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Veni Sancte Spiritus!

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From the traditional Masses of the Vigil and of Pentecost Sunday:

When I shall be sanctified in you, I will gather you together out of all the countries and I will pour upon you clean water and you shall be cleansed from all your filthiness and I will give you a new spirit, alleluia, alleluia!

Grant, we beseech Thee, O almighty God, that the splendour of Thy brightness may shine forth upon us, and the light of Thy light may, by the illumination of the Holy Spirit, confirm the hearts of those who have been born again by Thy grace.

Alleluia! Give glory to the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endureth for ever!

The Spirit of the Lord hath filled the whole world, alleluia!

Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered and let them that hate Him flee from before His face.

Alleluia, alleluia! Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created, and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Alleluia!

Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy love!

Suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming where they were sitting, alleluia, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, speaking the wonderful works of God, alleluia, alleluia!

May the infusion of the Holy Spirit, O Lord, cleanse our hearts, and render them fruitful by the inward sprinkling of His dew.

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From The Daily Missal:

“The Vigil Mass of Pentecost is a festal Mass, which opens the celebration of the Feast and Octave of Pentecost….the Saturday following begins the liturgical season called Season after Pentecost.”

Our first thought on this Whitsunday should be one of joy! It is easy for forget that when the world is engulfed in suffering. But we must remember we are part of a Body and Holy Church gives us these joyful times for our good. Even in the midst of difficulty, we must raise our eyes to Heaven and remember where our eternal home is and what a great God we have! This coming octave of Pentecost should be celebrated with great happiness, which the fearful world does not understand. Each day this week, let’s return to the wonderful Mass of Pentecost, its beautiful Sequence and Vespers. I will be posting these. Please pray them with your family.

We are reminded in the Vigil Mass: “…you shall be cleansed from all your filthiness and I will give you a new spirit.” What an appropriate sentiment for this time. This is exactly what is happening now in the Church and hopefully in the world. We are being purified through our suffering. May we begin to ascend to greater heights of holiness, as never before! Let us give God our very best so He may show mercy on us and bring us back our sacramental life.

The above words also speak of “illumination of the Holy Spirit.” Never before have we needed this more. Let us pray for this illumination and ability to discern truth, during a very confusing time. Our Church leaders especially need this, so let us continually pray for them and try to trust that the faithful ones are doing the best they can. If we do not like what they are doing, we can write to them, without judgement or divisiveness. Do not let Satan infect your heart with anger-that only plays into his hands. I certainly would not want to be a bishop at this time. Imagine what a terrible burden they bear. We should support them with love and understanding. Understanding is one of the Holy Ghost’s gifts!

In the Gospel of the Vigil Mass, Our Lord tells us, “I will not leave you orphans.” When we are tempted to become despondent, we must remember He is with us. We are all having terrible adversity right now, myself included. But every time one door closes, another opens. This is a cosmic law. We must search for that other door. The Communion verse states: “He that believeth in Me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” Imagine that. Rivers of living water! How can we fail to be joyful?

One more suggestion: How can we establish a more personal relationship with the Third Person of the Holy Trinity? A good meditation for the coming octave. Today is also the new feast of the Visitation and the old feast of the Queenship of Mary. A Pentecost graced with a double Marian feast! What more could we want?

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Following is our previously posted short meditation on the Third Glorious Mystery of the Rosary….

The Descent of The Holy Ghost

“Descent” is a dramatic word. What does dictionary.com say? Here is an excerpt:

descent: noun
-the act, process, or fact of moving from a higher to a lower position.
-a passage or stairway leading down.
-any passing from higher to lower in degree or state; decline.

Let’s go through this. “Higher to a lower position.” When we contemplated the Ascension, we spoke of Christ traversing from earth to Heaven. Now Heaven descends to earth. “Passage or stairway leading down.” This stairway, leading down from Heaven also helps us to ascend back up to Heaven, through the fruits and gifts of the Holy Ghost. “Passing from higher to lower in degree.” The Higher comes down to the lower, not to degrade Himself, but to uplift us to Himself. How extraordinary. And people think Catholics are negative?

