Seven Last Words of Jesus: Father Forgive Them

As we will soon gear up for Holy Week and Passiontide, Jesus is recorded to have said seven different phrases while he hung on the cross as he suffered and died for all of us. The first of seven reflections will be on "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)

The most merciful thing Jesus did when he hung on the cross was to plea to his heavenly father to forgive them. Every time we look to the cross, we see that Christ is the ultimate sacrifice in order to take on every sin of the world.

Someone can easily scratch their head and wonder why after all the mockery, torture, and betrayal that he would ask them to be forgiven.

To us, Jesus was willing to forgive them. He was giving the hope of mercy to every lost sinner who would ever come to him and pray to be forgiven. When he taught them the words to the Our Father, he put the phrase “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” into practice when it counted the most.

Our culture has turned a blind eye to God’s word. They seem to think that everything that they do is for God. However, they’re blindly being influence by Satan. Why? It is because of poor catechism and spiritual guidance.

Sadly, many Catholics have become lukewarm in the practice of their faith. Many claim to be Catholic, yet they support teachings that are contradictory to its core beliefs. There are politicians with blood on their hands with their support of the culture of death. We have clergy who are timid to preach the truth with clarity and boldness. Fulton Sheen reminds us, “There are not one hundred people in the United States who hate The Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they wrongly perceive the Catholic Church to be.”

Jesus knew that it would come as he saw every person that were to exist on earth. He thought of those who would fall away due to petty differences, life’s curveballs, and their prideful ambitions. Always remember that it is not us that are hate, it is Jesus. He offered his forgiveness even if someone blindly attacks him.

The good news is his mercy is endless. It is ever seeking. We must be willing to accept his mercy by going to confession.

We too can ask God to forgive those who are blindly influence by Satan. We can initiate it by saying that you’re forgiven.