The Seven Words of Christ on the Cross (Instructions for interior prayer)

We are always delivered to Christ’s death (2Cor 4:10). Scripture says: “We were immersed through baptism into Christ’s death.” Interior prayer helps us experience this truth. Here we realize our inner union with Jesus, both on the cross and in us.

Some advice on how to contemplate the seven last words of Christ.

Commentary:

1) As for crying out in prayer, the Scripture emphasizes that we are to call on God, literally shout to Him. Jesus dying on the cross cried out with a loud voice: “Eloi, Eloi” and “Father (Abba), into Your hands…”

2) This prayer is completely silent. When we talk here about calling or crying out, it is about calling with our spirit and breath. We take a long breath and slowly and quietly breathe out the vowel aaa or any other vowel, just with our breath, not with our voice.

3) This way of breathing out the vowels helps combat distraction in interior prayer. It helps us focus on God’s word and God’s presence.

4) Prayer postures:

First word from the cross – we kneel with our arms in the shape of the cross

Second word from the cross – we stand with our arms up

Third word from the cross – we stand with our arms bent at the elbows in front of us

Fourth word from the cross – we kneel with our arms bent at the elbows in front of us

Fifth word from the cross – we stand with our arms up

Sixth word from the cross – we kneel with our arms bent at the elbows in front of us

Seventh word from the cross – we kneel with our arms up

This interior prayer can also be prayed by sick people who cannot kneel or even stand and must sit or just lie down. If they cannot raise their arms up, it is enough if they have them slightly bent at the elbows and resting on the mattress on which they are lying. In spite of all external limitations, they can pray very intensely.

5) It is possible to pray this prayer privately or in a community of several people, but in the latter case it is necessary to respect that each person has a different breathing rhythm and may personally need to stretch the vowel sound more than the other. The prayer is silent, so everyone can pray at their own rhythm without disturbing others. One in the community must watch the time so that five minutes are set aside for experiencing each word. If the community wants to pray for a full hour, it is possible to agree in advance to extend the time and to experience certain words for ten minutes instead of five. In this way, we can fulfil the desire of Jesus: “Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray.”

How do we experience our inner relationship with Jesus and the Heavenly Father through the individual words?

First word from the cross

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

We kneel for five minutes, with our arms in the shape of the cross, and we repeat “Abba”, saying it in a long breath rather than voice.

Breathing out the vowel “Aaa”, I perceive that Jesus cries out to the Father and the Father hears.

When breathing out long “baaa”, I perceive Jesus’ plea “(Father), forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

I pray in the same way when crying out “Aaa-baaa” the second time.

I realize the circumstances in which Jesus says this prayer. He is thrown down on the cross, His hands are tied to it, and as the nails are driven into His wrists and His feet, He pleads in unspeakable pain: “Father, Abba…” His plea has power.

The third time I say “Abba”, with “Aaa” I am again aware of Jesus’ cry to the Father. And with “baaa” I pray in my heart: “Forgive me; I also forgive everyone.” The same with the fourth “Abba”. My forgiveness is a condition for God to forgive me. Jesus said: “If you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive you,” (Mt 6:15) and in the Our Father: “Forgive us, as we forgive.”

I repeat this rhythm of four “Aaa-baaa” for 5 minutes.

Second word from the cross

“Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Lk 23:42f)

I stand with my arms up for five minutes, and I repeat “Ye-ho-shu-aaa-aaa-aaa-aaa”.

I perceive the criminal’s words spoken to Jesus and the criminal’s faith. First I quietly say “Ye-ho-shu…” and then, breathing out the long “aaa”, I abide in the verse: “Remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” Breathing out the long “aaa” the second time, I abide in the same verse.

The third time I breathe out the long “aaa”, I abide in the words of Jesus: “(Amen, I say to you,) you will be with Me in Paradise.” I perceive that Jesus is saying this to me. I experience the same with the fourth long “aaa”.

If there are more people praying, the one who watches the time may whisper “Ye-ho-shu…” so that the others can hear, and then breathe out a quiet “aaa” which the others can also hear, thus creating unity among them. He should not breathe out the vowel too quickly or too slowly; he should breathe out naturally, rather a little bit longer, to make it easy for others to unite with him.

Experience has shown that sometimes it is better if there is complete silence, because everyone has their own rhythm of experiencing a given word.

