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Seven last words Word Seven – Reunion "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." Luke 23:46 Father, I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to go back to Jerusalem. They have been plotting against me and have tried to kill me already. If I go back there, I will die. I am afraid. I love you, Father; I feel your Love in me. I am frightened. Father, I know you are with me and that you will walk every step with me. I place my trust in you. But still, I fear. Father, into your hands, I commend my fear. Father, I pray it has been enough. You know everything. You know I have tried to do Your will. But was it enough? Do they understand enough that this end will not be the end of the covenant you want with them? Even until now, I think they know, and then, they are lost again in their bewilderment. Father, when I am no longer with them, will they have the strength and Love to carry on? They will be afraid, too; they will know the fear I know. Wrap them in the confidence of your Love. Father, into your hands, I commend my friends, those I have loved and taught your ways, those who must go on. Father, I know you are with me now as you have always been with me. I am abandoned by the ones I have tried to help. So soon, they forget. The crowds have turned on me. Today, they hail me a King, but within days they will cry out for my death. Heal the disappointment and hurt in my heart, don’t allow it to become anger or resentment. Father, into your hands, I commend my broken heart. Father, there is a woman you chose. I worry for her. She will know more suffering than anyone should bear. You chose her, and you chose well. I thank you, Father, for the Mother and Father, you gave me to guide my young life. They did as you asked. They have lived their Love for you and for me. Give my mother strength to walk these days with me, as she has walked every other day of my life, with a mother’s Love. Father, into your hands, I commend my Mother. Father, I am afraid. Sadness overwhelms me. Guide me. Give me the strength to follow your will up to the end. May Your will be done in me. Allow Your Love for me and my Love for them to carry me to that final moment when it is finished, and I am dead. Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit. Amen, Amen, Amen Scripture Reflections Into Your Hands - Ray Repp “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” These are the words we need to pray more than any. These are the words of complete surrender to God. Prayer is ultimately about one thing. It’s about surrender. It’s about trust. Say these words over and over today and let this perfect surrender of Jesus also be your surrender. Surrender means God is in control. It means that we let go of our own will and choose only God’s. And it means that God pledges to accept our surrender and guide us into the perfect plan has in mind for us.

Seven last words Word Six – Triumph It is finished. John 19:30 Today Jesus rides TRIUMPHANTLY into Jerusalem on a donkey and the crowds are  shouting “HOSANNA to the KING”.  By the end of the week, they will be crying out “CRUCIFY HIM! CRUCIFY HIM!” So why the change of heart? What did they hear that could change their minds about who Jesus was? Did they give credence to ‘fake news’ and conspiracy theories? Were they afraid of what the Romans could do to them? Along the way to Calvary, the crowds gather, and they shout even jeer at Jesus. At Golgotha they challenge him to provide proof that he is the Son of God.  Instead, he says “It is finished”.  What does that mean? /uw What Should We Learn from "It Is Finished"? It Is Finished (John 19:30) by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson (Jesus Walk) When we meditate on this Sixth Word from the cross, what should we learn for our lives? This is what I see. 1. We Are to Live Lives of Purpose First, we are to live lives of purpose. Unless Jesus had a purpose, a mission to complete, the words, "It is finished" would have had little meaning. He wasn't speaking of his earthly life that was finished - in fact, his life has no beginning and has no end. Rather, he is speaking of that which the Father had instructed him to do. Our lives may not be so clear, so purpose driven as Jesus' life. However, I believe that one of the signs of maturity in our lives is to discern our spiritual gifts and abilities, and then order our lives so as to maximize what God has given. Jesus told the Parables of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) and the Pounds (Luke 19:11-27). In each case, success for the servant was to "trade with" what the master had given him in order to produce the largest possible outcome for the master, given each servant's unique talents, time, and circumstances. The reward was to hear the master say, "Well done, good and faithful servant ... enter into the joy of your master" (Matthew 25:21, RSV) 2. We Are to Live Lives of Focus Second, living lives of purpose requires us to focus on our priorities. Instead of living scatter-shot lives, we are to aim carefully at the target and make our shots count. This requires focus and discipline. It means saying "No" to some choices so that we can say "Yes" to opportunities that are even better. 3. We Are to Live Lives of Obedience Third, to be able to say, "It is finished," as Jesus did, our lives must be marked by obedience. Jesus is God, but in his earthly life he willingly obeyed. "He humbled himself and became obedient to death" (Philippians 2:8). Paul put it this way: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20) Obedience is the opposite of independent action. It means living in obedience to God, not to ourselves. 4. We Must Be Willing to Suffer to Achieve God's Purpose Finally, to say "It is finished," we must be willing to suffer to achieve God's purpose for our lives. We continue in the sunny summer days as well as the stormy winters of our lives. We don't give up just because things are difficult. We are willing to suffer whatever is necessary to complete the Father's plan for our lives. When our lives are over, we want to be able to say with St. Paul, "The time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing." (2 Timothy 4:6-8) And with Jesus to say: "It is finished!" Prayer Gracious God. I've wasted much of the momentum of my life because I've tried to go in so many directions. Please corral me so that I will focus on your purposes and your direction for me, that I might finish this life well. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen. Reflection A purpose-driven life – what has been the underlying purpose for your life’s journey? What have you said “NO” to instead of ‘Yes’ that made the greatest difference – the ‘road not taken’? ‘Obedience is the opposite of independent action.’ How has been reflected in your decision-making? It is Finished - Matt Papa

