Words from the Cross
Stephen C. Rowan
Pauline McGrath (Illustrator)
ISBN 9780896223547
eISBN 089622354X
I discovered this volume while searching for older Stations of the Cross from Twenty-Third Publications. The cover grabbed my attention and I tracked it down to give it a read.
The description of this volume states:
“Here are seven of the most moving meditations on the final “words” of Jesus you will ever read and pray over. The author weaves historical background and biblical scholarship into an inspirational tapestry of Jesus’ final “ministry.”
You will feel how dehumanizing it was to be crucified. Your love for Jesus will deepen as never before. As you read and pray along with the insights into the nature and implication of Jesus’ death, you will be in awe of the salvific sacrifice of Calvary.
As you meditate on the final phrases of Jesus, you will gain new appreciation of each gospel writer's sensitivities and unique message about Jesus. You will reach new understandings of Jesus’ passion as you reflect upon those present at the crucifixion — the Roman soldiers gambling over Jesus’ garment, the taunting prisoner hanging on the cross next to Jesus, and, of course, the loving and constant presence of Mary.
And you won't be left on Golgotha alone and wondering after the crucified Lord breathes his last. These soul-searching reflections pave the way to examine modern day participaton in the same sinfulness that led to Jesus’ rejection and, ultimately, his execution. They also bear a consoling witness to ease the troubling anxiety caused by all the undeserved sufferings you see around you in today's world.”
About the author we are informed:
“Stephen C. Rowan is a priest of the Archdiocese of Seattle and a professor of English at Seattle University. His pastoral experience, his knowledge of scripture, and his love of language blend beautifully in this prayerful volume.”
about the illustrator:
“Pauline McGrath is a Dominican Sister from Ireland. Her dramatic illustrations of Jesus’ last words grace this book and grow from her personal experiences of suffering, pain, loss, and faith in a loving and saving God.”
The chapters in this book are:
Twenty-Third Publications
Introduction
FIRST WORD
“Father Forgive them.”
SECOND WORD
“Today you will be with me in paradise.”
THIRD WORD
“Woman, behold your son!”
FORTH WORD
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
FIFTH WORD
“I thirst.”
SIXTH WORD
“It is finished.”
SEVENTH WORD
“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”
I highlighted numerous passages while reading this book some of them are:
“Reflections on the seven “words” that Jesus spoke from the cross are traditionally part of the Tre Ore service for Good Friday. That service, which is distinct from the liturgy for the day and consists of prayers, sermons, and reflective music, encourages an identification with the mind of Christ by focusing on his words from the cross as recorded by the evangelists.”
“These words of Jesus — and the cross itself — serve as touchstones of the Gospel, and for that reason they are offered to us as the words we need to hear and are waiting for.”
“I have drawn on the work of two contemporary theologians: on Karl Rahner for his reflections on how the Gospel words—like the truly poetic words they are—make the silent mystery present in an irreplaceable way, touch the heart of our deepest human concerns, and bring us together as a people united in our hearing of these words. From David Tracy I have learned how the Gospels as “classics” throw light on our contemporary experience and show something of the depths implied in it. They manifest what is so for us and, at the same time, they proclaim the relative inadequacy of our culture’s assumptions.”
“I hope that you, the reader of these reflections, will be encouraged to look for ways in which the wisdom of the cross addresses you. Although this book can easily be read in one sitting, perhaps you would prefer to take one word at a time, letting the word and the reflection on it prod the direction of - your own thoughts for a couple of days before returning to the following one.”
“To use a term we have invented in our time, the authorities want to make Jesus a non-person, someone with no history and no voice, with no effect on others that would detract from the power of the State, a blank where a name used to be.”
“Christian belief recognizes in Pilate's inscription the truth that Jesus is, indeed, a King. But Pilate did not intend a tribute to Jesus, but only contempt for Jesus and his people. This outlaw, he says, this non-person, this slave of Roman law is your king.”
“Jesus convicts the world of sin when he prays that we be forgiven, and, at the same time, through forgiveness he breaks the cycle of endless and senseless violence and opens for us a new future.”
“This is the cry of every humble human heart. It echoes our most fundamental human need: “Jesus, remember me. Let me know that I matter; give me a chance to begin a new life; help me to find that total well-being we call salvation.” Remember me! I have no reason for hope that I can create for myself, but I will not despair. Rather, I will count on the reason for hope that you have proclaimed through your life and brought you to the cross. “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.””
“And because Jesus is human to the full, we know that he understands everything that is truly human about us, including our fears, our weaknesses, our temptations, our loneliness, our many moral dilemmas, our need for God and for one another.”
“In the crucified Christ we have someone who understands how it feels to face a blank wall or to imagine himself trapped in a box or a cage. He knows that at those times you think that you are all alone and everyone else—including God—is getting along well enough without you. Jesus knows the washed-out feeling; the fear of never being able to get back to life; the horrible doubt that somewhere along the road of life you took a wrong turn and are too lost, now, for anything to matter. Jesus knows the isolated feeling of men and women who are divorced; of people who have deadened themselves with alcohol and drugs; of women who have been battered or even raped; of men who have been let go from work or who did not make the cut; of people who suffer bouts of depression and chronic physical disability.”
“Only if we understand this cry of anguish for what it truly is, as a real cry and as our cry, only then can we be prepared to trust that Jesus has found his way beyond our own greatest fears.”
“The work of Jesus is also one of care for the church and for humanity, giving them into the charge of one another so that after Jesus’ death each will have a home through his Spirit.”
“No wonder, then, that Jesus can say that his work is finished, that it has reached its goal. Jesus has transformed the meaning of the cross for all time. It is no longer merely an instrument of execution proving that the state must always have the final word. No, the cross is a sign of contradiction, overturning the verdict of the state and proving the world wrong about who has sinned and about what justice is. The cross cancels out the power of darkness by proving that the light shines on in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it.”
“The final words from the cross come from the Gospel of Luke, and they sum up Luke’s portrait of Jesus as the witness— the martyr—for the Kingdom of God.”
“We forget the word “sacrifice” means to “make holy” by giving it over to God.”
“When Jesus dies, he does so as head of his body the church. He goes before us, showing us the way. He is like the anchor of a boat thrown ahead into the deep and taking sure hold at a place we cannot see.”
I hope those quotes give you a feel for this volume. This was an excellent read. It was so hard to put down. But I decided to read each of the words one day at a time. As I worked through them it was fascinating to read the various meanings both short term and long term. As well as the implications to our own life and growth. The illustrations are excellent and can easily be used for visio divina.
This little volume is an excellent read. If it was still in print or available digitally there are at least a dozen people I would recommend it to. It was so good even though there appears to be overlap in subject I am looking to track down the other three volumes from Father Rowan.
A great read if you can lay your hands on it!
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan!
Books by Stephen C. Rowan:
In the Shadow of the Cross: The Seven Last Words of Jesus
Nicene Creed: Poetic Words for a Prosaic World
The Parables of Calvary: Reflections on the Seven Last Words of Jesus
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