The Thirteenth Station
Jesus dies on the Cross
Bible Reading
At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three o'clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachtani?' which is translated, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' Some of the bystanders who heard it said, 'Look, he is calling Elijah.' One of them ran, soaked a sponge with wine, put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink, saying, 'Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to take him down.' Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. Mark 15:33-37
Meditation
Jesus, as a faithful Jew, would have prayed the Psalms regularly. It is no surprise, then, that these words from Psalm 22 are on his lips during the intense agony of his last moments. While this cry might seem to be a sign of despair or hopelessness, it reveals, rather, the depth of his anguish and the intensity of his pain. Shortly afterward, he surrenders totally to his Father's will - 'Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit.' We might wish to follow Christ's example, letting these words be the last on our lips as we wait each night for sleep to come, sleep which is a symbol of our own eventual death.
| Back | The Fourteenth Station of the Cross |