(224) A Mother's Day & Senior Night on the Gallia Academy Baseball Field in Gallipolis, Ohio

AMDG

         It was a beautiful afternoon for baseball; it was Beverly Faro Day and Senior Night in the game between Gallia Academy and Coal Grove High School.  Mother’s Day came early for her.  After all, she’s like a mother to her son’s close friends on the team.  

 

   Beverly is valiantly fighting Stage 3 breast cancer.......painful chemo for now with radiation and surgery in the future.  May all she’s going through make her a saint as she gets closer to God and trusts.  Beverly Faro has faced much adversity like a champion with an abundance of resilient faith, strength, and courage.  

           All refreshment receipts and raffle tickets went for her treatment.  The players wore pink socks and pink belts in a show of support.  A beautiful act of Christian love was how the fans, boosters, and players rallied to give their support, not only for Beverly Faro, but also for all women suffering from breast cancer.  There's so much evil in the world; yet so much heart warming good in people.

       Beverly and Dr. David Faro are raising five children: D.J., a medical doctor in residency at EAMC/WVU; John, a student at the University of Cincinnati Medical School; Kimberly a graduating senior at Kent State University set to enter the Ohio State University Pharmacy School; Jacob, a Chemistry major at the University of Rio Grande; and Josh, a senior at Gallia Academy.  To help them all through college, Dr. David works as a VA Podiatrist and Beverly has worked the night shift skillfully sanitizing vats at Bellisio Foods in Jackson, Ohio.  Last year, this mother of five stated:  “I would make any sacrifice for my children”.

         In addition Beverly and her husband David lovingly took in a little girl named Allison as one of their own children for ten years until her birth family was able to solve its problems.  Today she’s studying to become a nurse practitioner.  That generous love is making a difference in a person’s life.

       

A Baseball Mom and Wife. Her son Josh started at first base and pitched two scoreless innings (the 3rd & the 4th) with five strikeouts and no hits.  This was memorable because he could not pitch since the beginning of the season when the muscle in his elbow tightened because of a shoulder problem.

 Josh’s older brother, John played left field for Gallia Academy before graduating in 2013.  He was the only Gallia player to hit a home run out of the ball park built in 2009.  It was a 350 foot drive over the wall in left-center field.  He happens to be my daughter Naomi’s boy friend.

  His father shared a gem of wisdom regarding Josh's injury: “God has given Josh a talent as a gift.  He can give and He can take away”.  Our Lord must have permitted Josh’s injury for a reason that will make him a better person. God's perspective is eternity.  Dr. Faro loves baseball and is very knowledgeable of the game.

 At another game he added: “Every person is dealt a hand of cards and we must deal with it.”  May we all deal with inevitable adversity with faith, courage, and prayerful trust in God that He will help us to get through it and things will work out for the best in the long run.

Josh Faro throws another strike.

          Only a few days before on April 25 Josh was given clearance for 20 pitches including warm-ups by the sports medicine physician at Marshall University for the next two weeks.  This raises hopes that he can pitch a few critical innings in the playoffs when he will be cleared for 40 pitches.

        Last year’s pitching ace, Josh Faro carried his team into the second round of the playoffs before losing 1 - 0 to Hillsboro in extra innings.  His 2018 stats were outstanding……. a 9 – 1 win-loss record with a 1.13 earned run average over 68 1/3 innings with 108 strikeouts and only 17 walks.  Josh has already been awarded a full tuition scholarship to play baseball for the University of Rio Grande and major in Chemistry and Biology.  He should be 100% by then (see Blog #209 https://paulrsebastianphd.blogspot.com/2018/10/every-little-league-pitcher-dreams-of.html for details, including a video and an interview of Josh).  

