43. Christ on The Cross

I. Consider the motives and thoughts of Our Lord. Always most perfect, they were especially so in His Crucifixion, the crowning act of His earthly life. Towards the Eternal Father He had a burning love, and He desired to render to Him an infinite sacrifice of praise and service, not only from Himself, but from the human race and all creation. He wished also to make atonement to Him for the wrongs inflicted by men, and to restore that glory of which He had been robbed. Jesus was moved by an ardent love for men and pity for their miseries. As God, in union with the Father and the Holy Ghost, He had created men; as Man, He was one of them. Mankind were thus doubly His; and He wished to make them still more His, by redeeming them to Himself, and gaining their love in return. Our Lord suffered a most bitter anguish at the sight of the sins of the world, of which He was bearing all the responsibility and the burden; but most bitter of all was the thought of human ingratitude, of the unprofitableness to so many of all that He was enduring, of their wicked folly in rejecting Him, and of their eternal obstinacy in the midst of most fearful misery. Strive to enter into Our Lord’s sentiments, and to carry out His objects and intentions towards His Father and Himself, towards yourself and your brethren.

II. Consider the words of Christ on the Cross. His dying words merit the most careful consideration, for they show us the action of His soul at that supreme moment, and the details to which we ought to direct our attention. He first thinks of the furious, blaspheming, blood-thirsty crowd who had brought Him to the Cross, and He prays that God will take account of their ignorance and pardon them. Then He turns to the most miserable of all there present, one of the malefactors suffering with Him, accords him pardon and grace, and declares him to be one of the elect in the eternal kingdom. Only after the wicked does Our Lord think of His own best beloved, the holiest of all creatures, His Blessed Mother; He bequeaths her to His chosen Apostle, and through him to humanity. Next He fulfils the Scripture by giving evidence of His desolation of spirit, and of the pangs of thirst which otherwise would have escaped our notice and sympathy. Last of all He declares that His work is finished, and commends His human spirit to the Father who had bestowed it on Him. Take each word separately, see how it applies to you; either say it with Our Lord, or hear it as said to you, and glorify Him for each one of them.

III. Consider what was achieved by Jesus Christ in His Crucifixion. He completed the work of creation and evolution which had been broken off at the point where Adam sinned. Man otherwise had remained on the level of mere nature, a little higher than the beasts, belonging only to the mundane sphere, incapable of raising himself higher. The Crucifixion infused into mankind the higher life, the supernatural breathing of God upon the face of man. Thereby it is in the power of all to become what God had intended that they should be. A new human society was formed, the universal Church, born on Calvary, and proceeding, like Eve, from the wounded side of the second Adam. Though consisting of sinful erring men, it was yet “a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing” (Eph. v. 27). He gave it an indomitable life, as against the ravages of time and human violence; an incorruptible life, as against error. The death of Christ reversed the defeat of Adam, and made humanity triumphant over Satan, it assured the predominance of good over evil. It rendered to the Almighty the full glory that was His due from creatures, appeased His anger, obliterated sin, and opened to men the gates of eternal life. Glorify Jesus for this great work; be faithful to Him in order that you may participate in it.