Back in 90’s, I had the incredible experience of going to a
symposium on the Passion of Jesus, presented by the preeminent Catholic
biblical scholar, Fr Raymond Brown. He had just completed a massive 2 volume
set of books based on the four gospel passions of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John entitled The Death of the Christ,
and over a period of 6 hours presented some of the content of that work with us.
During the question and answer segment, one person asked as to which one of the
last words of Jesus was the accurate one. In Matthew and Mark’s account, Jesus
said, “My God, My God why have you abandoned me?” In Luke’s account, Jesus
said, “Into your hands I commend my spirit.” And, in John’s account, Jesus
said, “It is accomplished!” Fr Brown responded that it didn’t make any
difference. He continued, “In my pastoral practice as a priest, I find that
some people die in despair, as in Matthew and Mark’s account, some die in
resignation, as in Luke’s account, and some die in triumph, as in John’s
account. No matter in what form a person might die, despair, resignation, or
triumph, Jesus has already died in that manner. Jesus is one with us.” Jesus
took on the full of our humanity, one with us in birth, one with us in life,
and one with us in death. As Jesus has a full share in all of our human experiences,
in turn, he shares with us his resurrection. During this holiest of weeks in
the liturgical year, in mind, body, and spirit, let us enter fully into this
time when Jesus triumphed over death, and so may have a full share in his
divinity.
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