Josh Faro signs his letter of intent and accepting his full tuition scholarship at the University of Rio Grande in March.  Josh is flanked on the left by his father, Dr. David Faro and on the right by his mother, Beverly Faro and his brother, Jacob Faro.  Standing are GAHS Assistant Jack James, GAHS Head Baseball Coach Justin Bailey, University of Rio Grande Head Coach Brad Warnimont, 2018 Head Coach Rich Corvin, and GAHS assistant Jeremy Brumfield.

         The score was tied at 3 - 3 in the last half of the 6th inning and a man on third.  Josh Faro came up to bat and drove in the winning run with a solid hit over 2nd base.  THAT HIT WAS FOR MAMA!!!  He then scored the insurance run on a two out single by Morgan Stanley to make the final score Gallia Academy 5 Coal Grove 3.  For more detail on the game and action photos see
https://www.mydailytribune.com/sports/39608/gallia-academy-sweeps-hornets-5-3.

        Post game, the parents processed with their senior sons, including Dr. David and Beverly Faro with their son Josh, a fitting end to a great day.  It was a privilege for my wife Jaga and I to be there and witness it all.

 

Beverly and Dr. David Faro process with their son Josh on Senior Night from the 3^rd base to home plate.

         Prayers are powerful.  Please pray for Beverly Faro.  She still has a tough road ahead.  Your prayers can make a difference.

      The seniors honored are in the photos below.

Head Coach Justin Bailey on the far left with his seven graduating seniors 3-Brendan Carter, 4-Morgan Stanley, 1-Cole Davis, 27-Garrett McGuire, Assistant Coach Craig Sanders, 9-Wyatt Sipple, 11-Josh Faro, and 10-Justin McClelland.

From left to right seniors Wyatt Sipple, Josh Faro, and Garrett McGuire.

       Postscript.  Josh Faro completed his career at Gallia Academy, holding every pitching record except two.......number of complete games and number of innings pitched.  Those two records really were not possible because of a new rule limiting the number of pitches without at least a day or two of rest to protect the arms of the young pitchers.  Nevertheless, Faro still had arm problems that limited his post high school career.  He probably would have needed Tommy John surgery with a risk of arm pain throughout his life.  Certainly Josh Faro will some day be inducted into the Gallia Academy Sports Hall of Fame.  He hopes to continue in baseball as a pitching coach.  To be able to reach young kids who don't know where they are going is a very noble calling. 

(223) Living With Christ During the Easter Season Through Images of the Holy Land

AMDG

The empty tomb within a shrine enclosed by the Church of the Holy Sepulcher..

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.  And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, approached, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it.  His appearance was like lightning and his clothing was white as snow.  The guards were shaken with fear of him and became like dead men.  Then the angel said to the women in reply, "Do not be afraid!  I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified.  He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay (Matthew 28:1-6).  

Then they went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples.  And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage.  Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me" (Matthew 28:10).  The brothers were all stunned and incredulous “for they did not yet understand the Scripture that He had to rise from the dead” (John 20:9) as Our Lord told them.
 

       Resurexit sicut dixit!  He is risen as He truly said!  Alleluia!  Thus we relive this great day in salvation history as well as world history.  Jesus Christ said that He would rise from the dead on the third day of being crucified and He did…….no other person in world history can make that claim.  This gave much greater credibility to His teaching.   The biblical accounts are considered to be valid historical documents.  

        Our Lord went through an arduous passion like no one ever endured since medically it is doubtful anyone else would have survived it for as long as He did……all to make reparation for countless sins.  The Son of God made the ultimate sacrifice of Himself for each one of us…….such was His infinite love for you and me.  No sacrifice of reparation could satisfy the Father; only His dearly beloved Son could.

At His death, Jesus descended into the netherworld of Abraham, the prophets, and their followers…….waiting centuries for the day of redemption.  Christ indeed made reparation for the great sin of Adam and Eve as well as all of the sins of the world past, present, and future.

