THE SEVEN LAST WORDS OF JESUS

The Seven last Prayers of Jesus from the Cross

"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."

Gospel of Luke 23:34

Experience and Psychology teaches us that when a person is close to death, he normally speaks words of love to his dear ones.

In the case of Jesus, according to His Mission, the dearest were His enemies, then He addressed the penitent sinner, finally He spoke to the holy souls; His Mother and the beloved disciple, John.

Those who crucified Him expected swearing and foul language, as was customary with the dying victims, BUT, to their surprise, Jesus spoke words of love and forgiveness.

He forgave all those who made Him suffer all those who crucified Him, all those who shed His blood,  that same Blood which was to be their means of salvation. Yet, Jesus forgave them. This was one of His last sermons, homily, lesson on Forgiveness and Love.

They certainly did not know what they were doing….otherwise they would have been guilty. Their sheer ignorance might have saved them.

"Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

Gospel of Luke 23:43

This was Christ first victory from the Cross. Could this have been the first … and last Prayer of the Good Thief? With bound, nailed hands, Jesus managed to open the doors of Heaven for the repentant thief, probably called Disma.

A sweet Legend, found in the Apocryphal Writings, tells about Joseph and Mary’s flight to Egypt. On the way, Mary needed some water to clean her baby (Jesus). The only water found was in a humble cottage of a poor woman who had a sick baby, Yet she offered the water to Mary, she washed baby Jesus, then Mary took the sick child and dipped him in the same water in which she had bathed baby Jesus. That instant, the sick child was cured.

Legend has it that the cured baby was called Disma.. The beauty of this story is that Jesus, sort of wanted to pay back to Disma for the favour his mother had made to His mother, Mary.

Legend, story, true or false is not so important. What is important is the fact that ‘a good deed deserves another’.

How are we going to pay to Jesus ALL the good deeds He has done to me, to you, to us all.

Thank you, Jesus, help me to appreciate, not by paying lip service, BUT by stopping from sinning and offending YOU.

“We adore you O Lord and we bless you, because of your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.”