So here we have the Third Person of the Most Holy Trinity, taking His turn to come to earth, the final great Act in this Story of God’s revelation of Himself to mankind and ultimate redemption. First, the Father came to the Jews, then the Son came to die, then the Holy Ghost came as the “Giver of Life,” as we are told in the Nicene Creed. We received Him in our Sacrament of Confirmation, but how often do we think of this sacrament and its implications in our daily lives? We must study the fruits and gifts we received and make every effort to increase these virtues within ourselves.

Image courtesy http://www.catholictradition.org/Tradition/holy-ghost8.htm

The Second Commandment-What Does it Mean to Us?

I love holy cards and when I see them, I always take….more than my fair share (hey, I’m a prepper-it’s what I do!). I recently came across one explaining the importance of the Second Commandment:

Our Lord revealed to Sr. Marie de Saint-Pierre, a French Carmelite nun, the need for mankind to make reparation for the terrible sin of blasphemy. He told her: “Oh, if you only knew what great merit you acquire by saying even once:

Admirable is the Name of God!

…in the spirit of reparation of blasphemy!”

This card was published by Our Lady of the Rosary Library, based in Prospect, Kentucky. They seem to do good work. You can purchase their holy cards, in addition to books, rosaries, medals, etc., on their site store.

As the name of Nomen Christi Apostolate shows, we are greatly dedicated to the Holy Name of Christ. We are also dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima.

What does the Second Commandment mean in our own lives? Obviously, we are not ourselves, going to take His Name in vain, but it is certain, we will be exposed to this sin. We should avoid any entertainment that commits this sin, especially if we have children in the home. The more difficult thing, is responding properly when someone in our presence speaks the Name of Jesus or God in a flippant or even disrespectful way (if they respond badly, maybe you don’t need this person as a friend). This takes a game plan and practice. It is a social skill that we all need to develop. It is not just the Name of God we must defend, but also Catholic moral teaching, when we get into discussions where these issues pop up. Again, a social skill that requires practice. It might be okay to make a mistake once. It is not okay to fail to learn from it and make a plan for the next time it happens. We all must decide for ourselves how we will handle these situations. If you have not developed this skill, rather than tell you how I deal with it, please pray on it and come up with your own way. As I always say, I am not interested in dictating to anyone. I would like to see people creatively use their own minds and hearts to solve problems for themselves.

"But because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold, nor hot, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth."

Apocalypse 3:16

As we can see by the Scripture quote from Apocalypse, God will not look kindly on our generation for this sin. Perhaps this is one reason we see the present chastisement. Let us resolve to more valiantly defend His Holy Name!

Image courtesy https://ryannstyles.blogspot.com

Minor Rogation Days 18th to 20th-Never a Better Time!

From the traditional Mass of the first two Rogation Days:

Arise, O Lord, help us and deliver us for Thy Name’s sake. Alleluia.

He heard my voice from His holy temple, alleluia: and my cry before Him came into His ears, alleluia, alleluia.

I will love Thee, O Lord, my strength: the Lord is my firmament, my refuge and my deliverer.

Grant, we beseech Thee, O almighty God, that we, who in our affliction put our trust in Thy mercy, may ever be defended by Thy protection against all adversity.

Thou hast saved us, O Lord, from them that afflict us: and hast put them to shame that hate us. In God shall we glory all the day long: and in Thy name we will give praise for ever.

Alleluia, alleluia. Forgive us our sins, O Lord: lest the Gentiles should ever say: Where is their God? Alleluia.

I will be glad and rejoice in Thy mercy: for Thou hast regarded my humility: Thou hast saved my soul out of distresses. Alleluia.

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock; and it shall be opened to you. For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened, alleluia.

