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Dio LansingREAD: DAY ONE | THE SEVEN LAST WORDS OF CHRIST FROM THE CROSS w/ BISHOP BOYEA: We are about to embark upon Holy Week and our prayerful pilgrimage with Jesus towards Golgotha. Hence, over the next seven days, Bishop Earl Boyea will lead us in a daily meditation upon the last seven words of Christ from the Cross.
Each divine utterance is an endless font of wisdom, inspiration and solace. As Saint Augustine of Hippo observed: “The tree upon which were fixed the members of Him dying was even the chair of the Master teaching.” Today, we begin with the first of Christ’s words from the Cross: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34). Bishop Boyea writes:
Luke has three sayings of the crucified Jesus not found in the other Gospels: “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do,” “Today you will be with me in Paradise,” and “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” It is this first phrase which I would like to reflect upon briefly.
Many times, in his ministry, Jesus forgave sins. None of those cases involved a personal attack on Jesus, that we know of. But in this case, having been tortured and then nailed to a cross, Jesus is able to look upon those who have physically and psychologically abused him and ask his Heavenly Father to have mercy and forgive.
Because this phrase, “Forgive them,” is not pointed at the Roman soldiers specifically or to his fellow Jews who called for his crucifixion, Jesus is clearly looking at all of us sinners and making excuses for us. What generosity! What graciousness! What mercy!
The great irony is that many at that time, and I assume most of us, in fact, know what we are doing when we sin. Nonetheless, Jesus makes excuses for us, when he says, “They know not what they do.” Such is his solidarity with us. Perhaps, Jesus knows that at our deepest level, we really are unaware of the evil we commit and its effects in our lives and in the lives of others.
But the crux of this merciful prayer is to demonstrate what is at the heart of Jesus’ ministry in our midst. We are to forgive our enemies. We are to forgive seventy times seven. We are to be eager to embrace the returning son. We are to be as merciful as the Heavenly Father is merciful. We will even say at Mass, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Those are powerful words which Jesus taught us before he was hung upon that tree. Could he really have said anything other than what he did say?
My sisters and brothers, mercy is God’s loving gaze upon each of us. Let us be merciful to one another, especially as we enter upon this Holy Week, this festival of mercy.
