Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Words of Jesus on the Cross.
His Death.
The light continued to return by degrees, and the livid exhausted
countenance of our Lord again became visible. His body was become much
more white from the quantity of blood he had lost; and I heard him
exclaim, 'I am pressed as the grape, which is trodden in the winepress.
My blood shall be poured out until water cometh, but wine shall here be
made no more.' I cannot be sure whether he really pronounced these words,
so as to be heard by others, or whether they were only an answer given
to my interior prayer. I afterwards had a vision relating to these
words, and in it I saw Japhet making wine in this place.
Jesus was almost fainting; his tongue was parched, and he said: 'I
thirst.' The disciples who were standing round the Cross looked at him
with the deepest expression of sorrow, and he added, 'Could you not have
given me a little water?' By these words he gave them to understand that
no one would have prevented them from doing so during the darkness.
John was filled with remorse, and replied: 'We did not think of doing so,
O Lord.' Jesus pronounced a few more words, the import of which was: 'My
friends and my neighbours were also to forget me, and not give me to
drink, that so what was written concerning me might be fulfilled.' This
omission had afflicted him very much. The disciples then offered money
to the soldiers to obtain permission to give him a little water: they
refused to give it, but dipped a sponge in vinegar and gall, and were
about to offer it to Jesus, when the centurion Abenadar, whose heart
was touched with compassion, took it from them, squeezed out the gal,
poured some fresh vinegar upon it, and fastening it to a reed, put the
reed at the end of a lance, and presented it for Jesus to drink. I
heard our Lord say several other things, but I only remember these
words: 'When my voice shall be silent, the mouths of the dead shall be
opened.' Some of the bystanders cried out: 'He blasphemeth again.' But
Abenadar compelled them to be silent.
The hour of our Lord was at last come; his death-struggle had
commenced; a cold sweat overspread every limb. John stood at the foot
of the Cross, and wiped the feet of Jesus with his scapular. Magdalen
was crouched to the ground in a perfect frenzy of grief behind the
Cross. The Blessed Virgin stood between Jesus and the good thief,
supported by Salome and Mary of Cleophas, with her eyes rivetted on the
countenance of her dying Son. Jesus then said: 'It is consummated;' and,
raising his head, cried out in a loud voice, 'Father, into thy hands I
commend my spirit.' These words, which he uttered in a clear and
thrilling tone, resounded through heaven and earth; and a moment after,
he bowed down his head and gave up the ghost. I saw his soul, under the
appearance of a bright meteor, penetrate the earth at the foot of the
Cross. John and the holy women fell prostrate on the ground. The
centurion Abenadar had kept his eyes steadfastly fixed on the
disfigured countenance of our Lord, and was perfectly overwhelmed by
all that had taken place. When our Lord pronounced his last words,
before expiring, in a loud tone, the earth trembled, and the rock of
Calvary burst asunder, forming a deep chasm between the Cross of our
Lord and that of Gesmas. The voice of God--that solemn and terrible
voice--had re-echoed through the whole universe; it had broken the solemn
silence which then pervaded all nature. All was accomplished. The soul
of our Lord had left his body: his last cry had filled every breast
with terror. The convulsed earth had paid homage to its Creator: the
sword of grief had pierced the hearts of those who loved him. This
moment was the moment of grace for Abenadar: his horse trembled under
him; his heart was touched; it was rent like the hard rock; he threw
his lance to a distance, struck his breast, and cried out: 'Blessed be
the Most High God, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob; indeed
this Man was the Son of God!' His words convinced many among the
soldiers, who followed his example, and were likewise converted.
Abenadar became from this moment a new man; he adored the true God,
and would no longer serve his enemies. He gave both his horse and his
lance to a subaltern of the name of Longinus, who, having addressed a
few words to the soldiers, mounted his horse, and took the command upon
himself. Abenadar then left Calvary, and went through the Valley of
Gihon to the caves in the Valley of Hinnom, where the disciples were
hidden, announced the death of our Lord to them, and then went to the
town, in order to see Pilate. No sooner had Abenadar rendered public
testimony of his belief in the divinity of Jesus, than a large number
of soldiers followed his example, as did also some of the bystanders,
and even a few Pharisees. Many struck their breasts, wept, and returned
home, while others rent their garments, and cast dust on their heads,
and all were filled with horror and fear. John arose; and some of the
holy women who were at a short distance came up to the Blessed Virgin,
and led her away from the foot of the Cross.
When Jesus, the Lord of life and death, gave up his soul into the
hands of his Father, and allowed death to take possession of his body,
this sacred body trembled and turned lividly white; the countless
wounds which were covered with congealed blood appeared like dark
marks; his cheeks became more sunken, his nose more pointed, and his
eyes, which were obscured with blood, remained but half open. He raised
his weary head, which was still crowned with thorns, for a moment, and
then dropped it again in agony of pain; while his parched and torn
lips, only partially closed, showed his bloody and swollen tongue. At
the moment of death his hands, which were at one time contracted round
the nails, opened and returned to their natural size, as did also his
arms; his body became stiff, and the whole weight was thrown upon the
feet, his knees bent, and his feet twisted a little on one side.
What words can, alas, express the deep grief of the Blessed Virgin?
Her eyes closed, a death-like tint overspread her countenance; unable
to stand, she fell to the ground, but was soon lifted up, and supported
by John, Magdalen, and the others. She looked once more upon her
beloved Son--that Son whom she had conceived by the Holy Ghost, the flesh
of her flesh, the bone of her bone, the heart of her heart--hanging on a
cross between two thieves; crucified, dishonoured, contemned by those
whom he came on earth to save; and well might she at this moment be
termed 'the queen of martyrs.'
The sun still looked dim and suffused with mist; and during the time
of the earthquake the air was close and oppressive, but by degrees it
became more clear and fresh.
It was about three o'clock when Jesus expired. The Pharisees were at
first much alarmed at the earthquake; but when the first shock was over
they recovered themselves, began to throw stones into the chasm, and
tried to measure its depth with ropes. Finding, however, that they
could not fathom its bottom, they became thoughtful, listened anxiously
to the groans of the penitents, who were lamenting and striking their
breasts, and then left Calvary. Many among the spectators were really
converted, and the greatest part returned to Jerusalem perfectly
overcome with fear. Roman soldiers were placed at the gates, and in
other principal parts of the city, to prevent the possibility of an
insurrection. Cassius remained on Calvary with about fifty soldiers.
The friends of Jesus stood round the Cross, contemplated our Lord, and
wept; many among the holy women had returned to their homes, and all
were silent and overcome with grief.