Notes from The Daily Missal and Liturgical Manual, Baronius Press (this is a beautiful gold-trimmed missal to give as a gift):

“Earthquakes and other calamities afflicted the diocese of Vienne in Dauphiny (France) in the fifth century, and St. Mamertus, who was bishop of that diocese, instituted a penitential procession with public supplications on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before Ascension Day. In 816, Pope Leo III introduced it into Rome, and soon after it became a general observance throughout the Church.

The Litany of the Saints, the psalms and prayers sung during the Procession on these days are supplications: hence the name of Rogation Days (rogare, to ask) applied to them. The object of these rogation supplications is to appease the anger of God and avert the scourges of His justice, and to pray for the harvest.

A similar function is observed on April 25th , on the feast of St. Mark, but this is of Roman origin.”

Please read carefully the excerpts above from the Mass and see how appropriate these prayers are for our current situation! I believe it is a time in the Church to bridge the old and the new and for the laity in combination with the clergy, to creatively design our own customs. This will help our children love the Faith and want to hold on to it, it the midst of a culture saturated with all kinds of seductive bells and whistles to distract them from the spiritual path. What are some ideas? Read the Mass from the missal as a family, abstain from meat, pray the Litany of the Saints, crafts with children relating to the season, etc.

What are we to learn from the Rogation Day Masses? Never to despair. God is with us. We are people of Faith and can get through even the worst this life can ever throw at us! If Holy Church is persecuted, He will, in the end, deliver us!

There is a separate Mass for the last Rogation Day this week, which is the Vigil of the Ascension….

Declare it with the voice of joy, and make this to be heard, alleluia: speak it out even to the ends of the earth: The Lord hath delivered His people, alleluia, alleluia. Shout with joy to God, all the earth, sing ye a psalm to His Name: give glory to His praise.

Divine Mercy Sunday At Home

I was disappointed to see, when viewing the sites of my local parishes, not only no live-streamed Divine Mercy devotions, but not even any suggestions of how to perform this devotion at home. So, I came up with my own home program. The contemplation of the image is an idea I got from our Bishop’s (Bishop Barres) letter to the diocese of Rockville Centre, New York. The “Act of Contrition” just seems appropriate when seeking mercy. I included the “Prayer of Petition” to give Saint Faustina some recognition. And of course, her wonderful Chaplet!

If you do not have time for this today, please consider performing this devotion some time this coming week, with your family. EWTN does broadcast the Chaplet. Please see their schedule for this week: https://www.ewtn.com/tv/shows/chaplet-of-divine-mercy In addition, also on their site, here is everything you ever wanted to know about the Divine Mercy devotion: https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/divine-mercy-12705

It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway, that there has never been a more important time for this! Blessings to you and your families on this wonderful feast!

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Contemplation of Divine Mercy Image of Christ

This is the image above, given to us in Saint Faustina’s vision. A red stream and a white stream emanating from the Sacred Heart of Christ, representing the Blood and Water which flowed when His Heart was pierced on the Cross. If you have this image in your home, place it in front of you as you say the following prayers.

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Act of Contrition

Oh, my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee. I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more, to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen. I also resolve to avoid all occasion of sin.

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Prayer of Petition

O Jesus, who filled Thy handmaid Saint Faustina with profound veneration for Thy boundless Mercy, grant me, through her intercession, the grace for which I fervently pray: (mention request). My sins render me unworthy of Thy mercy, but be mindful of Saint Faustina’s spirit of sacrifice and self-denial and reward her virtue by granting the petition which, with childlike confidence, I present to Thee. Amen.

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Chaplet of Divine Mercy

With your Rosary beads, recite the following prayers: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/pray-the-chaplet

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Prayer of Petition (slightly edited) courtesy https://www.daily-prayers.org/

Image courtesy http://stviator.azurewebsites.net/?s=%3Fpage+id%3D1829&search_404=1

Short Rosary Meditation: The Descent of The Holy Ghost

The Descent of The Holy Ghost

“Descent” is a dramatic word. What does dictionary.com say? Here is an excerpt:

descent: noun
-the act, process, or fact of moving from a higher to a lower position.
-a passage or stairway leading down.
-any passing from higher to lower in degree or state; decline.

