Witnesses to Calvary: Reflections on the Seven Last Words of Jesus

The sun beats brutally on the heads of the soldiers standing at stoic attention. They stare at the milling crowd, oblivious to the three criminals hanging on crosses behind them. All that can be heard are the buzzing of flies, the soft weeping of the women in the little group clustered at the foot of the middle cross, and the labored breathing of the victims. Suddenly, the man in the middle lifts up his head, "Father, forgive them," he gasps, "for they know not what they do."

Imagine being at the foot of the cross. What do you think as you hear Christ's final words?

Join the Blessed Virgin, Mary Magdalene, and the Beloved Disciple John as they watch and wait with this heartrending new meditation on the traditional Good Friday devotion of the Seven Last Words of Jesus.

Combining startling biblical insights, such as the fact Christ might have repeated the words "Father, forgive them" over and over in his agony, with deeply moving personal experiences from his mission work in El Salvador, Father Richard C. Antall has created an evocative and vivid picture of our dying Savior.

Reflect on the impact the final remarks of Jesus had on those who were with him at Calvary.

Learn why Bishop Fulton J. Sheen called these sublime teachings "a sermon equaled only in importance by the Sermon on the Mount."

Finally, stand witness at Calvary and allow the Seven Last Words of Jesus to touch your heart and transform your life.