Fr. Thomas M. Pastorius
March 26, 2017
Spiritual Ponderings
7 Last Words of Christ
 
As we continue our Lenten journey and reflecting upon the Cross let us prepare ourselves to go deeper by reflecting on this quote from St. Teresa of Avila: “Reflect carefully on this, for it is so important that I can hardly lay too much stress on it. Fix your eyes on the Crucified and nothing else will be of much importance to you,” and now this quote from theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar: “It is to the Cross that the Christian is challenged to follow his Master: no path of redemption can make a detour around it.”
 
7.            “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” (Luke 23:46)
In their book: The Spirituality of Imperfection: Storytelling and the Search of Meaning, Ernest Kurtz and Katherine Ketchum offer many different insights that they have gained from studying the 12 step methods.   The insight I remember the most from this book is the following about surrendering your will to God: “According to the way of life that flows from this insight, it is only by ceasing to play God, by coming to terms with errors and shortcomings, and by accepting the inability to control every aspect of their lives that alcoholics (or any human beings) can find the peace and serenity that alcohol (or other drugs, or sex, money material possessions, power or privilege) promise but never deliver).”
 
Another way of saying it is my life is always better when I let God be God and me be me.  When I trust in God and commend my life to Him things will always turn out for the good.  When I try to do things my way then things go horrible wrong.  St. Peter is a good example of this.  He tried to do things his way and ended up deny Christ.  Upon the resurrection, Peter allows God to direct his life even to the point where Peter allows himself to be crucified upside down.
 
This last saying of Christ is also a model for us.  After we have seen how much God loves us, we must respond.  We can hold back and not accept that love or we can commend ourselves to the Father’s love.  God is asking us to spend eternity with Him.  Will we say yes? Or will we say no>
 
A story from Ketchum and Kurtz’s book reminds us how hard it is to give up and trust God.
“Clifford was leaning out against the fence, enjoying a beautiful view from the top of the Grand Canyon, when the wooden posts suddenly ripped from their cement moorings.  Seconds later, Clifford was plunging down into the abyss. 
Halfway to the bottom of his desperate arm-waving helped Clifford catch and clutch the branch of a scrubby tree that grew from the canyon wall.  Grasping, grasping, he looked both up and down.  No way could he climb that sheer cliff, even if he could swing his body toward the wall.  But below yawned the chasm, unbroken b any other tree of holding place.  To fall would be to die, horribly crushed on the rocks below.  No one had seen him fall, and he hung there out of sight, knowing that the wind would scatter his weak voice no matter how loudly he shouted. 
Desperate Clifford cried out to the heavens: “God help me!”  Hearing his own trembing voice, he wailed again “God please help me.”
To Clifford’s amazement, he heard an immediate answer.  “All right,” came the voice.  The initial warmth Clifford felt turned to a chill wind gripping his body as the voice continued: “Let go.”
Looking down, Clifford saw the huge boulders waiting below, and he knew again that if he let go he would surely die.  Let go? He thought.  “But God you don’t understand!” he yelled up.  “I’m too far up.  I’ll…”
“Let’s go,” the voice repeated.
Silence filled the canyon.  Then, in a weak, terrified voice Clifford called out, “Is there anyone else up there?”
 
*Bonus reflection.
I came across the following quote in Fulton Sheen’s book Life of Christ: “The Last Judgment was prefigured on Calvary: The Judge was in the center, and the two divisions of humanity on either side: the saved and the lost, the sheep and the goats.  When He would come in glory to judge all men, the Cross would be with Him then too, but as a badge of honor, not shame.”
 
Fulton Sheen continues “Two thieves crucified on either side of Him at first blasphemed and cursed.  Suffering does not necessarily make men better; it can sear and burn the soul, unless men are purified by seeing its redemptive value.  Unspiritualized suffering may cause men to degenerate.  The thief on the left asked to be taken down.  But the thief on the right, evidently moved by Our Savior’s priestly prayer of intercession asked to be taken up.”