Let’s go through this. “Higher to a lower position.” When we contemplated the Ascension, we spoke of Christ traversing from earth to Heaven. Now Heaven descends to earth. “Passage or stairway leading down.” This stairway, leading down from Heaven also helps us to ascend back up to Heaven, through the fruits and gifts of the Holy Ghost. “Passing from higher to lower in degree.” The Higher comes down to the lower, not to degrade Himself, but to uplift us to Himself. How extraordinary. And people think Catholics are negative?

So here we have the Third Person of the Most Holy Trinity, taking His turn to come to earth, the final great Act in this Story of God’s revelation of Himself to mankind and ultimate redemption. First, the Father came to the Jews, then the Son came to die, then the Holy Ghost came as the “Giver of Life,” as we are told in the Nicene Creed. We received Him in our Sacrament of Confirmation, but how often do we think of this sacrament and its implications in our daily lives? We must study the fruits and gifts we received and make every effort to increase these virtues within ourselves.

Especially at this time, let us resolve to give God our very best, to not disappoint Him and to avail ourselves of all the graces given to us. Dear Holy Ghost, help me to love, know and understand Thee better with each passing day!

Easter Friday-A Solemnity!

Today is a solemnity-no penance required. From today’s Mass:

The Lord brought them out in hope, alleluia, and the sea overwhelmed their enemies, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Attend, O My people, to My law; incline your ears to the words of My mouth.

This is the day which the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord; the Lord is God, and He hath shone upon us.

Alleluia, alleluia! Say ye among the gentiles: the Lord hath reigned from a tree.

All power is given to Me in heaven and on earth, alleluia: going teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, alleluia, alleluia!

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We have many wonderful sentiments in the above words today. First, we are reminded of the virtue of hope. God never forgets His children. The second line gives us the antidote to our current situation. Its not a vaccine. Its not a mask. Its not “social distancing.” Its not closing your business. Its living God’s Law, revealed first through the Jewish people and now, through Christ’s Church, built upon His great sacrifice, His own Blood. We also have “This is the day…,” each day this week, reminding us that no matter how difficult life gets, this is His world and He wills that it all goes on. Finally, we contemplate Our Lord’s power, knowing He’s got it all under control.

I hope you have been praying the Glorious Mysteries each day this Easter week. I know, if you are not used to praying the rosary every day, it may be hard to stay motivated. But whenever you push past that laziness and the temptation to put temporal concerns above the spiritual (“I don’t have time”), the rewards are ALWAYS extraordinary and you NEVER regret it! Last night, as my hubby and I prayed it, it was wonderful to meditate on these most beautiful of Mysteries. Visualizing Our Lord resurrected in great radiance, ascending in glory amidst the clouds and Our Lady crowned in Heaven among the angels, lifted me right out of the earthly sufferings of this hour and into a space of great wonder and joy. Its something the world does not comprehend. So let’s all try to turn over a new leaf and do as Our Lady of Fatima requested-daily rosary!

One more thought: many don’t pray the rosary because they are too perfectionistic and it overwhelms them. The answer: don’t try, just do it. 99% of the battle is getting started. Just start blurting out the Apostles Creed and you’re good to go! If your mind drifts, and it will, just gently pull it back and keep going. Its fine. Our Lady knows we are human. We NEED the rosary right now. Our Lady of Fatima foresaw these days and she told us to pray it. Its never been more important!

Easter Wednesday

From today’s Mass:

Come, ye blessed of My Father, receive the Kingdom, alleluia, which was prepared for you from the foundation of the world, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle; sing to the Lord the whole earth!

This is the day which the Lord hath made: let us rejoice and be glad in it. The right hand of the Lord hath wrought strength; the right hand of the Lord hath exalted me.

Alleluia, alleluia! The Lord is risen indeed; and hath appeared to Peter.

The Lord opened the doors of heaven, and rained down manna upon them to eat: He gave them the bread of heaven: man ate the bread of Angels, alleluia!

