Young people from Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish’s youth group Fruto de Fe (Fruit of Faith) reflect on Jesus’ dying words as He hung on the cross. These phrases, recorded in the Gospels, are often called “The Seven Last Words of Christ.” A devotion to the Seven Last Words began with a Peruvian priest in the 17th century, and has become a popular source of contemplation on Good Friday – the darkest day before the light of Easter dawns.
1. “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do”
Shortly before His death, it can be said that He was already dying and Jesus asked His Father to forgive His executioners because they did not know what they were doing. These words make me stop and reflect as a privileged child of God, who enjoys his love and forgiveness. Shortly before His death, Jesus stops for a moment and sees my reality and feels sorry for me and asks His Father God to forgive me because I do not know what I am doing. “Father, he is your son, look at him how he is, how much you have done for him. You have given him love and you gave him life. You gave him a family, exemplary parents worthy of admiration, and he does not recognize them, not even my suffering and my passion are enough for them. Father, forgive them because every time they do this, it hurts me to the core. This makes my strength more exhausted, the pain increases more, these nails torture me and the pain is unbearable. My body is bleeding more and more, my strength is running out little by little. Slowly death approaches, the darkness of death draws closer and closer, but my love for humanity is much stronger.”
— Darbin Marquez
2. “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Imagine that all your life you lead a life of crime, and you don’t take into account all the suffering you have caused. You are guilty to the point where your punishment is now crucifixion. You deserve it. And at your side you have someone who doesn’t deserve it, someone who has dedicated Himself to healing and doing God’s will. In your heart you recognize Him as the Messiah, the one your parents told you about. Seeing how they cursed Him and whipped Him. And with His suffering, you confess to Him and recognize Him as the Savior. He rewards you with entry to paradise and with the joy of being next to Him. Now, how beautiful it is to know that with all the bad things you have done in your life, just by confessing your sins and completing penance He purifies us and He admits us to paradise. By receiving the Holy Eucharist all this is fulfilled. “He who eats this bread and drinks this wine has eternal life.” We live this every time we go to Mass. Offer Him your joys and suffering, accept your failures and repent. The Lord is waiting with joy and pure love for His dear children who were lost and have returned.
— Asly Medina
3. “Woman, behold, your son…”
Did God create the perfect mother? Yes. On history’s darkest day, Christ hangs like a wounded eagle on the cross. Christ died to sanctify us. With His dying breaths, He tells the holiest woman, “Here is your son.” Christ made no exceptions: His Mother was given to us all, comforting those in suffering and feeling abandoned. Are you feeling like this? Go to Mary. Mary understands such pains, having experienced life without Jesus for three days. Are you a sinner? Recall Christ on the cross telling you, “Here is your mother.” Feel unworthy of Mary’s love? Our Lady of Guadalupe reassured Juan Diego saying, “‘Because truly I am honored to be your compassionate mother. Those who love me, those who seek me, truly will I hear their cry.” A young man ran to Jesus and asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Or better yet, “What must I do to be happy?” We gain eternal life and happiness by obeying the Ten Commandments. Honor Mary by praying the rosary, observing the fourth commandment: “Honor your father and mother.” With every bead we say, “I love you,” and with every prayer she smiles and tells Christ, “See how they adore you.”
— Vicente Capistrano
4. “My God,My God, why have you forsaken me”
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? How many times has God heard this plea, which we cry out from the depths of our stress and anguish. God has given us the gift of freedom to choose, and we choose from our own weaknesses, which harms us. He, like a patient father, listens to our complaints and sits next to us suffering in silence. God lets us learn from our mistakes and allows us to find our way to Him, and like the Prodigal Son, we return to our Father, who we know for a fact only wants the best for us. How many times as young people have we fallen into the errors of vices, alcohol, drugs, lust, and we fall to the lowest point of our lives and we blame God. But these words that Jesus says on the cross are not an expression of discouragement but a great expression of trust in the Lord. We must have confidence in the Lord, who awaits us at the lowest point ready to lift us up. Let us use our suffering to draw closer to God and learn to surrender completely to His divine will. We can surrender more to His will by reading the Bible, attending Mass, receiving the Eucharist, going to confession and living our faith fervently.
— Juan Pablo Venagas
5. “I thirst”
How many of us thirst for success, appreciation, money or even love? And we fill that thirst with bad influences, drugs, alcohol, parties, pornography, and we even delve into social media in order to satisfy that thirst. The only thing we achieve with all this is to become emptier. Jesus said on the cross, “I thirst,” and perhaps we say, “Lord, you who can do everything, why don’t you do something?” But God loves us so much that He gives us the freedom to choose Him. On that cross He shows us that He thirsts for us. He wants to love us as we deserve despite our sins, and longs to save our souls. And why do we keep denying Him? What are we afraid of? Instead of giving Jesus our sincere and humble heart, we keep giving Him the hyssop full of vinegar. We say, “I am already in the church serving and going to Mass every Sunday. Lord, you see that I am following your path.” I ask you, are you really going for Jesus or just to be seen and receive approval from the world? Despite everything, Jesus looks at you with eyes of love and wants to love you in a beautiful way. Just open your heart and say “Lord, I am thirsty.”
— Angela Acosta
6. “It is finished”
6. “It is finished”Moments before breathing His last, Jesus says is “It is finished.” All the chaos from the disgruntled crowds had finished. All the torture they put Jesus through had finished. The scourging, the crowning of thorns on His head, the many times He fell to the ground, the thirst He felt, the agony He endured - it was all finished. Imagine how Jesus felt in these moments - the pain He felt. Being both divine and human, He felt the physical and emotional pain of each fall, of the insults, and of all the torture He underwent. But His love for us allowed Him to endure all of this. It is finished. At this point, He handed over His spirit. This, in a way, calls to mind the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. It is hope in this moment. The Holy Spirit continues to be with us from the moment of our baptism, thanks to the infinite love and generosity of God.
Jesus did everything He could for our salvation. He gave up His life for us. The sacrifice was complete - it was finished.
— Jennifer Hernandez
7. “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”
We find these words in the Gospel of St. Luke. Jesus sees that everything that the Father has entrusted to Him is fulfilled, and just like Jesus Christ, we will deliver everything that God entrusts to us into His hands. Our life, our heart, our work, everything. How beautiful to hear from His voice those sweet words spoken all with love, “Father into your hands I entrust my spirit.” It is a way of saying, “My God, I trust in you, I give myself to you.” How beautiful to see that great love that unites the Father with the Son, the obedience of Jesus to the Father. In these words, humanity is reflected – no matter how great the suffering is, it manifests the obedience and humility that we owe the Father. And how great is His love that does not challenge the will of the Father because love is humility and obedience. He places His trust eternally in God. With these words, He ends His mission on earth and returns to His Father. With these words He reaffirms our faith, fully entrusting in the hands of God our life, our family, our lives, and everything that God tells us to do. Our entire being belongs to Him. Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.
— Javier Varela