Seven Last Words – St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative

Sixth Week of Lent (Holy Week): The Seventh Word – “It is finished.”

Of all the seven last words, the words, “It is finished” sound more like words of self-reflection than any others. They are not like the interactive words spoken to Mary and John; neither are they like the reconciling words spoken to the repentant thief; nor, it seems, are they like the words of anguish and committal addressed to the Father. Instead, these words seem to be those of a man who, at the point of dying, looks back at his living to see it as a unified whole. He has come to do the will of the One who sent him. Here are some thoughts and questions for your consideration this week:

Can you look back on your life and see a pattern? Can you see how God’s will has been at work in it?

Fifth Week of Lent: The Sixth Word – “Father, into your hands I commend my Spirit.”

Here are some thoughts and questions for your consideration this week:

Try to set aside fifteen minutes.
“Pick a time, pick a place, and then show up.” (Timothy Jones in Workaday Prayers)
Reread the above gospel selection. Be attentive to the scene, imagining it, putting yourself at the foot of the cross. You may want to speak with Jesus.
Be grateful for the Spirit’s gift: that you desire to pray.
Recall the deep relationship Jesus had with his Father.
Consider world events. Focus on one picture or one story that touches your heart and pray for those people, entrusting them to God’s care.
Whenever you feel that life is beating you, you might find consolation in Psalm 31.

Fourth Week of Lent: The Fifth Word – “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Here are some thoughts and questions for your consideration this week:

Try to set aside fifteen minutes. Distractions in prayer are as normal and ordinary as they are in any relationship. Don’t get discouraged.

Read the selection from Luke 23:39-43 above. Try to imagine that scene, putting yourself at the foot of the cross.

Recall how your own attitude toward suffering or toward a difficult situation has either helped or hindered you.

In the Hail Mary, we ask her to intercede for us “now and at the hour of our death.” Does that particular line hold much meaning for you?

Reflect on the love that Jesus has for us, that love that invites us to be with him…

Third Week of Lent: The Fourth Word – “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Seeing the suffering Jesus and hearing how he prayed helps us to pray our way through our own sufferings. We realize again that he really entered into our human living and took on our heartaches and our pain.

Some questions to bring to prayer this week include:

As you imagine this gospel scene, can you enter into conversation with Jesus about his suffering?

Do you have your own experiences of feeling abandoned by God? How did/does it feel? How did/do you relate to God in those situations?

Pray for those who feel abandoned: spouses and children who have been deserted, the mentally ill and homeless who are uncared for, those who cling to ideals when others have folded to pressure.

Pray in gratitude for your faith- although it may seem weak at times- and for the faith of the community that sustains you in the midst of suffering…

Second Week of Lent: The Third Word – “Woman, here is your son. Here is your mother.”

Of all of the phrases uttered by our dying Lord, there are none so tender as these spoken to his mother and to his beloved disciple. This gesture seemed so important to Jesus that it seemed as if it had loomed as the last piece of unfinished business of his earthly life.

Some questions to bring to prayer this week include:

How might this scene help you to care for the people whom you love in your life?

Do you feel free to ask others for help? Are there certain circumstances or certain people that make it easier or more difficult to ask?

How does this gospel scene impress you as an adult child? How does it touch you as a parent? Watch the news, read the paper, and recognize the faces of other parents who suffer because of their children’s suffering. Pray for them.

First Week of Lent: The Second Word – “Father forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”

Can you recall a hurt that has taken hold of you, one that you can’t seem to let go? Have you noticed how it can drain your energy and attention? How it can turn you into the sort of person that you really don’t want to be? As you mediate on the words of Jesus this week, consider how he invites you to follow his example.

Here are some thoughts and questions for your consideration during this week:

Imagine this gospel scene. Speak to Jesus about his forgiveness for those who have hurt him.

How does this prayer of Jesus influence the way in which Jesus dies?

The Week of Ash Wednesday: The First Word – “I Am Thirsty.”

For what do you thirst? Can you be attentive to the words of Jesus as they reveal your own thirst?

Here are some thoughts and questions for your consideration during this week:

Recall your own experiences of thirst. How do they help you to relate to this scene of Jesus on the cross? In your prayer, express to him how you feel.

Consider the people around the world who suffer because of the poor quality or the inadequate supply of water. Remember them to Jesus in prayer. Imagine the face of Jesus.

For what do you thirst this Lenten season? Can you name it? Can you ask for it? How is Jesus the living water for you?