The Seventh Last Word: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”: (Luke:23:44-56)

44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. 47 The centurion, seeing

Jesus before Pilate (Mark 15:6-15)

6 Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. 7 A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. 8 The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did. 9 “Do you want me to release to you the king

The Sixth Last Word: “It is finished” (John 19:30)

30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. With the sixth word, Jesus expresses relief that his pain is finally ending. However, there is much more involved here. More than a cry of relief this is a cry of triumph, because he has

Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year B, Gospel Commentary (John 12:20-33)

20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. 23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be

The Fifth Last Word: “I thirst” (John 19: 28-29)

28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. Thirst is one of the most basic of human needs

4th Sunday of Lent, Year B, Gospel Commentary (John 3:14-21)

Jesus said to Nicodemus: 14 “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his

The Fourth Last Word: “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:33-34)

33 At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). This word stands at the center, and it represents a turning point. The first three, in spite of

Third Sunday of Lent, Year B, Second Reading (1 Corinthians 22-25)

22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. As the biblical

The Third Last Word: “Woman, here is your son,” … “Here is your mother” (John 19:25-27)

25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. Nailed to the cross

The Seven Last Words: “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:35-43)

35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” 36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” 38 There was a written notice above