Father, saying, "Pater dimitte illis: non enim sciunt quidfaciunt." " Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." To the thief: "This day thou shalt be with me in paradise." To his Mother: " Woman behold thy Son." To the people he said: " I thirst." And to God again: " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" "Consummatum est:" "It is consummated." Into thy hands I commend my spirit.
Ruminate, my soul, with what exceeding charity, he made intercession to his heavenly Father, for his enemies and persecutors; with what piety and mercy he received the penitent thief into his favor; with what affection he committed his mother to the protection of his beloved disciple; with what ardor he testified himself vehemently to thirst after the salvation of mankind; with what clamor he thundered out his prayer, expressing to the divine Majesty the grievousness of his tribulations; how perfectly he fulfilled the obedience enjoined to him by his heavenly Father; and lastly, how he yielded his soul into his blessed hands.
Every one of which words do afford us a great deal of matter for our instruction; in the first, we are taught to love our enemies; in the second, mercy towards sinners; in the third, piety towards our parents; in the fourth, to thirst after our neighbor's salvation; in the fifth, when we are oppressed with tribulations, and seeming as it were, to be left of God, to