      Looking into the Empty Tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

At His Resurrection the gates of Heaven were opened to all of mankind who remain faithful.  That includes you and me.  Jesus won for us the victory over evil and death.  Therefore Easter is a day of such joy for us all.  Because Jesus rose from the dead, so can we rise from the dead to new life in Heaven……"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him"  (1Corinthians 2:9).  

This was really the second Passover.  The holy people and prophets of the Old Testament were waiting up to 4000 years to be freed from the bondage of original sin and pass over into Heaven.  We are freed from the slavery of sin and death and journey through the desert of life and pass over into Heaven as long as we remain faithful to Christ and His Church.  

Sooner or later each one of us will have to undergo a passion of our own because there is no resurrection without the passion.  Thus there is meaning to suffering and accepted with faith and trust will make us saints.

           The Dormition of Mary Church next to the Upper Room on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem.

      The site of the tomb of David is next to the church.  According to tradition, Mary

                did not die, but fell into a deep sleep and was taken up into Heaven (Her Assumption). 

For fear of the Jews, the apostles were cooped up in the Cenacle or Upper Room shown below.  In his glorified body Jesus was able to go through the walls and appear to His apostles.   As an eye witness, St. John describes it beautifully in his own words:

       On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you."   When he had said this, he showed them His hands and His side.  The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.  (Jesus) said to them again, "Peace be with you.  As the Father has sent me, so I send you."  And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit.  Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained" (John 20:19-23).  

  Thus Jesus Christ instituted the sacrament of Reconciliation.  We confess to a priest (as persona Christi or other Christ) so that he can judge whether to forgive or retain sins and give us wise counsel.

The Cenacle or Upper Room, the site of the Last Supper and where Christ appeared to the apostles after His Resurrection.

      The absent St. Thomas did not believe that Jesus appeared to them.  Several days later our Lord appeared again and St. Thomas exclaimed: “My Lord and my God!”  Jesus answered and said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me?   Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."  Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of (his) disciples that are not written in this book.  But these are written that you may (come to) believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in His name (John 20:28-32).

The Lake of Galilee where several apostles fished for a living.

        Fishers of Men. On Lake Galilee, pictured above, Peter and several apostles were fishing.  When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.  Jesus said to them, "Children, have you caught anything to eat?" They answered him, "No."  So he said to them, "Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something." So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish (John 21:4-6).  They caught 153 fish which was the number of known countries at the time.  They had breakfast together with our Lord, who also ate, showing that He could not be a spirit.  Spirits don’t eat.

A Polish nun meditates during our boat trip on the Lake of Galilee on some of the events on  and along these waters.

Then Jesus asked Peter an important question that He implicitly asks us.  He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." (Jesus) said to him, "Feed my sheep” (John 21:17).  Here our Lord made it clear that Peter had a great mission as the leader of the Church, the first Pope and principal shepherd to nurture and spread the faith.  Today Pope Francis, the 265^th successor of Peter, has the same mission.

Appendix

See Blog #84 Meditations For the Rosary IV: The Glorious Mysteries

http://paulrsebastianphd.blogspot.com/2012/05/84-meditations-of-rosary-glorious.html

Other Photos

                                        

On the Lake of Galilee and a boat ride.

A School of Fine Arts on the Lake of Galilee.

Jaga and Paul Sebastian on the Mediterranean Sea near Haifa, Israel. 

(222) Living With Christ During Holy Week Through Images of the Holy Land

AMDG

Looking down from the Mount of Olives into the Kidron Valley and Jerusalem as Christ triumphally entered Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday.

Palm Sunday.   Jesus was leaving the home of Martha and Mary in Bethany, where…..Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair (John 12:3).

 

And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too, because many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him.  On the next day, when the great crowd that had come to the feast (of Passover) heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took palm branches and went out to meet him, and cried out: "Hosanna!  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel" (John 12:10-13).

