Crucifixion and Death

In the Fifth Sorrowful Mystery, we contemplate the crucifixion and death of Jesus.

From the Gospel of John (19: 25-30)
Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfil the scripture), ‘I am thirsty.’ A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So, they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the wine, he said, ‘It is finished.’ Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Commentary by Saint Bernard
He alone had the power to give up His life; no one could take it from Him. And after receiving the vinegar, Jesus said, "It is finished!", meaning that there was nothing left to do, nothing more to expect. And bowing His head, the One who was obedient unto death expired. Dying in this way reveals a great virtue. Likewise, we too should die saying, "It is finished," meaning that after repentance and confession, we say, "Jesus, Joseph, and Mary, I entrust my soul to you."

Meditation 1
Abandoned by His people, His friends, disciples, and apostles, crucified between two criminals, Jesus felt at the end that even God had abandoned Him, perhaps because of the weight of humanity’s sins that fell upon Him. Yet, He kept His hope in God and did not despair. It was to the same God, who seemed to have turned His back on Him, that Jesus gave up His spirit.

In the Shroud of Turin, we can see the final result of all this. The face of Jesus, imprinted there, reveals a man who suffered with resignation, patience, and fortitude, accepting both the Father’s plan and humanity’s condemnation.

We observe the face of someone accustomed to suffering, but who, even when all reasons for hope seemed exhausted, did not despair. It was at that moment, when Jesus felt abandoned even by God, that He experienced the most terrible loneliness any human being could ever experience.

The apparent abandonment by the Father was experienced by Jesus as a foretaste of hell, to which we, sinners, were destined. He lived through this experience so that we would not have to go through it ourselves.

Contemplating this face on the Shroud of Turin, Pope Paul VI exclaimed: "My heart tells me that it is He, that it is the Lord!"

Meditation 2
Jesus cried out in a loud voice: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34). Christianity made it possible to affirm that God is love and that He loves us. "Whoever compels himself to love, compels himself to suffer”.

From the time we were teenagers, when for the first time we had our heart broken by someone who did not reciprocate our love, we understood that love is like a coin: on one side, joy; on the other, suffering. If God loves us, He could only prove this love by suffering and dying for us. And so it was: Jesus declared that "no one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one’s friends”.

Jesus said, "If they persecuted me, they will persecute you" (John 15:20) – Therefore, if you have never suffered for the Gospel, you are not an authentic Christian. There would be no reason to suffer for the Gospel if the world were just, true, peaceful, and fraternal. But the world is not like that; it does not live by Gospel values. And those who do live by them will sooner or later face the world and pay the price for living out their faith, just as Jesus did.

Prayer
Lord Jesus,
as we contemplate Your cross,
we feel the weight of Your love for us,
a love that gave itself unreservedly, to the last breath.
You were abandoned by Your own,
You endured pain and loneliness,
But You never stopped trusting in the Father.
Teach us, Lord, to trust in You in our darkest hours,
when the weight of life seems unbearable, 
and despair draws near.

Help us to accept our crosses
with the same serenity and surrender that You accepted Yours.
May we recognize, even in the midst of pain,
that Your love never abandons us,
and that, as You did, 
we can entrust everything into the Father's hands.

Grant us the courage to live according to the Gospel,
even if it means facing misunderstanding 
and rejection of the world.
And when we feel that we are alone,
remind us that Your cross is always present,
a sign of hope and salvation.

Lord, may Your death on the cross 
be for us the certainty of eternal life
and of Your infinite mercy. Amen.

Fr. Jorge Amaro, IMC