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MANILA, Philippines — "Father, into Your hands, I commend my spirit."
That sentence were the last words Jesus Christ spoke before dying on the cross, and the last in a series of phrases called the Seven Last Words or the Siete Palabras.
The first is "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing," which Jesus said right after being nailed to the cross and was mocked by onlookers.
Second is "Truly, today you will be with me in paradise" which Jesus told to the repentant thief, one of two who were crucified beside him.
The third are technically divided into two different phrases — "Woman, here is your son!" and "Here is your mother!" — spoken to the Blessed Mary and the apostle Jesus loved (said to be John) after Jesus spotted the two at the foot of the cross, and the apostle took Mary home.
Jesus cried out the fourth "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" in the middle of suffering the pain of crucifixion.
The fifth is simply "I thirst" after which a soldier lifted a sponge on a hyssop branch dipped in sour wine to Jesus to be sipped on.
After sipping Jesus spoke the sixth, "It is finished," and by mid-afternoon spoke his last — "Father, into Your hands, I commend my spirit."
Each year Catholics reflect on the Siete Palabras, with priests giving speeches and teachings about what each phrase mean.
Some devotees even utter the Siete Palabras while re-enacting the Passion of Christ, from the arrest until being nailed on the cross.
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