Jesus Dies on the Cross

Holy Thursday

The Twelfth Station

Jesus Dies on the Cross

"When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the scripture), "I thirst." (St. John 19.26-28.)

Holy Thursday marks the beginning of the Easter Triduum. What a special Holy day it is as a memorial of the institution of the Blessed Sacrament by Jesus at the Last Supper. Mass today was beautiful and the sermon was on the Triduum. I love the connections between the passover, the blood of the lamb smeared on the doorposts that saved the Jews from slavery in Egypt, and Christ's passion, the blood of the lamb which saves humanity from the slavery of sin. The Jews were instructed to eat the sacrifice. Jesus commanded us to eat His Body and Blood in remembrance of Him. I love the complexities and the beauty of it all.

Jesus dies on the cross.

God died.

We killed Him.

Yet it was for US that He died.

And by dying He destroyed death.

And by rising He restored our life.

I don't think there is anything I can really say for this station. It is just so powerful to think about that it makes me want to go and kneel in front of the tabernacle and give thanks.

How does it relate to my day? It relates to my LIFE! because without His sacrifice I would have no life. No life eternal. God became man and died for us because He loved us so much He would rather He suffer and die for our sins then see us suffer and die for them even though it was what we deserved. If we could only experience a brief instant of God's full love for us, our unworthiness and ingratitude would be so blatantly clear that we would wonder how He ever put up with us. It blows my mind sometimes but most of the day I waltz around, lost in my own world of trivial problems and completely taking for granted the miracle of God becoming incarnate and dying for me. Lord, I pray for a stronger faith and deeper love and appreciation of all You have done for me.

Let us pray:

O, my Jesus, in this mirror I see reflected the incomprehensible icon of your great love for me. Through the Incarnation you emptied yourself of your Divinity to assume the flesh and blood of man – and as though this outpouring were not enough, that life you assumed now pours forth from you, a libation in blood, as you empty yourself once again ... now surrendering your humanity in blood to the darkness of death.

You have given all. Your Divinity and your humanity – and both, that we may share in your life as God! Surrendering both, you were poured out utterly – that we may come to the fullness of life through your death. Utter desolation. Utter abandonment. The total dereliction of God and Man in the God made Man.

It is not taken from you. You surrender it. It is yours to surrender, and it is yours to take up again! For all our evil devices we have taken nothing from you but what you willingly surrender, and because it was not in our power to take, it is not in our power to restore. We are not gods after all ... not by us, but for our sake, all has now been accomplished. By our malice, our sin, have we brought you to this death –- but not by our power. Your meekness has vanquished the might of all men!

In dying you overthrew death itself!

It is no more.

O, Jesus, grant me the grace to give myself totally to you for the sake of your love.

Behold, my Lord and my God, from this moment hence I surrender to you all that I am, all that I have! Beyond the scandal of the Cross on this hill of the skull, even now I behold a gathering light and it reveals endless fields that are yet white to harvest! You have come in your going. I go, too, with you ... so now, Lord ... send me ...!