Christ, risen again from the dead, dieth now no more, alleluia! Death shall no more have dominion over Him, alleluia, alleluia!

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What joyful words given us by Holy Church this day for our consolation! Trust in our loving Father!

Easter Tuesday Rosary Meditation: The Ascension

From today’s Mass:

He have them the water of wisdom to drink, alleluia; she shall be made strong in them, and shall not be moved, alleluia!

Give glory to the Lord, and call upon His Name: declare His deeds among the nations!

This is the day which the Lord hath made: let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Alleluia! Alleluia! The Lord is risen from the sepulchre, who for us hung upon a tree.

The Lord thundered from heaven, and the Most High gave His voice; and the fountains of waters appeared, alleluia!

If you be risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, alleluia!

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The Ascension of Our Lord

Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, has risen triumphantly from the dead, but the Story is not over yet.  He appeared to his Mother and the Apostles for forty days, preparing them to cross the threshold, the establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth through the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.  When this task was sufficient, as the Apostles looked on, "He was raised up: and a cloud received Him out of their sight." (Acts 1:9)  The Ascension of Our Lord is paralleled only by His Coming at the End of Time, wholly unique events in human history, singular in glory, majesty and wonder.  In the Old Law, the Father condescends to come to earth, as when He speaks to Moses in the Burning Bush and the institution of the Ten Commandments.  Now the Son, establishing the New Law, rises up, showing us how real and attainable Heaven is.  Our Lord opened access to Heaven on the Holy Cross and in His Ascension, He makes the leap Himself.  He wants us to follow Him there-that was the whole purpose of His life on earth and the whole purpose of our own lives.  To ensure we get there, He creates the physical, visible bridge to Heaven, the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

A number of the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary involve the meeting of Heaven and earth.  The Ascension, the Assumption and the Crucifixion each traverse the distance from earth to Heaven.  The Descent of the Holy Ghost, the Annunciation, the Baptism of Our Lord and the Transfiguration each involve Heaven coming down to earth.  Heaven also meets earth in the miracles and apparitions of the Church.  Lourdes is unique in that the miraculous water stays with us to this day and Fatima was unique in the witnessing of the "Miracle of the Sun" by thousands.  Our Holy Church calls down the powers of Heaven in every sacrament.  Our Lord's Ascension was His final sign that we are free to enter Heaven with Him, through the Church that could be built only upon His departure.

Heaven and earth are not just places.  They represent the relationship between God and His children.  As any parent/child relationship, it is bound to be difficult.  It’s difficult for the child to see the wisdom of the parent and it’s difficult for the parent to let the child go when it is time.  We can easily see the similarity here in how we perceive God.  But can we see how God perceives us?  As much as we love our own children and grieve over their absence, how much more does the Father love and grieve over us?  So much, that He sent His only Son to die for us.  The wrenching a parent feels when setting the child free, is only a faint hint of what the Father feels over one lost soul.  That is why He cannot leave us alone.  That is why He keeps interfering.  From the manna in the desert to the Bread of Life, He cannot bear to leave His children starving.  How much longer will He allow the innocent to spiritually starve in this corrupt culture?  The Ascension tells us there is another world He has prepared for us, that Heaven is our true home, sainthood our natural state.

Though our Blessed Lord rose away from earth on that day when the Apostles saw him lifted up to the sky, He remains with us always.  He has established His perennial Presence in the Holy Eucharist, residing in every tabernacle throughout the world.  He has built His Church, preserving all His precepts.  What more could He have done for us?  The Gospel of Saint Matthew ends with these words:  "...teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world." (Matt 28:18-20)  The angels say, "This Jesus who is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come, as you have seen Him going into Heaven," foretelling the Second Coming at the End of Time. (Acts 1:11)  Dearest Jesus, Who ascended in glory to show me Heaven, may I always trust that Thou remain with me in this world, even in my most difficult moments.  Amen.

