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Seven words from the cross – 5th word from the cross: “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?) (Mk 15:34)

a) Reflection on God’s Word:

“At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice: ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachtha-ni?’ which means, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’” (Mk 15:34)

Jesus is dying on the cross. His body is covered in wounds and bruises, the skin is wet with cold, clammy sweat. He cannot find any position which would allow Him at least some relief. The nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the large median nerve, and the severely damaged nerve causes excruciating pain.

As He pushes Himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, He places His full weight on the nail through His feet. Again there is searing agony as the nail tears through the nerves between the bones of his feet. Every movement is followed with new bleeding. As the arms fatigue, great waves of cramps sweep over the muscles, knotting them in deep, relentless, throbbing pain. The cramps squeeze the nerve endings in the muscles. Air can hardly be drawn into the lungs and cannot be exhaled. Jesus fights to raise Himself in order to get even one short breath. Finally, the carbon dioxide level increases in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subside. Spasmodically, He is able to push Himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen again. He suffers hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps. With every movement up and down His lacerated back scrapes against the rough timbers of the cross. The temperature rises; every stroke of His head against the crossbar presses the thorns deeper in His scalp and reopens the wounds.

Growing darkness on Golgotha is just a faint picture of inner darkness and hopelessness which Jesus is now tasting. In this moment He takes on Himself and tastes the very nature of sin along with its consequences. He, the Lamb of God, experiences the depths of abandonment of the soul by God, the essence of eternal condemnation in hell. Demonic powers were given power to physically and psychically torment the Son of God and eventually to kill Him.

There are sins of the flesh and sins of the soul which are directed against the First Commandment. It is, in essence, unbelief and idolatry. By means of various forms of magic, divination and pagan philosophies man turns to false spirituality. It is a false regard for pagan religions and their gods – demons.

An example: faith in reincarnation, faith in superstitions, in spells, divination, pendulum, wax casting, horoscopes, dream books; occult medicine: homoeopathy, acupuncture, hypnosis; reiki, yoga, transcendental and oriental meditations tied up with martial arts, relaxation, psychologies and massages. The fruit is spiritual pride which rejects true God the Saviour and is the cause of eternal perdition. Through unbelief and idolatry the devil casts the souls into perdition. In the prayer Our Father we therefore ask God the Father: Deliver us from the evil one – the devil.

b) Recitation of God’s Word (5 min):

I realize relentless, intense pain produced by the cramps and suffocation of the crucified Jesus. We all repeat: “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”

c) Prayer according to God’s Word (5 min):

We all say together: “Eloi, Eloi”, and one of us adds: “Deliver us from evil.

d) Prayer of the heart (5 min):

In unity with Jesus we call: “Eee-loo-iii”, and pray in thought: “Deliver me from the curse of idolatry.”

 

Download: New edition of the prayer booklet for the celebration of Sunday – format doc ,        format pdf

Download: Death and Resurrection of Christ /a contemplative prayer/

 

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