Kretzmann, O.P.

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Valparaiso University

Valparaiso UniversityValpoScholarO.P. Kretzmann Collection University Archives & Special Collections10-1944Lenten and Easter Meditation: Voices of thePassion: The Seven Words from the Cross: TheSixth Word, 1944O.P. KretzmannValparaiso UniversityFollow this and additional works at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/kretzmann_collectionPart of the Christianity CommonsThis Collection Record is brought to you for free and open access by the University Archives & Special Collections at ValpoScholar. It has beenaccepted for inclusion in O.P. Kretzmann Collection by an authorized administrator of ValpoScholar. For more information, please contact aValpoScholar staff member at scholar@valpo.edu.Recommended CitationKretzmann, O.P., "Lenten and Easter Meditation: Voices of the Passion: The Seven Words from the Cross: The Sixth Word, 1944"(1944). O.P. Kretzmann Collection. 121.https://scholar.valpo.edu/kretzmann_collection/121~ THE SEVEN WORDS ~ TEE CROSS TEE SIXTH WORD "It Is Finished" This is the moment of the Cross triumphant. The divine plan of salvation for the redemption of humanity moves to its close. It is probable that the last few moments on Calvary were very quiet. Even mobs became still when death comes. ~ Again our Saviour raise~ His head and the magnificent words"It Is Finished" sound over the hill and the world like the trumpet of salvation. To the mob, the Scribes and Pharisees~ these words must have sounded like the crack of doom. They were killing t his ~~ but He seemed to feel that He had won a victory. Had they, after all, lost in their battle against the carpenter's Son from Nazareth? Yes, they had: Each thorn in His crown was becon¥-ng a shining gem in His diadem of • \,i;. glory, e nails were being forged into the scepter of a King,and His wounds were clothing Him with the purple of empire • Be had won! The world was changed. Humanity was redeemed. Now the eternal fate of all men in all ages would be be determined by the Cross. There could/no neutrali ty over against the final 4. .., fact of history and life. Until the Day of Judgment it would be d a stone or of stumbling ~ the way to Heaven. "It is finished!tt This is the cry of final victory. All history testifies to this fact. Since that day the story of men is a continuing testimony of His power. Even when they hate I!im, they can not leave Him alone. They speak against Him, they write books against Him, they live without Him. It should be very clear to us of the twentieth century that the enemies of our Lord provide one of the e greatest proofs ~ His living victory and power. When all is said and done, only the emotion of love reaches beyond the grave. When a loved one dies, our love does not die with him. Hate, however, does not reach beyond the grave. Men do not hate the dead. Toda no one hates Napoleon, ·or Caesar, or Genghis Khan. By their hatred of Elm the enemies of our Lord testi~ to His continuing power. THE SIXTH WORD - "It is Finished" -2-There are two kinds of faith in the world, the saving faith of the redeemed and the protesting faith of the unbelieving. Both are evidences of the dynarnic life · of our Lord in the world. "It is finished!" Today we may be tempted to say: "Lord, nothing is finished. The clouds of hate and fear hang dark over the world. Untold mil• . lions are still without t he Crass. Even Thy Church is often sluggish and cold.• When such thoughts come to us of the twentieth century, we must remember the full meaning of His dying cry. It meant that His work was done anfhat He would now be with us and His Church for all time. "Lo~ I am with you alway~ even unto the end of the world." He has said farewell to our eyes but not to us. Yes~ the work of God is finished. Everything is done. It is now up to us to bring that message · to the world' • "It is finishedZ" Sometime sooner or later we shall come to our own twilight as He came to it on t he Cross. We~ too~ shall face the door of death. Our Lord's voice will come to us: "Put away the little t hings of life and living. your little treasures; your little hopes and fears. It is time for you to say your prayers and II go to sleep. We shall not want to go, but His voice will be warm and insistent ~another morning. Our own-:stert -:-:::: moment of-· God! By the power of His dying cry1 "It is finished" we shall wake up in Heaven to see finally and forever t he full plan of God completed for us and in us. Flaming and glowing against the walls of Heaven, ~11 our little unfinished problems will be cleansed, glorified, and transfigured. They will be finished for us over night by hands that were once torn with nails. Between this hour and that hour we can live ~ the faith in His cry: "It is finished ! " We can face the world sure and unafraid. He will lead. Our salvation is sure. Our life is safe. 

Lenten and Easter Meditation: Voices of the Passion: The Seven Words from the Cross: The Sixth Word, 1944

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Lenten and Easter Meditation: Voices of the Passion: The Seven Words from the Cross: The Sixth Word, 1944

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