Seven last words Word Five – Distress Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst." John 19:28 Being thirsty – parched, panting, desperate for a drink, dehydrated, dried out, gasping to the point of ‘distress.’ Our bodies do need water to live. But is this the thirst that Jesus is referring to in this scene? ‘I Thirst’: What Did Jesus Mean? By Taylor Tripodi | Apr 23, 2019 | Discovery When you imagine the face of Jesus, what do you see? How do you picture him? Is he kind and serene? Strong and bold? Is he extending his hand in mercy? There’s so many images of Jesus, and he reveals himself to us in many ways …  I don’t think of him all bloodied and cringing in pain on the Cross from the wounds of his passion, and yet, that is the Jesus we meet. We meet our God, victorious though he is, in his passion sacrifice eternally presented before the heavenly Father. We sit like Mary and John at the foot of the Cross and behold the wounded face of our saviour in the pangs of death. As we behold him, we hang on every word he says while he is suspended there fighting for his every breath. Jesus never spoke a word in vain. Everything he did and said had purpose – and even more so as he died on the Cross. In the Gospels, we find the “Seven Last Words of Jesus”— all of them imbued with so much depth for each of us individually and as a Church … Even though we serve a God who has conquered sin and death, we are all given this image of Our Lord to reflect on as we hear his final words from the Cross. What was he trying to convey by saying, “I thirst”? What purpose did those words have? What is thirst? … it is a feeling of emptiness — or extreme dehydration that needs to be quenched. In his final moments on the Cross, we see Jesus submitting himself to very human, vulnerable feelings of emptiness and need both in body and spirit. He allows himself to be brought to the pit of all thirst. He feels bodily thirst as he’s pushed to his limits near death. His body is laid bare for all to look upon, spit upon, and mock. Even his thirst is a burning desire to give! The very nature of true love is gift —and what is Jesus’ thirst as he hangs there on the Cross? His thirst is a desire to pour out love and mercy. A love that is literally dying to pour out upon us from his pierced side. His thirst will not be quenched until we stop rejecting his love and make an act of surrender and trust to receive his love. His Thirst Meets Our Thirst St. Teresa of Calcutta was very devoted to the thirsting Christ on the Cross. She told the sisters: “‘I thirst’ is something much deeper than Jesus just saying, ‘I love you.’ Until you know deep inside that Jesus thirsts for you — you can’t begin to know who He wants to be for you. Or who He wants you to be for Him.” I Have Loved You - Michael Joncas “Even now, Jesus still thirsts for us. He experienced the thirst of all [humankind] on the Cross — the unique thirst of every human heart who longs to be satisfied and fully known. And in that thirst, he wants to give us living water; the living water of his divine mercy and love. The same living water Jesus offered the woman at the well, the same blood and water that pours from his side, the same living water that he promised us in the Gospel: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and let the one who believes in me drink.”  John 7:37 (March 1993, Letter to the Missionaries of Charity) Pray as You Go The Chosen Come to the Water My Soul is Thirsting - Michael Joncas Reflection What do you thirst for in your life? What has been your experience of a ‘desert time’? How do you quench your thirst for ‘living water’?

