Cardinal Rosales, First Missions in Philippines lead Jesus' Seven Last Words

Archbishop Emeritus Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, together with the Orders of the First Missions in the Philippines, led the Seven Last Words of Christ this Good Friday of 2021, reflecting on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the celebration of 500 years of Christianity in the country.

First word: "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."

"The saving action of Jesus on the cross is universal, it is not limited to the Jews," said Father Andres Rivera, OSA, Prior Provincial of the Order of St. Augustine from the Province of Santo Nino de Cebu-Philippines.

Rivera reflected on the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines 500 years ago, and the image of the Sto. Nino in the island of Cebu, which are vital in understanding the divine action, which is the "sowing of the gift of faith to humanity."

Second word: "Today you will be with me in paradise."

"What our Lord Jesus Christ did... one thing that He said is 'I call you friends.' Maybe when He says 'I call you friends' it means He wants to restore us to the situation of paradise," said Fr. Peter Casiño, OSA, Regional Vicar of the Orient of the Order of St. Augustine, as he recalled the condition of man before the Fall.

"The problem with us nowadays is that it seems we have been driven out of paradise during this pandemic... Now people have become more skeptical. Sasabihin na 'He had a swab test and he died of COVID' and people will say 'Hindi pa rin ako maniwala na he died of COVID.' We are now in a very hostile situation that people are so skeptical, they don't believe in anything anymore but they still cling to God. So our chance now is God," said Casiño.

"With His words to the thief 'Truly you will be with Me today in paradise.' Let us also be hopeful... that one day we will also enter His paradise," Casiño added.

Third word: 'Woman, behold thy son! Behold thy mother!'

"The blessed Mother (Mary) is our mother who takes us under her maternal care. Praised for and with us, journeys with us and teaches us how to follow our Lord," said Fr. Alvin Artemio Paras, OFM, Vice Secretary General of the Order of Friars Minor, from the OFM General Curia in Rome.

"Her words at the wedding at Cana 'Do whatever He tells you' teaches obedience to the Lord who is also urging us to do the will of the Father as He and the blessed Mother did. As He said "For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother," Paras added.

Fourth word: "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?"

Archbishop Antonio Javellana Ledesma, SJ of the Society of Jesus and Archbishop Emeritus of Cagayan de Oro, reflected on the different poverties Jesus Christ underwent when the "Word became flesh," —the poverty of the average person's life; poverty of neediness and security; poverty of social friends; poverty of uniqueness; poverty of our provisional nature; the poverty of loving; and the poverty of dying.

"The first impact of the death and resurrection of our Lord was the realization that Jesus was fully human, that He Himself, in the depths of His humanity will cry out 'My God my God, why have you forsaken Me?'" Ledesma said. "In our own humanity today we ask that, as one saying would say, a little bit more human, but also a little bit more divine. With Jesus suffering on the cross for us, we in turn offer our own sufferings for the sake of our fellow men."

Fifth word: "I thirst"

"When there is no compassion when there is no mercy, when there is no love, when there is no care, even a small glass of water is too much to ask," said Fr. Filemon Dela Cruz, Jr. Prior Provincial, Philippine Province of the Order of Preachers.

"In Him we can find our true humanity, our best version of ourselves. In Him we can find the living water that will quench our deepest thirst in our lives," Dela Cruz added.

Sixth word: "It is finished"

"These words caused discouragement, caused failure, caused hopelessness, especially with the present situation that we have. More than one year of pandemic, the COVID-19 virus continues to fester us. Many problems, many questions continue to have no solution," said Fr. Dionisio Selma, OAR, Prior Provincial of the Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno.

"But 'Consummatum est' for Jesus. It is a cry of triumph, it is a cry of victory, a cry of joy. Why? Because it is the fulfillment of the mission given to Him by the Father to save mankind to this kind of suffering, this kind of death very shameful, to emphasize the wickedness of sin," Selma added.

Seventh Word: "Father into Thy hands I commend my spirit."

"Anyone who accepts Him will not die but will be saved. That was the mission. And in spelling out the mission that God loves us, He sends Jesus Christ. 'Yun ang misyon ni Hesus, mahalin tayo," said Rosales, the Archbishop Emeritus of Manila.

"Masasalubong natin ang Diyos kay Hesus. Makakausap natin ang Diyos kay Hesus. Makikita natin ang Diyos kay Hesus. Madidinig natin ang Diyos kay Hesus. Mayayakap natin ang Diyos kay Hesus," Rosales added.—Jamil Santos/LDF, GMA News