The Sentiments of Jesus on the Cross

 March 17, 2026

 The Sentiments of Jesus on the Cross

Hello!  How is each and every one? In my eagerness to start this new series, and respond to the inspiration to share it, I couldn’t find the words to introduce it.  After reading about the first words of Christ from the Cross, I told Him I would like to have the same sentiment.  And from then onwards to the present, I have been praying along that line of “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  Without any doubt the pronoun ‘they’ included myself because the truth is you and I together with all the others have crucified Christ on the Cross and therefore His first words alluded to you and to myself as much as to the others.

I have learned more from the crucifix than from any book.

— St. Thomas Aquinas 

It is no wonder then why St Josemaria, the Saint of the Ordinary, continues to encourage us in his writings to fall in love with the Sacred Humanity of Jesus Christ.

The series is an anthology, a published collection of poems or other pieces of writing all written by the same author, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen.  Who does not know him or has not heard of him? Following now is the introduction given in the book, The Cries of Jesus from the Cross, A Fulton J. Sheen Anthology. Get to know him now or recall who the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen was and who is kept alive by his writings.

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen was a man for all seasons. Over his lifetime, he spent himself for souls, transforming lives with the clear teaching of the truths of Christ and His Church through his books, his radio addresses, his lectures, his television series, and his many newspaper columns. 

The topics of this much-sought-after lecturer ranged from the social concerns of the day to matters of faith and morals. With an easy and personable manner, Sheen could strike up a conversation on just about any subject, making numerous friends as well as converts. 

During the 1930s and ’40s, Fulton Sheen was the featured speaker on The Catholic Hour radio broadcast, and millions of listeners heard his radio addresses each week. His topics ranged from politics and the economy to philosophy and man’s eternal pursuit of happiness.

Along with his weekly radio program, Sheen wrote dozens of books and pamphlets. One can safely say that through his writings, thousands of people changed their perspective about God and the Church. Sheen was quoted as saying, “There are not one hundred people in the United States who hate the Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they wrongly perceive the Catholic Church to be.” Possessing a burning zeal to dispel the myths about Our Lord and His Church, Sheen gave a series of powerful presentations on Christ’s Passion and His seven last words from the Cross. As a Scripture scholar, Archbishop Sheen knew full well the power contained in preaching Christ crucified. With St. Paul, he could say, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2).  

During his last recorded Good Friday address in 1979, Archbishop Sheen spoke of having given this type of reflection on the subject of Christ’s seven last words from the Cross “for the fifty-eighth consecutive time.” Whether from the young priest in Peoria, Illinois, the university professor in Washington, D.C., or the bishop in New York, Sheen’s messages were sure to make an indelible mark on his listeners. 

Given their importance and the impact they had on society, it seemed appropriate to bring together in this anthology some of Archbishop Sheen’s meditations on the words of Jesus and Mary from seven books he wrote from 1933 to 1945: 

The Seven Last Words (New York: Century, 1933)

The Cross and the Beatitudes (New York: P. J. Kenedy and Sons, 1937)

The Rainbow of Sorrow (New York: P. J. Kenedy and Sons, 1938)

Victory over Vice (New York: P. J. Kenedy and Sons, 1939)

The Seven Virtues (New York: P. J. Kenedy and Sons, 1940)

Seven Words to the Cross (New York: P. J. Kenedy and Sons, 1944)

Seven Words of Jesus and Mary (New York: P. J. Kenedy and Sons, 1945) 

This anthology has been arranged into seven chapters, each of which addresses one of the seven last words spoken by Christ on the Cross. And for each chapter, a passage from each of these books has been selected to provide seven unique reflections for study and meditation.  

1. The words spoken by Christ from the Cross

2. The Beatitudes

3. Sorrow and suffering

4. The seven deadly sins

5. Seven virtues

6. Groups who reject the Church and Christ’s teachings

7. The unity of Jesus and Mary

These reflections may be read one after another as they appear in this book, or they may be read randomly as the reader chooses. Since this anthology comprises seven Sheen titles, the reader may also read one complete book at a time. For example, by reading the fourth reflection from each chapter of this anthology, the reader will have read Sheen’s Victory over Vice; or by reading the third reflection from each chapter, he will have read The Rainbow of Sorrow. 