Third word from the cross

“Behold your mother.” (Jn 19:27)

I stand for five minutes, with my arms bent at the elbows in front of me, and I repeat “Ye-ho-shu-aaa-aaa-aaa-aaa”.

Now I stand in spirit in the place of the Apostle John by the cross. I look at Jesus in His suffering. I say His name in thought or in a whisper, and before I pronounce the whole name, that is, after saying “Ye-ho-shu,” I perceive that He is saying to me: “Behold your mother.” I abide in the words of this testament of His while breathing out the long “aaa”. When breathing out the second “aaa”, I once again abide in Christ’s words: “Behold your mother.”

The third and fourth time I breathe out the long “aaa”, I reply to Jesus in thought: “I receive Your mother into me (eis ta idia)” and at the same time I realize that I have spiritually received the Mother of Jesus into my heart, in other words, I have received her spiritual programme.

Fourth word from the cross

“I thirst” (to accomplish salvation) (Jn 19:28)

I kneel for five minutes, with my arms bent at the elbows in front of me, and I repeatedly breathe out the long “Aaa-baaa”.

Jesus suffers physically and mentally, but He longs – thirsts – to accomplish our salvation. He longs to deliver man from the spiritual bondage to the devil and original sin. Therefore, He thirsts to undergo the greatest degree of suffering. Original sin, this source of evil in us, results in all the sins, crimes and sufferings of mankind. When saying “Aaa-baaa”, as I breathe out the long vowel “Aaa” I perceive Jesus crying out to the Father from the cross, and as I breathe out “baaa” I perceive His cry “I thirst”. When saying “Aaa-baaa” for the third and fourth time, as I breathe out the long “Aaa” I perceive Jesus in me crying out to the Father, and as I breathe out “baaa” I perceive His words “I thirst”.

Fifth word from the cross

“Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani” (Mk 15:34)

I stand for five minutes, with my arms up, breathing out long and quietly “Eee-loo-iii”.

Crying out these words, Jesus took upon Himself all the sins of mankind and their poisonous root that penetrates human souls. In this utmost agony, it is as if He were immersed in a dark spiritual cloud or in the sea of evil and the sins of all mankind. The essence of hell is eternal abandonment by God, who is the source of eternal happiness and love. The devil’s seed in the soul, which we call original sin, or the old self, has spiritual poison in it. It causes man to gradually separate from God, to the point of completely abandoning Him. It is a state of supreme egoism, or self-deification. This spiritual blindness – pride – is the essence of the sin of the fallen angels, demons. The fruit of this spiritual poison in us is temporal and eternal death, eternal abandonment of the source of happiness and life. This eternal separation from God is the essence of the torments of hell, called poena damni. The infernal serpent promised our first parents in Paradise: “You will be as gods,” but he did not say that they would be emancipated and separated from God, as the demons in hell were.

I breathe out the long syllables “Eee-loo-iii” (My God). During the first cry “Eee-loo-iii”, I perceive Jesus on the cross in the dark cloud of all the sins and crimes of mankind, which, by obscuring the Father, cause Him deep spiritual pain. As I say the second “Eee-loo-iii”, I add in thought “lema sabachthani”. I perceive that Jesus has also taken upon Himself the source of evil and is experiencing innermost abandonment by the Father, the culmination of the most painful spiritual suffering by which He redeems our soul and separates it from the deadly spiritual poison – original sin – that permeates it.

The third and fourth time I say “Eee-loo-iii”, I realize the same, but I perceive this suffering of Jesus in my soul for the sake of my deliverance and my salvation.

Sixth word from the cross

“It is finished” (the work of salvation is finished) (Jn 19:30)

I kneel for five minutes, with my arms bent at the elbows in front of me, breathing out long “Eee-lii”.

When crying out “Eee-lii” for the first and second time, I realize that Jesus dying on the cross cries out to God the Father, and says: “It is finished,” the work of salvation is completed. He has accomplished the separation of the soul from its bond to the source of evil, original sin, which permeated it. The devil and the source of evil – original sin – have been conquered in the souls. But this victory is in Christ alone. In Him alone we have a renewed union with the Father. The rupture of the temple curtain symbolized the removal of the veil of original sin that covered the nations (Isa 25:7). Only when we have Jesus, when we are in Him by faith and remember that He is in us, this victory becomes real in our soul.

As I say “Eee-lii” the third and fourth time, I realize that Jesus is now saying “It is finished” in me.

We repeat this rhythm of four “Eee-lii” for 5 minutes.