St. Luke (19:28-40) gives more detail:  After he had said this, he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.  As he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples.  He said, "Go into the village opposite you, and as you enter it you will find a colt tethered on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here.  And if anyone should ask you, 'Why are you untying it?' you will answer, 'The Master has need of it.'"  So those who had been sent went off and found everything just as he had told them.  And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying this colt?"  They answered, "The Master has need of it."  So they brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks over the colt, and helped Jesus to mount.

 

As he rode along, the people were spreading their cloaks on the road; and now as he was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of his disciples began to praise God aloud with joy for all the mighty deeds they had seen.  They proclaimed:  "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.  Peace in heaven and glory in the highest."  Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples." He said in reply, "I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will cry out!"

The Church of Dominus Flevit on the Mount of Olives.

Above is the Church of Dominus Flevit in the shape of a teardrop, the site of Christ’s lament over Jerusalem.  As he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If this day you only knew what makes for peace - but now it is hidden from your eyes.  For the days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade against you; they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides.  They will smash you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another within you because you did not recognize the time of your visitation." (Luke 19:41-44).  This indeed came to pass in the Year 70 AD when the future Emperor Titus besieged and destroyed the city to put down a rebellion by the Zealots.  Even the temple was destroyed.

 

Jesus specifically asked for the colt of a donkey to ride into Jerusalem as is custom for a newly anointed king who seeks a peaceful reign, thus fulfilling the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9.  From the Mt. of Olives where the above photo (at the beginning of the article) was taken.  Jesus then came down the Mount of Olives into the Kidron Valley and triumphantly up into Jerusalem through the gate on the right in the top photo.  It is called the Golden Gate and the Gate of Mercy.  Notice that it is bricked up.  Centuries ago the radical Muslim conquerors closed the gate to Christian worship.

The Muslim golden Dome of the Rock is prominent in the photo.  It was built on the site where Abraham with great sadness was in the process of sacrificing His beloved son Isaac to the Lord as He had asked, but an Angel intervened in the last moment (Genesis 22).  

    Some 3000 years later God, our Father, did indeed sacrifice His only begotten son, Jesus Christ, as reparation for our sins so that Heaven may be open to us unless we reject it through sin.  Paradoxically, the three great religions often in conflict, all consider Abraham as their father.  The Muslims recognize Christ as a prophet.  Only the Christians recognize Him as the Son of God, fully divine yet fully human.

The Temple Mount: the outer wall of the original temple which was destroyed by the Romans.

Behind the Dome of the Rock is the Temple Mount which is shown above.  Only a few of the outer walls of the original temple remain.  Notice the devout Orthodox Jews, many dressed in black, praying as they face one of the original walls.  That wall is often called the “Wailing Wall” because the Jews pray there and lament the loss of the temple which was never rebuilt and never will be.  Thus Judaism has synagogues for prayer around the world, but no temple for the sacrifice of lambs.

      

A model of the temple in the time of Christ.  It was destroyed by the Roman Emperor Titus in the 70 AD.

      The Last Supper.  Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me."  And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you (Luke 22:19-20).  Thus our Lord instituted the sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Holy Orders.

The Site of the Last Supper is seen in the photo above, often called the Cenacle (meaning dining room) and the Upper Room.  The apostles used it as a meeting place.  It was spared during the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans.  It seems that this, the original Cenacle, although repaired and restored, miraculously survived the  destruction of the Byzantine and Crusader churches around it (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cenacle).

 

At every Mass the priest as another Christ (Persona Christi) repeats those same words in the Consecration of the Mass and we receive the Lord Himself.  In fact, transcending time, the Last Supper and Calvary are brought to us in every Mass, which is the unbloody sacrifice of Jesus.

John’s Gospel describes a beautiful act of humility of Our Lord.  Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father.  He loved his own in the world and He loved them to the end.  The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over. So, during supper, fully aware that the Father had put everything into His power and that He had come from God and was returning to God, He rose from supper and took off his outer garments.  

He took a towel and tied it around his waist.  Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and dry them with the towel around his waist.  He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Master, are you going to wash my feet?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later." 