As the reader ponders these reflections, he might have to pause for a moment or two over a sentence that is full of deep meaning that stirs the heart. He might also find that Archbishop Sheen has repeated certain lines throughout these reflections to drive home a point or an important theme, as any good teacher would do. 

On October 2, 1979, when visiting St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, Pope John Paul II embraced Fulton Sheen and spoke into his ear a blessing and an affirmation. He said: “You have written and spoken well of the Lord Jesus Christ. You are a loyal son of the Church.”  

On the day Archbishop Sheen died (December 9, 1979), he was found in his private chapel before the Eucharist in the shadow of the cross. Archbishop Sheen was a man purified in the fires of love and by the wood of the Cross. 

It is hoped that, upon reading these reflections, the reader will concur with the heartfelt affirmation given by St. John Paul II and countless others of Sheen’s wisdom and fidelity. May these writings by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen evoke a greater love and appreciation for the Church, the Lord Jesus Christ, and His Blessed Mother Mary. 

The only times I got a glimpse of the Archbishop in my younger years were those times when some members of the family select programs to watch on television.

Later on I remember I read Treasure in Clay and I found it very interesting but it did not spark the same liking I have now for his writings after I read through the anthology above.

As suggested above, you and I will certainly find the need to pause in order to reflect and to consider provoking ideas, inspiring thoughts, impressive  ones that you and I would like to imitate, take to heart, make life of our life, pray and share with others we know would also want to share and will benefit.

And yet as always the best time and place to consider them fruitfully is during our quiet moments of conversation with Our Lord in prayer. Then He tells us more things and gives us the necessary graces we need to heed whatever He tells us personally.

Oh!!! Just got the prompt to mention March 19, the forthcoming feast day of St. Joseph, father of Jesus and husband of Our Lady.  Given that he is the master of the interior life, patron saint for a happy death, for a good husband and for vocation in life, let’s go to him also for any of our needs.  He will surely take us to Jesus and Mary.

19 March

St Joseph

The Bible pays Joseph the highest compliment: he was a “just” man. The quality meant a lot more than faithfulness in paying debts. 

When the Bible speaks of God “justifying” someone, it means that God, the all-holy or “righteous” One, so transforms a person that the individual shares somehow in God’s own holiness, and hence it is really “right” for God to love him or her. In other words, God is not playing games, acting as if we were lovable when we are not. 

By saying Joseph was “just,” the Bible means that he was one who was completely open to all that God wanted to do for him. He became holy by opening himself totally to God.  

The rest we can easily surmise. Think of the kind of love with which he wooed and won Mary, and the depth of the love they shared during their marriage. 

It is no contradiction of Joseph’s manly holiness that he decided to divorce Mary when she was found to be with child. The important words of the Bible are that he planned to do this “quietly” because he was “a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame” (Matthew 1:19). 

The just man was simply, joyfully, wholeheartedly obedient to God - in marrying Mary, in naming Jesus, in shepherding the precious pair to Egypt, in bringing them to Nazareth, in the undetermined number of years of quiet faith and courage.

The Bible tells us nothing of Joseph in the years after the return to Nazareth except the incident of finding Jesus in the Temple (see Luke 2:41–51). Perhaps this can be taken to mean that God wants us to realize that the holiest family was like every other family, that the circumstances of life for the holiest family were like those of every family, so that when Jesus’ mysterious nature began to appear, people couldn’t believe that he came from such humble beginnings: “Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary...?” (Matthew 13:55a). It was almost as indignant as “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (John 1:46b).

Quote:

“He was chosen by the eternal Father as the trustworthy guardian and protector of his greatest treasures, namely, his divine Son and Mary, Joseph’s wife. He carried out this vocation with complete fidelity until at last God called him, saying: ‘Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord’” (St Bernardine of Siena) [From the DRM, 2021(3)]

See you in the next post, “May tomorrow be a perfect day; may you find love and laughter along the way; may God keep you in his tender care; ‘til He brings us together again.”

Affectionately,                    

Guadalupinky