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Seven last words Word Four – Abandonment “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?." Matthew 27:46 It seems odd that on this Laetare Sunday – a day of joy – our reflection is on the cry of Jesus expressing his feeling of being abandoned by his Father. All through his ministry, Jesus was dependent on the power of God as he cures the sick, frees the mentally ill, brings hope to those in despair and even new life to the dead. Now hanging on the cross Jesus cries out not because of the physical pain but because he feels abandoned in his hour of need. How often have we heard ‘offer it up’ when we experience pain, or loss or disease? ‘Be like Jesus’ – he suffered for you so just ‘suck it up.’  For some reason we conveniently forget that Jesus cried out in despair from the cross. Thereby making it okay to express one’s feelings especially the unacceptable ones like despair, anger, frustration and even losing one’s faith in God. So, does God want us to suffer just for the sake of suffering? Many years ago, Harold Kushner in his book “When Bad Things Happen to Good People’ helped us struggle with that question by reflecting on the meaning of suffering in our lives. We continue to struggle to make sense of life as an individual and as part of humanity. u/w “Where is our God in suffering? We Christians do not have a fully satisfying explanation for why the world contains so much suffering. But we have something better: we have the power to deal with the suffering. We know where our God is during suffering. Our God is with us: with the Jewish boy on the gallows, with Ivan Ilyich in sickness, with Job in adversity, with Paul in weakness and persecution, with Jesus in crucifixion—with us in all the senseless accidents and ruptured relationships and interior brokenness of our lives.” — Richard Hauser, SJ, Finding God in Troubled Times Reflection The Psalm Project - My God, My God, Why (Psalm 22) J.S. Bach - St. John Passion - The Crucifixion Arts & Faith: Week 4 of Lent, Cycle B

Seven last words Word THREE – Relationship To Mary, his mother: “Woman, behold your son” ... and to John: "Behold your mother." Mary -“Woman, behold your son”...  This phrase turns our gaze from the drama of the cross to those standing at the foot of the cross. With those few words directed to those below him, Jesus transforms the relationship between himself and his mother; between Mary and the Beloved Disciple and Mary and the disciples of the future. It establishes Mary not only as John’s mother, but also our mother in faith. uw “Mary loved Jesus deeply as her son, but she learned to love Him first and foremost as her Saviour and Lord. In the rest of the Gospels, we see her as a disciple among the disciples — at the foot of the Cross, or at a prayer meeting after the resurrection.” Donna Foucachon - posted on December 10, 2016 Jesus and Mary: It's complicated - Jay Parini Stabat Mater - Pergolesi Stabat Mater - Rossini The Beloved Disciple - "Behold your mother"... Mary becomes the Mother of all disciples. Jesus' words, "Behold, your son", effect what they express, making Mary the mother of John and of all the disciples destined to receive the gift of divine grace. On the Cross Jesus did not proclaim Mary's universal motherhood formally but established a concrete maternal relationship between her and the beloved disciple. In the Lord's choice we can see his concern that this motherhood should not be interpreted in a vague way, but should point to Mary's intense, personal relationship with individual Christians.” Pope John Paul II, 1997 Reflection Pray as you go Imagine that you are standing at the foot of the cross with Mary and the Beloved Disciple as this scene unfolds. How do they react/respond to this new relationship? When have you stood with someone who was experiencing a ‘cross’ in their life? What words did you have for them? How did your relationship change after this encounter? Have you ever sat with someone as they were dying? Recall your feelings at that time. Do you recall any words that were shared with you?  How did you feel?  Did the words change the relationship between the two of you?

Seven last words Word TWO - Salvation/Conversion To the Good Thief - “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Matthew 23:43 The good thief, known as St. Dismas, shows us the power of conversion.  Along with its reward. A convicted thief, St. Dismas presumably did not lead the most holy life. Yet as he hung alongside Jesus, his eyes were opened to the presence of God. With his final dying breaths, he proclaimed Jesus as Lord of all creation. Jesus recognizes this act of faith and affirms to St. Dismas that he will join him in heaven. The promise of God’s kingdom is so great. St. Dismas realized this as he was at the side of Jesus. During Lent, when we find time to be present with Jesus, we are reminded of the beautiful gift of our salvation and our call to bring God’s kingdom to earth, as it is in heaven. Jesus’s words remind us that no matter how many times you have sinned, or how long it has been since you prayed, God is always looking to forgive you. I wonder if some of us would agree with the ‘other’ thief’ and mock Jesus saying : "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us." Do we sometimes doubt the power of Jesus to heal us, to guide us and to forgive us? The Good Thief – though his death was imminent – had the courage to use his final breath to declare his faith in Jesus - a ‘deathbed’ conversion - "Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom." We meet Jesus every day – in our work, our families and friends, our encounters with strangers, in the daily routine of our days and in our prayer. All of these are opportunities given to us to grow in our faith, in our relationships with God, our neighbour and our world. So, are our hearts open to meeting him in these moments and allowing the encounter to change our attitude, our faith, our values and our actions? How have you experienced the fruits of Baptism and other moments of conversion throughout your own life? What does conversion mean to me today? How do I feel the Lord leading me to conversion – a new way of being this Lent? Learn more Arts & Faith - Week 2 of Lent Jesus, Remember Me Create in Me - Psalm 51