So when he had washed their feet (and) put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, "Do you realize what I have done for you?  You call me 'teacher' and 'master,' and rightly so, for indeed I am.  If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet.  I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do” (John 13:1-15).

On this the first Holy Thursday when Christ instituted the sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Holy Orders, this clearly demonstrates that the vocation of the priest is to serve God and His people and never to abuse anyone in any way.  In fact, all of us, as members of the common priesthood by our Baptism, are called to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with the ordained priest and to serve each other.

The Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane at the foot of the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus took the apostles to the Garden (above photo) as he often did, to pray.  When he arrived at the place he said to them, "Pray that you may not undergo the test."  After withdrawing about a stone's throw from them and kneeling, he prayed, saying, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done."  And to strengthen Him an angel from heaven appeared to Him.  He was in such agony and He prayed so fervently that His sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground (Luke 22:39-46).  

     The sweating of blood is medically possible as a result of capillaries breaking and can occur under extreme anguish and fear such as when Christ saw what was coming in His crucifixion.

       

 The photo above is the Garden of Gethsemane (meaning olive press).  According to carbon dating, the olive trees in the foreground date to 200-300 years before the time of Christ.  The wood of the cross of Christ was from an olive tree.  Judas led the chief priests and a band of soldiers here to seize Jesus, betraying Him by pointing Him out with a kiss.   Our Lord went through a long night and morning of a so called trial by the Sanhedrin for a show of legality.  Then they took Jesus to the puppet King Herod and the Roman governor Pontius Pilate to obtain permission for a crucifixion.  Our Lord appeared before them with a calm grace, trusting in His Father’s will and His help to carry him through the ordeal.

The site where St. Peter denied knowing Christ three times.

The statue of Christ after being scourged in the Chapel of the Flagellation before                          accepting His cross as we all should.

There was flagellation (above photo) with 120 lashes (according to the Shroud of Turin) by a whip with a number of strands tipped with small lead balls and pieces of bone.  With each lash blood sprayed onto the ground.  The scourges alone would kill a weaker man.  The crown of thorns pounded into His skull added injury and insult to the King of the Universe.

            A mosaic of Christ carrying His cross on the site where He was 
condemned to death.  May we accept the crosses that life brings
to each one of us as the Lord did and offer them to the Father as
dynamic prayers for the conversion of sinners and our personal 
intentions.  The cross is a path to sanctity and ultimate victory.

The Via Dolorosa or Way of the Cross that Our Lord carried His cross to Golgotha or  Calvary               

Then our Lord had to carry His cross up the Via Dolorosa or sorrowful way of the cross to Calvary with some help by Simon of Cyrene.  A chapel or plaque marks each station of the cross (See Appendix)……..falling three times and continuing on; the compassion of Veronica and the Women of Jerusalem which was a consolation; etc.   His faithful mother suffered with Him the whole way to Calvary, was with her dying son beneath the cross for the three hours, and helped to bury Him (see Mel Gibson’s movie, “The Passion of Christ”.

The altar of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, on the spot where Christ suffered and died for our sins.                  Notice that Mary is under the cross, faithful to the end.  Mary is also faithful to us, her children.

The above photo depicts the Crucifixion over the actual spot in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.  It is said that Adam is buried beneath that spot where Christ redeemed him and billions of others.  Pilgrims can touch the original rock below the altar.  St. Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine in the 4^th century looked for the most likely place that old crosses would be deposited.  She tested a piece of wood approximately 1.5 inches by 1 inch by 1 inch and touched it to the body of a paralytic.  Since he was immediately healed, she concluded that it is a relic of the true cross.  Many cathedrals have a relic of the true cross in the form of a splinter from that fragment.

