Book Reviews and More: Praying the Stations with Pope John Paul II

Praying the Stations with Pope John Paul II

Bill Huebsch

Twenty-Third Publications

ISBN 978-0896225510

ISBN 0896225518

Praying the Stations with Pope John Paul II - Bill Huebsch

Prior to Lent in 2026 I went through the collection of Stations I had and found I had about 10 I have never read or reviewed and made the commitment to try and make it through them this Lent, and I added a few as I have been reading, praying, and reviewing my way through the collection. Of the 10 I started with 6 were from Twenty-Third Publications, and while researching the first review I found a few others I am interested in. This is one is one of the new ones I discovered previously had already. I read this during holy week in 2026, and it marks the 21st new Stations I have worked through this lent. I left it to the end because of issues with another from the author. I have read a few not part of this series from them as well. I really loved Praying the Stations Mary’s Way of the Cross, by Richard G. Furey CSsR and picked up several others in this series. But I was fairly disappointed in Praying the Stations with Saint John XXIII by Bill Huebsch; so had sort of ignored them the past few years.

This is the twelfth of the Stations of the Cross I have read from Twenty-Third Publications in the ‘Praying the Stations with …’ series, and also other Stations from them. Originally published in 1993 with the first edition from Twenty-Third Publications the one I tracked down was from a third printing in 2007.

I do not have a description of this volume for none of the used copies online have a description, and the edition I got did not have a back cover. Using the WayBack machine I found this minimalist description:

“This is a Scripture way of the cross based on the stations preferred by John Paul II. Each station is based on actual Scriptural passages and each is beautifully written. Highly recommended.”

About the author we are informed:

“Bill Huebsch is a husband, an author, a gardener, an advocate for the poor, and a bit of a monk. He studied philosophy in college and theology in grad school. He worked in the textbook divisions of both Macmillan-McGraw Hill and Harcourt, and he's the retired president and publisher of Twenty-Third Publications in New London, CT. In retirement he served on the adjunct faculty of the IPS at Loyola Chicago where he taught grad level courses.

He is deeply engaged with Common Hope and serves on their Board of Directors. Common Hope serves the abandoned and poor families of Guatemala with education, housing, medical needs, and life-coaching.

He writes about spirituality as it emerges in daily life, whether among friends at dinner, in the garden, or in a chapel. He has a couple of dozen books in print, and he always leaves his readers profoundly inspired. He brings humor and hope to his presentations and provides people with practical tools for just living!.”

The chapters in this volume are:

Introduction

Opening Prayer

The First Station Jesus Prays in the Garden of Olives

The Second Station Jesus Is Betrayed by Judas

The Third Station Jesus Is Condemned to Death by the Sanhedrin

The Fourth Station Jesus Is Denied by Peter

The Fifth Station Jesus Is Judged by Pilate

The Sixth Station Jesus Is Flogged and Crowned with Thorns

The Seventh Station Jesus Carries His Cross

The Eighth Station Jesus Is Helped by Simon of Cyrene

The Ninth Station Jesus Encounters the Women of Jerusalem

The Tenth Station Jesus Is Crucified

The Eleventh Station Jesus Promises to Share His Reign with the Good Thief

The Twelfth Station Jesus Is on the Cross, with His Mother and Disciple Below

The Thirteenth Station Jesus Dies on the Cross

The Fourteenth Station Jesus Is Placed in the Tomb

A sample Station for this edition:

“The Third Station

Jesus Is Condemned to

Death by the Sanhedrin

Announcement of the Station

Leader The Third Station: Jesus is condemned to death by the Sanhedrin

Dialogue

Leader Let us enter into the Death of the Lord

All Whose suffering led him to Grace

Leader Let us take up our Cross

All Let us follow the way of the Lord

Proclamation of the Word (Mark 14:56, 61–64)

Leader A reading from the Gospel of Mark

Many people gave false evidence against Jesus, but their stories did not agree. Finally, the high priest asked him, “Are you Christ, Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus said, “I am; and ‘you will see the Human Son seated at the right hand of the Power, coming with the clouds of heaven.’” Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? You have heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?” All of them condemned him as deserving death.

Responsorial Psalm (36:1–4)

All Sinners listen to evil deep in their hearts;

they have no awe in the face of Divine Presence.

For they lie to themselves so well

that they can no longer recognize or hate

their own sin.

Whatever they say is foolish or false.

They have ceased to act wisely and do good.

They plot their sins while lying awake at night.

I tell you, they are set on a way that is horrible

and they do not reject evil.

Reflection

Leader O God, we are sometimes so reluctant to admit that we are also part of Christ, part of the Blessed One. Take away the fear that we will be condemned as Jesus was. Help us not be ashamed to claim Christ as our own.

A momentary, sacred pause…

Communal Prayer

All O God, we know that you are with us; you behold all we

do and say. Grant that, by the light of your Holy Spirit,

we might be earnest as we search for truth, and fair in our

judgments of others. Through Christ, our Lord, Amen.”

I should not have one I disagreed with stop me from reading others for so long. I really enjoyed this volume. I will state again; I am impressed with Stations I have tracked down from Twenty-Third Publications, both the currently in print and older titles that are out of print. I have benefitted from all of them. I wish that a digital edition was available. I know several people I would recommend it to. I have dyslexia and prefer eBooks, my son has eye tracking issues and our deacon has low vision. eBooks would be a better option for all three of us and many more.

I try to pray a Stations each Friday throughout the year, and every day during Lent. I do see myself returning to this one occasionally, but if a digital edition were available it would be one I used more often. I did benefit from praying through it and believe it would be great for personal or corporate use.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan! For all Stations of the Cross reviews click here.

Books in the Praying The Stations With Series:

A Way of Reconciliation for Teens - Colleen Rainone

Praying the Stations for Healing - David M. Knight

Praying the Stations of the Cross for Seniors - John van Bemmel

Stations of the Cross for Older Adults - John Van Bemmel

Praying the Stations for the Suffering, Ill, and Disabled - Holly B. Clark

Praying the Stations Mary’s Way of the Cross

aka Praying the Stations With Mary the Mother of Jesus – Richard Furey

Praying the Stations of Mercy with Pope Francis - Bill Huebsch

Stations of the Cross for Today's Disciples - Sr. Christine Kreshko

Praying the Stations with Catechists - Gwen Costello