The Resurrection and Ascension of Christ is all about hope. Let us at this trying time, keep our eyes on these Mysteries and never become overwhelmed with fear or doubt. Let us awaken each day and say, “This is the day the Lord hath made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!” Let us pull ourselves out of our despondence and go love another person and make a difference to that person. In love there is strength, healing and joy.

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The above meditation, along with “The Resurrection,” was written 6 years ago. I wrote “The Ascension” right around the time my son was going off to college, so speaking of a parent’s difficulty letting a child go was very personal. I have edited both meditations in this re-publishing. I hope you find them uplifting and interesting. I admit I am not a theologian, just a Long Island housewife who likes to think about this stuff. What I am trying to do is to come upon some fundamental aspect of each Mystery, without any pre-conceived ideas. Each meditation is as much a surprise to me as it might be to you!

Easter Monday Rosary Meditation: The Resurrection of Our Lord

From today’s Mass:

The Lord hath brought you into a land flowing with milk and honey, alleluia: that the law of the Lord may be ever in your mouth, alleluia, alleluia!

Give glory to the Lord, and call upon His Name; make known His deeds among the nations!

This is the day which the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Alleluia, alleluia! An angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and coming, rolled back the stone and sat upon it.

The Lord is risen, and hath appeared to Peter, alleluia!

What are these discourses that you hold one with another as you walk (six feet apart?-watch out for Cuomo’s $1,000 fine!), and are sad?

Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and so to enter into His glory?

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The Resurrection of Our Lord

To reiterate the words of Fr. Benedict Groeschel, "Never think about death without thinking about the Resurrection."  The Passion has ended.  "It is finished."  Faith, Hope and Charity have prevailed.  The Three Theological Virtues were displayed by Our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Faith when He said, "Thy will be done."  Hope in looking to the Kingdom of Heaven, the completion of His mission.  And Charity for the Father in desiring to accomplish His will, and consequently for us.  Now He enters into His Glory, the true and final End.  If this is what its all about, what does that say about life?  What does the Resurrection of Christ, Our Lord, demand of us?

If Christ is important, we are important.  After all, He only came here for us, for the Redemption of our poor souls.  People reject Him because they do not want to be important.  They love sin so much, they would rather think themselves not much more than the animals, with no eternal destiny.  In meaning, there must be restraint.  Therein lies the Cross, but also the Resurrection.  The alternative is a life of mediocrity or worse.  There is less feeling, less responsibility.....less joy.  We reap what we sow.  If meaninglessness is what we want, that is exactly what we will get.  The tragedy is that if we ever wake up from this dream of vagueness and delusion, we will find a precious crystal has been broken.  But this does not have to be the end of the story.  We can still write a different ending.  Through repentance we enter into Our Lord's Resurrection and Glory.  He walks before us always.  Where He goes, we are meant to follow. We have all the assistance of Heaven at our disposal.  The same God Who catapulted the universe into existence can do no less than give us everything we need for our salvation.

Christ calls us to a Heavenly Resurrection, but also an earthly one.  This transformation is not merely the cessation of sin, but reaching our full potential as members of the Body of Christ, one with Him in thought, word and deed.  We are powerful and power can be frightening.  Fulfilling the saintly vocation for which we were created has consequences.  Our Lord's greatest power was executed on the Cross as He stretched out His arms in yielding.  In that moment of weakness, the axis of the universe shifts and the tables are turned.  A world appears that we could not see before...."and the darkness could not comprehend it."  The caterpillar becomes the butterfly.

Being resurrected with Christ is a process of becoming.  The Father has written this message for us in all of nature, the butterfly being one of the most beautiful examples.  The snake sheds its old skin, the fragile sprout becomes a great tree, bearing fruit....the oyster patiently builds its pearl.  No matter how long it takes, no matter how many setbacks occur, no matter how hopeless it seems....if we cling to the Three Theological Virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity....we will see our Resurrection.  O Jesus, Whose Resurrected, Glorified Body walked upon this very earth, bring me back from my own countless deaths, that I may follow Thee to our Eternal Home.  Amen. 

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!