³⁹ Jesus left the city and went, as he usually did, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples went with him. ⁴⁰ When he arrived at the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”

⁴¹ Then he went off from them about the distance of a stone's throw and knelt down and prayed. ⁴² “Father,” he said, “if you will, take this cup of suffering away from me. Not my will, however, but your will be done.” ⁴³ An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. ⁴⁴ In great anguish he prayed even more fervently; his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.^[c]

⁴⁵ Rising from his prayer, he went back to the disciples and found them asleep, worn out by their grief. ⁴⁶ He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you will not fall into temptation.”

When was the time you were most afraid?

Prayer: Lord, you sweated drops of blood in your anxiety for our human condition. Help us to remain awake because….

Response: By your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

⁴⁷ Jesus was still speaking when a crowd arrived, led by Judas, one of the twelve disciples. He came up to Jesus to kiss him. ⁴⁸ But Jesus said, “Judas, is it with a kiss that you betray the Son of Man?”

⁴⁹ When the disciples who were with Jesus saw what was going to happen, they asked, “Shall we use our swords, Lord?” ⁵⁰ And one of them struck the High Priest's slave and cut off his right ear.

⁵¹ But Jesus said, “Enough of this!” He touched the man's ear and healed him.

⁵² Then Jesus said to the chief priests and the officers of the Temple guard and the elders who had come there to get him, “Did you have to come with swords and clubs, as though I were an outlaw? ⁵³ I was with you in the Temple every day, and you did not try to arrest me. But this is your hour to act, when the power of darkness rules.”

Recall a time when you were falsely accused of something? How did you feel?

Prayer: Lord, darkness had its hour but it could not over come you because….

Response: By your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

⁵⁴ They arrested Jesus and took him away into the house of the High Priest; and Peter followed at a distance. ⁵⁵ A fire had been lit in the center of the courtyard, and Peter joined those who were sitting around it. ⁵⁶ When one of the servant women saw him sitting there at the fire, she looked straight at him and said, “This man too was with Jesus!”

⁵⁷ But Peter denied it, “Woman, I don't even know him!”

⁵⁸ After a little while a man noticed Peter and said, “You are one of them, too!”

But Peter answered, “Man, I am not!”

⁵⁹ And about an hour later another man insisted strongly, “There isn't any doubt that this man was with Jesus, because he also is a Galilean!”

⁶⁰ But Peter answered, “Man, I don't know what you are talking about!”

At once, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. ⁶¹ The Lord turned around and looked straight at Peter, and Peter remembered that the Lord had said to him, “Before the rooster crows tonight, you will say three times that you do not know me.” ⁶² Peter went out and wept bitterly.

When was a time you gossiped or betrayed a friend?

Prayer: Lord, the love you always showed to others won because….”

Response: By your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

²⁰ Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the people to ask for Barab′bas and destroy Jesus. ²¹ The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barab′bas.” ²² Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified.” ²³ And he said, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified.”

²⁴ So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this righteous man’s blood;^[c] see to it yourselves.” ²⁵ And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” ²⁶ Then he released for them Barab′bas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

When did you go against the crowd and stand up for something you believe in?

Prayer: Lord, we crucify you in so may ways: in our cruelty, greed, and injustice. Give us the strength to stand along with you, even to the point of death, because….

Response: By your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

²⁷ Then Pilate's soldiers took Jesus into the governor's palace, and the whole company gathered around him. ²⁸ They stripped off his clothes and put a scarlet robe on him. ²⁹ Then they made a crown out of thorny branches and placed it on his head, and put a stick in his right hand; then they knelt before him and made fun of him. “Long live the King of the Jews!” they said. ³⁰ They spat on him, and took the stick and hit him over the head. ³¹ When they had finished making fun of him, they took the robe off and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

Describe a time when someone made fun of you. How did you feel? What did you do?

Prayer: Hail, King of the Universe. By your stripes we are healed. We honor you always because….

Response: By your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

³² As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene named Simon, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus' cross.

Who was a person you were forced to help when you didn't want to?

Prayer: Lord, we offer you our hands and our hearts. Give us the strength to be your helpers, because….

Response: By your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

³² Two other men, both of them criminals, were also led out to be put to death with Jesus. ³³ When they came to the place called “The Skull,” they crucified Jesus there, and the two criminals, one on his right and the other on his left. ³⁴ Jesus said, “Forgive them, Father! They don't know what they are doing.”^[b]

They divided his clothes among themselves by throwing dice. ³⁵ The people stood there watching while the Jewish leaders made fun of him: “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah whom God has chosen!”

³⁶ The soldiers also made fun of him: they came up to him and offered him cheap wine, ³⁷ and said, “Save yourself if you are the king of the Jews!”

³⁸ Above him were written these words: “This is the King of the Jews.”

³⁹ One of the criminals hanging there hurled insults at him: “Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

⁴⁰ The other one, however, rebuked him, saying, “Don't you fear God? You received the same sentence he did. ⁴¹ Ours, however, is only right, because we are getting what we deserve for what we did; but he has done no wrong.” ⁴² And he said to Jesus, “Remember me, Jesus, when you come as King!”

⁴³ Jesus said to him, “I promise you that today you will be in Paradise with me.”

Name someone you knew or heard of who gave up his life or her life for another.

Prayer: Jesus, remember us in your eternal kingdom as we praise you forever, because….

Response: By your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

^44-45 It was about twelve o'clock when the sun stopped shining and darkness covered the whole country until three o'clock; and the curtain hanging in the Temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶ Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father! In your hands I place my spirit!” He said this and died.

Imagine you were there when Jesus died on the cross. Describe your feelings.

Prayer: We adore you O Christ and we praise you, because….

Response: By your holy cross you have redeemed the world.