Meditation on the Seven Last Words of Christ

The following is based on a meditation I did yesterday during the three hours Our Lord was on the Cross. It is speculative. It is what I felt when placing myself in His place. I did not initially plan to write about it, but was inspired to share it….

He cannot move. He is helpless. Impaled to a cross. An unimaginable cruelty. He can hardly think through the pain and the cacophony of wails and derision all around Him. But He tries nevertheless to focus. He must speak. He keeps losing His concentration but He musters every bit of strength to get it back. What did He say? Seven thoughts. If humanity can ignore these words, then humanity is truly lost. He was raised up above the earth to speak these words. We must listen.

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

He has just been raised up on the Cross. He thinks not of Himself, but of those who have done this to Him. With incredible understanding and compassion, in His wisdom, he asks the Father to forgive them. Those who would cooperate in evil today, may think they do good, but due to their blindness and naivete, they cannot see the descent into tyranny.

“Amen I say to thee, this day thou shalt be with me in paradise.”

Here is an actual conversation with another crucified with Him. In the midst of His torment, He still hears what another speaks to Him. And He responds, lovingly. It is a beautiful moment in the midst of such horror. Christ speaks of the glory of Heaven and His triumph. We know suffering in this life is as nothing compared to the wonder of the Kingdom of Heaven.

“Woman, behold thy son...Behold thy mother.”

Again, Our Lord thinks of others, not Himself. He understands, even on the Cross, he still has a job to do. He must see that His mother is taken care of. He gives her to His beloved Saint John. He also has given her to humanity in these words. What a great gift and privilege! Let us never take her for granted. In all our trials, we know we have Our Lady to flee to. She will always comfort her children.

“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

This disturbing cry is the one time, we might say, when Christ is so bereft, He speaks of Himself. It is a great mystery that probably no one can ever understand. It seems as if the Father somehow withdrew Himself. Terrible is the time when mankind sees Him withdraw from Holy Church herself! It is not a warning that can go unheeded.

“I thirst.”

It may seem Our Lord is once again speaking of Himself. But some interpret this as His thirst for souls. This shows His great love for His children who have abandoned Him. How God’s children thirst for His sacraments!

“It is consummated.”

He knows now He is about to die. Somehow He still has the strength to speak. He knows the work given to Him has been accomplished. He has done what He came into the world to do. He must have had great joy at that moment in this knowledge. Our own work will go on until the day we die as well. Let us use each day to rise to the challenges presented, each day like one bead of the Rosary.

“Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.”

I do not feel I can comment on this in any way except to say that when we are at the end of our rope, these words will give us great peace. Our Lord walks before us always and shows us the way to peace, joy and salvation!

Good Friday: The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery....

The Crucifixion of Our Lord

The Carrying of the Cross was a journey-the Crucifixion at Golgotha, its destination.   In fact, the Crucifixion was the destination of Christ's entire life on earth.  From His very Incarnation, this was the plan.  We may have difficulty understanding why it had to be this way, but we must believe, since His way is always perfect, it was the perfect way.  Looking at the Crucifixion forces us all to ask:  "What is my own destination and how is each day I live bringing me closer to it?"

Our Lord ascended to Heaven so that we could follow Him there-this is the end for which we were created.  Jesus said of His Apostles, "They are not of the world, as I also am not of the world."  We must be in the world, not of the world.  Set a course to Heaven and do not deviate from it.  The only thing that can derail us is sin, a word our "enlightened" times has forgotten.

What was the meaning of Christ's cruel impalement to the Cross?  It shows us we must let go of all the things we wish to possess which are unhealthy to our souls, which turn us away from our path to Heaven.  Our Blessed Lord could not possibly have been more helpless upon the Holy Cross.  He could not move and could hardly speak.  He arms were outstretched to all the universe, imploring us to come to Him and yet unable to grasp at anything.  We too, must open our hands when we are tempted to reach for, and take hold of sin.  We must take Christ's example of yielding.  In all things, He walks before us.  From the Cross, Jesus shows us the very key to the Kingdom of Heaven.

But how are we to resist temptation?  The sacraments of the Church Christ founded are the tools which have been given to us.  He said, "I will not leave you orphans."  The same body which was crucified, comes to us in Holy Communion-to help us stretch out our arms and let go.  This Body could not give us life until it tasted death.  We cannot receive that life until we taste the death of our sins.  The more our own will shrinks, the more beautiful we become.  The greater He becomes within us, the greater we become.

Our Lord never left His course toward the Holy Cross.  We must never leave our course toward the Kingdom of Heaven.  It will twist and turn and there will be traps to ensnare us.  But if we continue to flee to the Holy Cross and the Victim upon it-we will one day hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant...enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."  Dear Jesus, whose death on the Cross has won my Redemption, show me in my moments of temptation, Thy holy arms unable to embrace and Thy sacred hands unable to grasp.  Amen.