# The last seven words of Jesus Christ
*2017-06-19*

> Bill Young discusses the importance of integrating physical health with spiritual discipline and leads a meditation on the final words of Jesus on the Cross.

## The Joint Venture of Prayer and Exercise

I want to share a new practice I've started, which I call the 'joint venture of prayer and workout.' Recently, my son gave me a stationary bike to help me improve my leg strength and stability. Last night, I decided to pray the Rosary while using the bike, and I found it to be a wonderful experience. It felt like a double way of serving Our Lady and Jesus—increasing my spiritual health while simultaneously improving my physical health.

I believe our priestly fathers could especially benefit from this. Many of our priests, such as those at St. David Catholic Church in Davy, Florida, and the Shrine of Divine Mercy, work tirelessly seven days a week. They are the shepherds of the flock, and we need them to be healthy and strong. I encourage anyone who exercises—whether on a treadmill, a bike, or just walking—to bring their Rosary beads along. We only have 24 hours in a day, so why not strengthen the body while we strengthen the soul?

## A Morning Offering to the Sacred Heart

Before diving into today's main meditation, I want to share a morning offering suggested by Father Gately for the consolation of the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus. It is a beautiful prayer where we acknowledge that Jesus' heart is sorrowful because so many do not love or trust in Him. By offering our daily actions and our small sharing in the Cross to the Father, we seek to glorify God and console His Son through deeds of mercy toward our neighbors.

## Meditating on the Seven Last Words

Today we reflect on the 'Last Seven Words of Jesus Christ,' a devotion found in a prayer book I have had for nearly ten years. While this devotion may not be widely known, Saint John Paul II strongly recommended that the faithful meditate upon these words. These reflections are drawn from the writings of Sister Josephine Mendezon, a religious of the Sacred Heart in Spain who was called to be an apostle of His mercy.

We begin with 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,' recognizing that in these words, sinners find forgiveness and the stain of sin is washed away. We then move to 'Today you will be with me in paradise,' a reminder that faith in the mercy of the Savior cancels our sins and leads us to eternal life. In 'Woman, behold your son,' Jesus gives us His own mother to protect and love us, uniting us to Him through a tight bond.

## The Fulfillment of the Sacrifice

The meditation continues with the cry, 'My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?' Through this mystery of redemption, we became children of God once more and heirs to eternal life. When Jesus says, 'I am thirsty,' He is not merely speaking of physical thirst, but a thirst for the glory of the Father and a thirst for souls. 

Finally, we reach 'It is fulfilled,' marking the completion of the great mystery of love where God gave His own Son to restore life to humanity. The journey ends with 'Into your hands, I commend my spirit,' the ultimate act of trust and surrender to the Father.

*By combining the discipline of physical exercise with the prayer of the Rosary, we can honor God with both our bodies and our spirits.*