The Sixth Word: “Consummatum est.”
“Jesus therefore, when He had taken the vinegar, said: ‘It is consummated.’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.”
—John 19:30
Saint Bonaventure’s Meditation on the Sixth Word
Jesus, our redemption; Jesus, our delight;
Jesus, the longed-for salvation of all the faithful!
Through the mystery of the cross,
You consummated our redemption,
And by undergoing such woes, You rescued us from our woes.
You consummated the sacrifice of Your flesh and blood.
You consummated the glorious battle, the prize of which was our eternal peace.
You consummated the arduous journey,
Which restored us all to unspeakable joy.
Now, You perceive the grim moment of death to draw nigh,
And You witness Your mortal life ebb away.
Now, You behold the dark end approaching,
You see the final curtain fall,
And Your mission to have reached its destined end.
And so You declare:
“It is consummated.”
The Son of God has been crucified; the paschal Lamb is sacrificed;
The blood which is the price of our redemption has been poured out!
Satan lies defeated, and the battle is over.
The sentence of damnation has been erased;
The world has been saved!102
Saint Bonaventure’s Commentary on the Sixth Word103
This pronouncement, “It is consummated,” appears, at first glance, to be extremely small and simple.104 As to its exterior aspect and syntactic structure, it is as rudimentary as can possibly be imagined. As to its significance, it seems very straightforward. Yet it contains an immense and unfathomable magnitude of mystical meaning, and is replete with very profound and transcendent mysteries. Therefore, it invites us to the most attentive and careful meditation and reflection.
Since it describes a consummation or completion, it is fitting that the words themselves should be very brief and simple. For “to consummate” something is to bring it to its conclusion or end point, to unite all multiplicities, and to resolve all complexities. Thus it was that in the perfect and life-giving sacrifice of the Son of God, all the many ancient sacrifices and rites of Old Covenant are brought to their single completion. This consummation encompasses and perfects all the deeds of the patriarchs, all the offerings of the Law, all the oracles of the prophets, and all the mystical secrets of the Scriptures.
In the cross is the definitive resolution and completion of all that had been shown in figures and shadows in days of the past. And in the one saving death of Christ is the true completion and perfection of all other deaths; in His holy and noble sufferings is the meaning and epitome of all other human sufferings to be found. Thus it is true to say that His sufferings exceeded all other sufferings ever endured; and that they exceed, too, the sum total of all other sufferings which shall ever be endured in this pain-filled and woebegone universe.
The reasons for this are manifold. First, the sufferings of Christ were greater in duration than any others, since they lasted not only during the time of the crucifixion itself, but were felt by Christ from the moment of His conception (and even, in a sense, for all eternity). By means of His perfect foreknowledge of all things, the sufferings of Christ were always experienced by Him in prescient anticipation. Second, the pains endured by Jesus were greater by virtue of their universality, because they encompassed and contained all other pains which had ever arisen from, and will ever arise from, the sinful and fallen condition of humanity.
Third, Christ’s sufferings were greater because of the superior nobility, intelligence, and vitality of the One who bore them. For the more noble and infused with life and intelligence a being is, the more sensitive it is to suffering. Thus a lifeless object (such as a stone) experiences less pain than any creature which possesses vitality; and the more vitality a creature possesses, the more it is aware of injuries done to itself. Similarly, more noble and more intelligent beings (whether humans or animals) are more susceptible to pain and sorrow than inferior creatures. Since Jesus was incomparably more noble, intelligent, and vital than any other being or entity, His sensitivity to pain was correspondingly greater.
Our Lord’s declaration that “it is consummated” expresses the completion and perfection of the work assigned to Jesus on earth—that is, the work of teaching, or performing miracles, and propitiating the burden of humanity’s sin. In these words, it is as if He proclaims: “Father, I have fulfilled the mission You assigned to me, in all obedience. If You would ask anything further of Me, I am here ready!”
These words likewise invite and inspire each of us to the full completion of our own vocation in life, in accordance with the will of God, by doing whatever it is He calls us to do and enduring whatever it is He calls us to endure. In this way, each of us may, like Jesus, properly consummate our own lives in obedience to in faithful service of the Lord.
“It is consummated!”