 

The intensity of our Lord’s suffering matched the intensity of His love for us.  Each breath that Christ took was excruciating because our Lord had to lift himself up against the nail in each wrist.  He could only speak seven times (See Appendix) with great love to all…….expressing his thirst for sinners to repent and ask for His mercy; forgiving His executioners; giving us His own mother as our mother to guide us to God; showing mercy to the repentant good thief; commending His spirit to the Father, and exclaiming in triumph, “IT IS FINISHED!”  May we follow Him, imitate Him, and do what He tells us.

       Notice that Mary is under the cross, faithful to the end.  Mary is also faithful to us, her children.

      

Appendix

See Blog #73 Meditations For the Rosary II: The 5^th Luminous Mystery, the Institution of the Eucharist.

        http://paulrsebastianphd.blogspot.com/2012/03/73-meditations-of-rosary-ii-luminous.html

(78) Meditations For the Rosary III: The Sorrowful Mysteries

        http://paulrsebastianphd.blogspot.com/2012/03/77-rosary-meditations-iii-sorrowful.html

            Doctors have written articles on the medical aspects of the Christ's passion and can only conclude that He had tremendous endurance and superhuman strength to bear it all and stay alive for as long as He did.  See www.evangelicaloutreach.org/crucifix.htm, www.ldolphin.org/kwells9.html,www.frugalsites.net/jesus/crucifixion.htm, www.ethoughts.org/crucifixion_description.htm.
   

The Stations of the Cross

            The Bible covers the Way of the Cross (Via Dolorosa) to Calvary or Golgotha in Matthew 27:32-33; Mark 15:20-22); Luke 23:26-33; and John 19:16-17.  Some of the Stations of the Cross are biblical.  Others are implied from the biblical account or taken from tradition as the Christ’s meeting with Veronica. 

1. Jesus Is Condemned to Death

     (Matthew 26:57-68; 27:11-26; Mark 14:53-65; 15:1-15; Luke 22:66-23:25; John 18:19-24; 28-40; 19:1-16).

     Pontius Pilate condemns Jesus to death.  

2. Jesus Takes Up His Cross (John 19:17).

    Jesus willingly accepts and patiently bears his cross.

3. Jesus Falls the First Time.

    Weakened by torments and by loss of blood, Jesus falls beneath his cross.

4. Jesus Meets His Sorrowful Mother.

    Jesus meets his mother, Mary, who is filled with grief.

5. Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus Carry the Cross (Matthew 27:32; Mark 15:20-22; Luke 23:26).

    Soldiers force Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross.

6. Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus.

    Veronica steps through the crowd to wipe the face of Jesus.

7. Jesus Falls a Second Time.

    Jesus falls beneath the weight of the cross a second time.

8. Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem (Luke 23:27-31).  

    Jesus tells the women to weep not for him but for themselves and for their children.

9. Jesus Falls the Third Time.

    Weakened almost to the point of death, Jesus falls a third time.

10. Jesus Is Stripped of His Garments.

      The soldiers strip Jesus of his garments, treating him as a common criminal.

11. Jesus Is Nailed to the Cross.

      Jesus’ hands and feet are nailed to the cross.

12. Jesus Dies on the Cross (Matthew 27:45-56; Mark 15:33-41; Luke 23:44-49; John 19:25-37).

      After suffering greatly on the cross, Jesus bows his head and dies.

13. Jesus Is Taken Down From the Cross.

      The lifeless body of Jesus is tenderly placed in the arms of Mary, his mother.

14. Jesus Is Laid in the Tomb (Matthew 27:57-60; Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42).

      Jesus’ disciples place his body in the tomb.

The Seven Words of Christ From the Cross  

1)      "”Father, forgive them; they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). 

2)      The good thief said: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied to him, "”Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise"  (Luke 23:39-43). 

3)      When Jesus saw his mother the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”  Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home” (John 19:25-27). 

4)      After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I "thirst.” (John 19:28). 

5)      "”My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34-35). 

6)      “It is finished."   And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit (John 19:30). 

7)      "”Father, into your hands I commend my spirit"’ and when he had said this he breathed his last

  (Luke 23:46).

                                            Other Photos