“What was the last thing she said to you before she died?” “What was the last thing he told you before he passed away?” We often treasure the last words that a loved one was able to speak to us prior to their death.

The Church, too, treasures the last words that Jesus spoke to us. According to the Gospel accounts, Jesus was able to speak seven times as he hung upon the Cross on Good Friday. Over the centuries, the Church developed a devotion to “The Seven Last Words of Christ,” giving us an opportunity to focus on the seven statements Jesus made as he died for us. You know many of these statements: “Father, forgive them. They know not what they do.” And “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

During the Season of Lent, 2026, speakers from Saint Mary’s & other parishes offered a series of presentations focused on “The Seven Last Words of Christ.” As we ponder these Words of Love from Calvary, we have the opportunity to understand what Jesus was trying to tell us in those crucial hours, allowing his final words to deepen our faith during the holy season of Lent.

Recorded February/March, 2026.