Fourth Sorrowful Mystery - Carrying of the Cross

The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery - the Carrying of the Cross by Jesus – from the Gospel according to John, chapter 19, verses 16-17 & Luke, chapter 23, verses 26-31.

Then [Pilate] handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and carrying the cross himself he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha. ... As they led him away they took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus. A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him. Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children, for indeed, the days are coming when people will say, 'Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.' At that time people will say to the mountains, 'Fall upon us!' and to the hills, 'Cover us!' for if these things are done when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?"


“By accepting in His human will that the Father's will be done, He accepts His death as redemptive, for 'He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree' (1 Peter 2:24)". (Article 612 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church).

While meditating on the mystery of the carrying of the cross by Jesus, pray also for the release of its fruit, patient endurance.


After a short period of silence, recite the following prayers:

While holding the next (large) bead, pray the 'Lord's Prayer' :

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.

On the next bead, pray the 'Hail Mary' :
Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee!
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
Jesus.
Holy Mary, mother of God,
pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death, Amen.
Repeat the 'Hail Mary' 9 more times, while moving along each remaining bead in the group of ten (the 'decade').


Next, pray the 'Gloria Patri' :   See rosaries with added 'Glory Be' & 'Fatima' beads!
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.


Next, pray the 'Fatima Prayer' :   See rosaries with added 'Glory Be' & 'Fatima' beads!
O my Jesus, forgive us (our sins), save us from the fires of Hell!
Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy, Amen.


This concludes the Fourth Sorrowful Mystery. Click here to continue with the Fifth Sorrowful Mystery.


Continue with the closing prayers of the Rosary (if you are praying this one decade only).