Meditating on love and sacrifice
Christ’s Seven Words from the Cross, a new book by retired Anglican priest John Mann, with a foreword by Bishop Andrew Forster and Bishop Donal McKeown, is published in Ireland and the UK by Messenger Publications.
The ‘Seven Last Words’ or ‘Seven Sayings’ of Jesus refer to the seven final statements that Jesus Christ uttered while he was crucified on the cross, as recorded in the four Gospels of the New Testament. These statements are often reflected upon and meditated upon by Christians, especially during Holy Week and Good Friday, as they are seen as profound expressions of Jesus’ love and forgiveness.
1. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
2. “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
3. “Woman, behold your son. Son, behold your mother.” (John 19:26-27)
4. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34)
5. “I thirst.” (John 19:28)
6. “It is finished.” (John 19:30)
7. “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” (Luke 23:46)
Messenger Publications says the book offers a fresh way of looking at the crucifixion through the prism of the healing power of Christ and his words as he suffered on the cross. Each ‘ last word’ is a meditation by the author on this act of reconciliation, love, and self-sacrifice.
In the foreword to the book, Bishop Andrew Forster and Bishop Donal McKeown write that John Mann’s reflections “help us to witness both the reality of Jesus’s suffering and the transformative power of his sacrifice in the lives of his followers. Christ’s Seven Words from the Cross is a thought-provoking book that will help you journey through Lent in a way that will open your heart once again to the greatness of Christ’s love.”
Christ’s Seven Words from the Cross by John Mann, with a foreword by Bishop Andrew Forster and Bishop Donal McKeown is published in Ireland and the UK by Messenger Publications. Priced at €11.95/£10.95
