"It is finished."
Jesus' life is quickly coming to an end. Recall the first three words expressed his genuine care for those around him. Conspirators are forgiven; a lifelong renegade is given heaven; and a mother and a friend are entrusted to each other. In the next two words Jesus turns to expressions that reveal the suffering he is and has endured both psychologically and physically. Today and tomorrow we consider the fulfillment of his mission, the moment of his complete surrender for every human being that has and ever will live. Listen closely to these final words as you look upon a crucifix, as you imagine, if you can, your being at the foot of his Cross. You should be stunned.
Now he says for us and to his Father that the work entrusted to him is finished, is completed in an extraordinary totality. As Fr. Cessario said in his presentation at St. Patrick's Cathedral last year on Good Friday, "The once-and-for-all sacrifice for our sins is completed." Jesus' consummation of his mission is unique because it reaches far beyond his agony and death. "It is finished" is an utterance that reaches back to the first, the original sin, that has tainted and will taint every human being that is born. Everything, everyone has been "Christianized" by this sentence from the heart of a loving brother. It is a kind of baptism: these words of Jesus are like water poured over humankind. It is the water and blood from the body of Jesus over all humankind to wash clean the sins that have broken God's plan for the world and for each person in the world.
Jesus' "consummatum est: is so much more than a door shut on an event or a moment in history. It is a forever-gift of God's love through and in his Son for all humankind. From this moment on and from its very beginning before this utterance from Jesus' lips world history will never be the same. Perhaps we might say "Consummatum est. Reformatum est." It is finished; the world is reformed. All humankind are given the gift of divine forgiveness. Jesus' sixth word is his expression of love to his Father, his saying that he has completed his mission, his earthly life, to atone for the hurt, the pain, caused by the sinfulness of humankind.
Jesus' "consummatus est," brings each of us into an intimate friendship with Jesus if we want it. In this sentence we know he is more than brother. "Redeemer" is the only word that can express what he has become in this outpouring of love. The Easter Vigil hymn, The Exultet, proclaims: "O truly necessary sin of Adam that merited for us so great a Redeemer." Look at this Jesus. See in him your Redeemer!
Consider on this Spring day the ebb and flow at an ocean's shoreline. For most of us, sinners that we are, that movement of water is much like our response to God's love for us, to Jesus' sacrifice. That original sin continues to impede the continuous participation in the radical, reciprocal love of God for us.
As we hear in our hearts these penultimate words of Jesus, let the Holy Spirit invade our wills to resolve with all that is in us to give our lives each day, as best as we can, to our mission, to our efforts to achieve what God's plan is for each of us. If we can do this, especially through our prayer and the Sacraments of our Church, then we shall one day be able to say to our God who has been so good to us, that "It is finished as you wanted it to be for me in my life."
Now he says for us and to his Father that the work entrusted to him is finished, is completed in an extraordinary totality. As Fr. Cessario said in his presentation at St. Patrick's Cathedral last year on Good Friday, "The once-and-for-all sacrifice for our sins is completed." Jesus' consummation of his mission is unique because it reaches far beyond his agony and death. "It is finished" is an utterance that reaches back to the first, the original sin, that has tainted and will taint every human being that is born. Everything, everyone has been "Christianized" by this sentence from the heart of a loving brother. It is a kind of baptism: these words of Jesus are like water poured over humankind. It is the water and blood from the body of Jesus over all humankind to wash clean the sins that have broken God's plan for the world and for each person in the world.
Jesus' "consummatum est: is so much more than a door shut on an event or a moment in history. It is a forever-gift of God's love through and in his Son for all humankind. From this moment on and from its very beginning before this utterance from Jesus' lips world history will never be the same. Perhaps we might say "Consummatum est. Reformatum est." It is finished; the world is reformed. All humankind are given the gift of divine forgiveness. Jesus' sixth word is his expression of love to his Father, his saying that he has completed his mission, his earthly life, to atone for the hurt, the pain, caused by the sinfulness of humankind.
Jesus' "consummatus est," brings each of us into an intimate friendship with Jesus if we want it. In this sentence we know he is more than brother. "Redeemer" is the only word that can express what he has become in this outpouring of love. The Easter Vigil hymn, The Exultet, proclaims: "O truly necessary sin of Adam that merited for us so great a Redeemer." Look at this Jesus. See in him your Redeemer!
Consider on this Spring day the ebb and flow at an ocean's shoreline. For most of us, sinners that we are, that movement of water is much like our response to God's love for us, to Jesus' sacrifice. That original sin continues to impede the continuous participation in the radical, reciprocal love of God for us.
As we hear in our hearts these penultimate words of Jesus, let the Holy Spirit invade our wills to resolve with all that is in us to give our lives each day, as best as we can, to our mission, to our efforts to achieve what God's plan is for each of us. If we can do this, especially through our prayer and the Sacraments of our Church, then we shall one day be able to say to our God who has been so good to us, that "It is finished as you wanted it to be for me in my life."
