Translator’s Note
“THE SEVEN LAST Words of Christ” refer to the seven final pronouncements made by Our Lord upon the cross. These moving and profound words offer a beautiful synopsis and summation of the entire spiritual and moral teachings of Jesus. They also express with wonderful and succinct eloquence the principles which guided His life and mission.
According to Arnold of Bonneval, one of the earliest and most influential commentators on these words, “When Christ had reached the time of His passion, He recapitulated the whole essence of His teaching, saying with great succinctness things He had expounded at much greater length during His preaching. Thus it is that the last words of Christ offer a mystical compendium of the entire Gospel. These words are radiant with the splendor of the totality of the Christian faith. They are, indeed, like small seeds which, when sown in suitable soil, bring forth an immense and wonderful harvest for all the faithful.”
The Seven Last Words of Christ are as follows:5
1. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
2. “Amen, I say to thee: today thou shalt be with Me in paradise.”
3. “Woman, behold thy son,” and, “Behold, thy Mother.”
4. “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”
5. “I thirst.”
6. “It is consummated.”
7. “Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit.”
The above form and order of these words gained general recognition amongst the faithful through the writings of Saint Bonaventure of Bagnoregio (1221–1274) and has since become traditional. Prior to this, references to “Seven Last Words” were extremely rare and isolated—the only two known previous writings on the theme being a collection of commentaries by Arnold of Bonneval, and a prayer and very short commentary attributed (somewhat uncertainly) to Saint Bede the Venerable. The order of the lists of Arnold and Bede differ from that of Bonaventure and each other. The reason for this variability of order is the fact that the pronouncements are not to be found in any single Gospel, but are derived from a synthesis of the passion narratives of all four canonical Gospels.
The number seven is of special mystical importance, being traditionally regarded as representing completion or perfection, and in particular the perfection of God. Within Scripture, one encounters the seven days of Creation,6 the seven pairs of animals taken into the ark,7 the seven trumpets played to demolish the walls of Jericho,8 the seven angels who stand in the presence of God,9 the seven seals of the book of Revelation,10 and countless other examples. Within the Catholic spiritual tradition, there are the seven cardinal virtues, the seven corporal works of mercy, the seven deadly sins, the seven sacraments, the seven canonical hours, the seven sorrows (and seven joys) of Mary, etc.
Among the most inspiring and inspired writings of Saint Bonaventure is his beautiful meditative poem, De Septem Verbis Domini in Cruce, or “The Seven Words of the Lord on the Cross.” Saint Bonaventure’s writings were immensely popular and widely read, and it was this particular poem which popularized the Seven Last Words as a subject for meditation and devotion. Saint Bonaventure also features these Seven Last Words prominently in Vitis Mystica, “Mystical Vine,” a short collection of meditations in which he speaks of the seven outpourings of blood during the Lord’s passion. In adopting the theme of the Seven Last Words, Bonaventure appears to have been directly inspired by Arnold of Bonneval’s earlier work, the Tractatus de Septem Verbis Domini in Cruce, or “Tract on the Seven Words of Christ on the Cross.”
This admiration was evidently shared by Bonaventure, who enriched Arnold’s reflections on the Seven Last Words with his own inspirations and insights. Bonaventure served as the seventh minister-general of the Franciscan Order, and Cardinal Bishop of Albano. Like Saint Francis himself, Bonaventure (known as the Seraphic Doctor) had an ardent and intimate devotion to the suffering humanity of Jesus, and in particular to His most holy passion. His writings on this theme overflow with ebullient love and deeply touching emotion.
The present volume takes as its spiritual impetus Bonaventure’s De Septem Verbis Domini in Cruce, which has not previously been available in any English translation. Included also is the aforementioned work that inspired the Seraphic Doctor, Arnold of Bonneval’s Tractatus de Septem Verbis Domini in Cruce. Selected extracts from certain other writings of Bonaventure on the same theme are also presented here, including passages from his Vitis Mystica, Officium de Passione Domini, and his commentaries on the Gospels of John and Luke.
The treatments of the Seven Last Words in this volume each include:
•a meditation by Saint Bonaventure for each of the Seven Last Words, from his De Septem Verbis Domini in Cruce, and with some additional material also taken from his Vitis Mystica;
•a commentary, providing context and background and suggesting possible spiritual, moral, allegorical and mystical interpretations, taken from the writings of Arnold of Bonneval (for the first to fifth last words of Christ) or from Saint Bonaventure (for the sixth and seventh last words of Christ.)
•A prayer and hymn, by Saint Bonaventure (the prayer being taken from De Septem Verbis Domini in Cruce, and the hymn taken from Officium de Passione Domini.)
The commentaries for the first to the fifth words are from Arnold’s Tractatus de Septem Verbis Domini in Cruce, which are more extensive than Saint Bonaventure’s for those particular words. For the sixth and seventh words, Saint Bonaventure’s commentaries, which are more detailed than Arnold’s for those particular words, have been included. For those interested, Saint Bonaventure’s commentaries on all of the words can be found in his exegetical works on the Gospels of John and Luke.
The Seven Last Words of Christ offer treasures for rich meditation and prayer, since they open up and encapsulate the mystical essence of His spiritual teaching, and reveal the fathomless depths of His love and mercy. Moreover, by endeavoring to make these words our own in some way (both in our thoughts and actions), we are able to unite ourselves powerfully to Christ’s life-giving sacrifice and thereby share in the glory of His Resurrection. May each of these words resonate deeply and tenderly in our hearts, minds and souls, drawing us into the deepest union with Jesus Christ, Our Lord, Savior, and God.
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5 A way to remember The Seven Last Words of Christ is using an acronym: FAWMTCF, or Father Always Wants My Thirst Consummated Forever.
6 See Genesis 1.
7 See Genesis 7:2.
8 See Joshua 6.
9 See Tobit 12:15.
10 See Revelation 5–8.