorify your holy resurrection:
Allfor by virtue of the
cross,
joy has come to the whole world.
God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us,
Allthat your way may be
known upon earth,
your saving power among all nations.
We glory in your cross, O Lord,
and praise and glorify your holy resurrection:
Allfor by virtue of the
cross,
joy has come to the whole world.
While silence is kept, or appropriate hymns or chants are sung, any of those present may come forward to touch the cross. They may, for example, place their forehead on it as a sign of entrusting to God, in union with Christ and his suffering, their own burdens as well as those of others.
Other forms of intercessions may be offered.
This response may be used
Lord, we come to the cross
Allin your mercy, hear
us.
Almighty Father,
look with mercy on this your family
for which our Lord Jesus Christ was content to be betrayed
and given up into the hands of sinners
and to suffer death upon the cross;
who is alive and glorified with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
AllAmen.
The Lord’s Prayer is said.
May the life-giving cross be the source of all our joy and
peace.
AllAmen.
Let us bless the Lord.
AllThanks be to God.