"Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit" (Luke 23:46) is the seventh and final Word of Jesus from the Cross. It is His last prayer, drawn from Psalm 31, and it shows complete trust in the Father at the very moment of death. Christians have made these words their own for centuries. They are part of Night Prayer (Compline) in the Liturgy of the Hours, and many saints died with them on their lips. This short meditation asks for the grace to surrender ourselves to God both no

"It is consummated" (John 19:30), in some translations "It is finished," is the sixth of the Seven Last Words of Jesus from the Cross. It is not a cry of defeat. It announces that the work the Father gave Him, the redemption of the world, has been accomplished to the end. This brief meditation applies that Word to our own lives: each of us has work God has given us to do, in our vocation, our family, and our daily duties, and we ask for the grace to finish it faithfully. It i

The Seven Last Words are the seven sayings of Jesus from the Cross recorded in the Gospels. They have been prayed and preached on for centuries, especially on Good Friday, when many parishes hold a three-hour service from noon to three o'clock. "I thirst" (John 19:28) is the fifth Word. Jesus' thirst was real and physical after hours of suffering, but spiritual writers have long seen in it a deeper thirst: His longing for souls and for our love. This short meditation asks for

"My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46) is the fourth of Jesus' Seven Last Words, cried out in the darkness that covered the land. It is the opening line of Psalm 22, a psalm that begins in anguish and ends in trust and praise. In this Word, Jesus takes on the experience of abandonment that so many people feel in grief, depression, doubt, or spiritual dryness. This brief meditation asks for faithfulness in desolation and the grace never to despair of God'

"Woman, behold thy son... Behold thy mother" (John 19:26-27) is the third of the Seven Last Words. From the Cross, Jesus gave His mother to the beloved disciple John, and the Church has always understood that in John He gave Mary to all of us as our spiritual mother. This short meditation accepts that gift personally and asks Mary to be a mother to us now and at the hour of our death. It is a good prayer on Good Friday, on the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows (September 15), b

"Amen I say to thee, this day thou shalt be with Me in paradise" (Luke 23:43) is the second of the Seven Last Words. Jesus spoke it to the repentant thief, often called St. Dismas, who asked only to be remembered when Jesus came into His kingdom. This Word is one of the most hopeful moments of the Passion: it shows that it is never too late to turn to Christ. This brief meditation echoes the good thief's request and asks for the grace of final perseverance and the hope of hea

"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34) is the first of the Seven Last Words of Jesus from the Cross. While He was still being crucified, He prayed for the very people who were putting Him to death. No Word is harder to live. This short meditation asks forgiveness for our own sins and a merciful heart like Christ's toward those who have hurt us. Pray it on Good Friday, before Confession, when you are struggling to forgive a family member, coworker,

After the fourteen stations, this traditional closing prayer offers thanks and asks for perseverance in grace. The Prayer O most loving Jesus, I thank Thee for the infinite love with which Thou didst carry Thy Cross and die for me. Grant that I may ever keep Thy Passion in my heart, that I may hate sin, love Thee above all things, and follow Thee faithfully until death. Amen. Pray an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be for the intention of the Holy Father. Traditional Way of

Begin the Way of the Cross with an act of faith and sorrow. This traditional opening prepares the heart for the fourteen stations. The Prayer My Lord Jesus Christ, Thou hast made this journey to die for me with love unutterable, and I have so many times unworthily abandoned Thee; but now I love Thee with my whole heart, and because I love Thee I repent sincerely for having ever offended Thee. Pardon me, my God, and permit me to accompany Thee on this journey. Thou goest to di

The 14th Station of the Cross invites us to walk with Jesus on the way to Calvary. This traditional meditation follows a classic English form of the Way of the Cross. The Prayer We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee, because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world. Consider how the disciples carried the body of Jesus to bury it, accompanied by His holy Mother, who arranged it in the sepulcher with her own hands. They then closed the tomb, and all withdrew. Ah, my

The 13th Station of the Cross invites us to walk with Jesus on the way to Calvary. This traditional meditation follows a classic English form of the Way of the Cross. The Prayer We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee, because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world. Consider how, after the death of our Lord, two of His disciples, Joseph and Nicodemus, took Him down from the Cross and placed Him in the arms of His afflicted Mother, who received Him with unutterable

The 12th Station of the Cross invites us to walk with Jesus on the way to Calvary. This traditional meditation follows a classic English form of the Way of the Cross. The Prayer We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee, because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world. Consider how Jesus, after three hours of Agony on the Cross, consumed at length with anguish, abandons Himself to the weight of His body, bows His head, and dies. O my dying Jesus, I kiss devoutly the C

The 11th Station of the Cross invites us to walk with Jesus on the way to Calvary. This traditional meditation follows a classic English form of the Way of the Cross. The Prayer We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee, because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world. Consider how Jesus, after being thrown on the Cross, extended His hands, and offered to His Eternal Father the sacrifice of His life for our salvation. These barbarians fastened Him with nails, and then

The 10th Station of the Cross invites us to walk with Jesus on the way to Calvary. This traditional meditation follows a classic English form of the Way of the Cross. The Prayer We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee, because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world. Consider the violence with which the executioners stripped Jesus. His inner garments adhered to His torn flesh, and they dragged them off so roughly that the skin came with them. My innocent Jesus, by t

The 9th Station of the Cross invites us to walk with Jesus on the way to Calvary. This traditional meditation follows a classic English form of the Way of the Cross. The Prayer We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee, because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world. Consider the third fall of Jesus Christ. His weakness was extreme, and the cruelty of His executioners excessive, who tried to hasten His steps when He had scarcely strength to move. Ah, my outraged Jesu

The 8th Station of the Cross invites us to walk with Jesus on the way to Calvary. This traditional meditation follows a classic English form of the Way of the Cross. The Prayer We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee, because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world. Consider how those women wept with compassion at seeing Jesus in such a pitiable state, streaming with blood, as He walked along. But Jesus said to them: Weep not for Me, but for yourselves and for your

The 7th Station of the Cross invites us to walk with Jesus on the way to Calvary. This traditional meditation follows a classic English form of the Way of the Cross. The Prayer We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee, because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world. Consider the second fall of Jesus under the Cross—a fall which renews the pain of all the wounds of the head and members of our afflicted Lord. My most gentle Jesus, how many times Thou hast pardoned me,

The 6th Station of the Cross invites us to walk with Jesus on the way to Calvary. This traditional meditation follows a classic English form of the Way of the Cross. The Prayer We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee, because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world. Consider how the holy woman named Veronica, seeing Jesus so afflicted, and His face bathed in sweat and blood, presented Him with a towel, with which He wiped His adorable face, leaving on it the impress

The 5th Station of the Cross invites us to walk with Jesus on the way to Calvary. This traditional meditation follows a classic English form of the Way of the Cross. The Prayer We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee, because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world. Consider how the Jews, seeing that at each step Jesus from weakness was on the point of expiring, and fearing that He would die on the way, when they wished Him to die the ignominious death of the Cross,

The 4th Station of the Cross invites us to walk with Jesus on the way to Calvary. This traditional meditation follows a classic English form of the Way of the Cross. The Prayer We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee, because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world. Consider the meeting of the Son and the Mother which took place on this journey. Their looks became like so many arrows to wound those hearts which loved each other so tenderly. My most loving Jesus, by