Seventh word from the cross

“Father, Abba, into Your hands I commit My spirit” (Lk 23:46)

I kneel for five minutes, with my arms up, breathing out long “Aaa-baaa”.

As I say “Aaa”, I perceive Jesus looking up to the Father, and as I say “baa”, I abide in the words “into Your hands I commit My spirit”. Twice I realize that Jesus is crying out these words from the cross. When saying “Aaa-baaa” for the third and fourth time, I perceive that Jesus is crying out these words in me.

We were immersed through baptism into Christ’s death. Again, I repeat this rhythm for five minutes.

Prayer structure

First word from the cross (Lk 23:34)   (5 minutes)

(Note: “Crying out” means breathing out long)

I cry out: “Aaa” – I perceive: Father…

I cry out: “baaa” – I perceive: …forgive them, for they do not know what they do

I cry out: “Aaa” – I perceive: Father…

I cry out: “baaa” – I perceive: …forgive them, for they do not know what they do

I cry out: “Aaa” – I perceive: Father…

I cry out: “baaa” – I perceive: …forgive me; I also forgive everyone

I cry out: “Aaa” – I perceive: Father…

I cry out: “baaa” – I perceive: …forgive me; I also forgive everyone

The above rhythm is repeated for 5 minutes; this applies to all the seven words.

Second word from the cross (Lk 24:42-43)   (5 minutes)

I cry out: “Ye-ho-shu” – I look at Jesus with my spiritual eyes

I cry out: “aaa” – I perceive: Remember me when You come into Your kingdom

I cry out: “aaa” – I perceive: Remember me when You come into Your kingdom

I cry out: “aaa” – I perceive: (Amen), you will be with Me in Paradise

I cry out: “aaa” – I perceive: (Amen), you will be with Me in Paradise

Third word from the cross (Jn 19:26)   (5 minutes)

I cry out: “Ye-ho-shu” – I look at Jesus on the cross with my spiritual eyes

I cry out: “aaa” – I perceive: Behold your mother

I cry out: “aaa” – I perceive: Behold your mother

I cry out: “aaa” – I perceive: I receive her into me (eis ta idia)

I cry out: “aaa” – I perceive: I receive her into me (eis ta idia)

Fourth word from the cross (Jn 19:30)   (5 minutes)

I cry out: “Aaa” – I perceive: Father…

I cry out: “baaa” – I experience together with Jesus: I thirst (to accomplish salvation) on the cross

I cry out: “Aaa” – I perceive: Father…

I cry out: “baaa” – I experience together with Jesus: I thirst (to accomplish salvation) on the cross

I cry out: “Aaa” – I perceive: Father…

I cry out: “baaa” – I experience together with Jesus in my soul: I thirst to accomplish your salvation

I cry out: “Aaa” – I perceive: Father…

I cry out: “baaa” – I experience together with Jesus in my soul: I thirst to accomplish your salvation

Fifth word from the cross (Mk 15:34)   (5 minutes)

I cry out: “Eee-looo-iii” – I perceive: Jesus abandoned on the cross

I cry out: “Eee-looo-iii” – I perceive: Lema sabachthani? Jesus abandoned on the cross

I cry out: “Eee-looo-iii” – I perceive: Jesus abandoned in my soul

I cry out: “Eee-looo-iii” – I perceive: Jesus abandoned in my soul

Sixth word from the cross (Jn 19:30)   (5 minutes)

I cry out: “Eee-liii” – I perceive: salvation is finished on the cross

I cry out: “Eee-liii” – I perceive: salvation is finished on the cross

I cry out: “Eee-liii” – I perceive: salvation is finished in me

I cry out: “Eee-liii” – I perceive: salvation is finished in me

Seventh word from the cross (Lk 23:46)   (5 minutes)

I cry out: “Aaa” – I perceive: Father…

I cry out: “baaa” – I perceive: …into Your hands I commit My spirit (on the cross)

I cry out: “Aaa” – I perceive: Father…

I cry out: “baaa” – I perceive: …into Your hands I commit My spirit (on the cross)

I cry out: “Aaa” – I perceive: Father…

I cry out: “baaa” – I perceive: …into Your hands I commit My spirit (in me)

I cry out: “Aaa” – I perceive: Father…

I cry out: “baaa” – I perceive: …into Your hands I commit My spirit (in me)

Download: The Seven Words of Christ on the Cross