Seven last words The sayings of Jesus on the cross (sometimes called the Seven Last Words from the Cross) are seven expressions biblically attributed to Jesus during his crucifixion. Traditionally, the brief sayings have been called "words". Wikipedia  "What Our Lord Saw from the Cross (Ce que voyait Notre-Seigneur sur la Croix)". Open Collection. Brooklyn Museum. Retrieved 4 January 2022. Word ONE – Forgiveness “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”  Luke 23:34 Each Lent we are invited to enter the life of Jesus – in a new way. Walking with him seeing with new eyes and hear the story with a new heart. to Jerusalem, and then through his Passion, Death and Resurrection. During the last 365 days each of us, and the world, have experienced both blessings and challenges. This Lent I invite you to see through the eyes of Jesus in his last moments. To listen with an open heart to his final words directed at God, to those at the foot of the Cross and you, the reader of this reflection. Who are the ‘THEY’? The soldiers? Those who whipped him? The one in charge? Jesus can see one soldier to his left who was only ‘following orders’ – thereby abdicating any responsibility for the killing of Jesus and the two thieves. Just like Pilate he ‘washes’ his hands of any blood shed because he is a good soldier and is ‘following’ orders. The history of the world is full of incidents where people were ‘only following’ the rules, orders, traditions or prejudices which lead to wars, abuse of creation, slavery, struggles for power and the ‘haves and have nots’ way of life. Where do we see this happening in our time? Can God really forgive this ‘blind following’ that leads both individuals and nations to embrace hatred, violence, destruction of creation and abuse of human persons? They know not what they do????  What do you think? What about when we do know what is right and wrong but chose to do nothing in the face of injustice? racism? sexism? poverty? greed? abuse of power? We pray: “I confess to almighty God and to you my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thought and in my words, and what I have failed to do – through my fault…” Use this visual prayer experience and find related activities What our Lord saw from the Cross

Find support for journeying through Lent 2024  – from Ash Wednesday to Holy Week Remembering Ash Wednesday Message of his Holiness Pope Francis for Lent 2024 Laudato Si Lenten Calendar 2024 - available to download Ignatian Solidarity Network Creighton University Listen to Will Todd's Passion if you subscribe to Spotify

On February 8th we remember St. Josephine Bakhita, the Sudanese nun who as a child had the dramatic experience of being kidnapped and enslaved and has become the universal symbol of the Church's commitment against trafficking. "Human trafficking is an open wound on the body of contemporary society, a scourge on the body of Christ. It is a crime against humanity." - Pope Francis Participate in the World Day of Prayer and Reflection against Human Trafficking Participate  in the pilgrimage of prayer and reflection on February 8 against human trafficking. You can follow  the live broadcast on  https://www.youtube.com/c/preghieracontrotratta Pray  for the victims of trafficking, involving other people, groups, communities, associations, especially the younger ones Organize a moment of prayer and reflection in your parish, community, group. The text of the Prayer Vigil for 8 February 2024 is online in different languages: download it and use it in your community. Spread  the message of the day Dedicate  a post/tweet in your social media on February 8 using the hashtag #PrayAgainstTrafficking Reproduce the “walk for dignity” flashmob and post it on your social media

Please join Loretto Canada for a special on-line Mass from Loretto Abbey Chapel to unite in spirit in a virtual celebration of our founder, Mary Ward. Our General Leader, Sr Carmel Swords IBVM is the lector and Cardinal Thomas Collins is the presider. The Mass will air on Tuesday, January 23, 2024 Watch at Daily TV Mass or via YouTube

When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace. - Jimi Hendrix We live in hope and pray for peace on Earth in 2024.