Witness how exultantly Christ exclaims these words.105 He cries out like the navigator of a ship which has been on the ocean for a long voyage, who, when he first catches a glimpse of the shore, shouts, “Land ahoy!” Christ, the good commander of the ship of both the cross and the Church, perceives the promontory of salvation to be at hand, and says (as if in happy anticipation), “It is consummated!”
It is as if He declares, “Now the words of Scripture are fulfilled. Now everything that was foreshadowed and pre-figured in the ancient sacrifices is brought to perfection. For in My present sacrifice, the meekness of the lamb, the strength of the bull, the obedience of the ox, the simplicity of the sheep, and the peace of the dove are all brought to perfection! The love which drew God into union with the human race in the mystery of My incarnation is consummated. The foundations of the Church are now completed. My own bitter sufferings have reached their end. The chalice of pain has been fully drained, and in its place the medicinal potion of eternal life has been prepared to full perfection. From this mystical potion mortal beings may drink deeply of the inebriating nectar of everlasting salvation and never-ending bliss. And my obedience to You, O Father, is likewise now consummated: for I have completely and unreservedly fulfilled all the decrees of Your immutable will!”
This indeed is a brief compendium of the infinite mystery of the cross, which is the highest sacrament of divine love. This is a manifesto or synopsis of the eternal wisdom of God. Behold, the only-begotten Son of God, suspended from a cross! Truly, this is the consummation, the most awesome mystery of Heaven’s eternal plan: “To the Jews it was a scandal, and to the pagans it was foolishness: but to us who believe, it is the wisdom and strength of God!”106
Although Christ could have descended from the cross at any time He wished, He did not do so. And it was thus that this consummation was achieved. His example should encourage each of us in firm perseverance in whatever good works we have undertaken, to continue with them faithfully until they have reached their destined completion or consummation. Let us never give anyone cause to say about us, “This person began to build, and was not able to bring his work to completion!”107 Like Jesus, let us refuse to listen to those who encourage us to abandon the crosses of our own vocation.108 Let us persist with our own crosses—whether they are the crosses of our duties, or our vows, or our vocation, or our faith, or our repentance. Yes, let us even be willing to die for the love and glory of God, rather than to flee into the emptiness of oblivion!
In this manner, we, like Jesus, will reach the point when we can truly declare, “It is consummated! What I have committed myself to do, I have done. What God has asked of me, I have fulfilled. I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. And now the crown of righteousness awaits me!”109
Saint Bonaventure’s Prayer
O goodness of the good Jesus, who is Himself our righteousness:
O truth of the true Jesus, who is Himself our knowledge:
O love of the beloved Jesus, who is Himself our redemption:
O holiness of the holy Jesus, who is Himself our sanctification!
Bring to consummation for us Your gifts of grace and justice,
Bring to consummation our wisdom and righteousness,
And, when we arrive in the realms of eternity,
Bring to consummation our everlasting joy! Amen.110
Saint Bonaventure’s Hymn
May death’s holy consummation
Bring salvific liberation.
May our Savior’s agony,
Win for us eternity.In His death is life divine,
His embrace, enchanting wine!
Though His fleshly lamp expire,
Glows undimmed love’s fulgid fire.Jesus, in His dying breath,
Triumphed, victor over death.
He this woeful world did save,
By descent into the grave!“Consummatum est,” He cries,
As His soul to Heaven flies.
May we, too, fight till the end;
And to endless light ascend.
_______________
101 “It is consummated.”
The translation “It is consummated” is an exact and literal rendition of the Vulgate text, “Consummatum est.” This wording, which is found only in the Douay-Rheims Bible, reflects faithfully the richness of meaning of the Latin text, which embodies suggestions of completion, perfection, and fulfillment. It also calls to mind the spousal imagery of Christ and His Church.
102 From Bonaventure’s De Septem Verbis Domini in Cruce.
103 As noted in the Translator’s Introduction, Bonaventure’s commentaries, rather than Arnold’s, are included here and for the subsequent word.
104 From Bonaventure’s Meditationes de Vita Christi.
105 From Bonaventure’s Collationes in Joannem.
106 1 Corinthians 1:23.
107 Luke 14:30.
108 See Matthew 27:40.
109 See 2 Timothy 4:7–8.
110 From Bonaventure’s De Septem Verbis Domini in Cruce.