Seven Last Words: An Invitation to a Deeper Friendship with Jesus

James Martin

Feb 2016 · Sold by HarperCollins

About this ebook

“Spiritually rewarding and uplifting.” — Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York

New York Times bestselling author and editor at large of America magazine Father James Martin reveals how we can turn to Christ completely in mind, heart, and soul. Martin offers a portrait of Jesus, using his last words on the cross to reveal how deeply he understood our predicaments and shows us what it means to be fully human.

Each meditation is dedicated to one of the seven sayings:

• “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
• “Today you will be with me in Paradise.”
• “Woman, this is your son”  . . .  “This is your mother.”
• “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
• “I thirst.”
• “It is finished.”
• “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”

With the warmth, wisdom, and grace that infuse his works, Father James Martin explains why Jesus’s crucifixion and death on the cross is an important teaching moment in the Gospels. Jesus’s final statements, words that are deeply cherished by his followers, exemplify the depth of his suffering but also provide a key to his empathy and why we can connect with him so deeply.

Ratings and reviews

This is the best book and it's worth reading. While I was reading the pages of the book, the first thing I was thinking about my broken and divided family and my mom sincerely hopes and prays that my older brother will stop holding grudges against her and starts to forgive her. And the book also helps me get through good and bad times and regardless of what I go through, Jesus will always help me out and will not disappoint me at all.

About the author

Rev. James Martin, SJ, is a Jesuit priest, editor at large of America magazine, consultor to the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication, and author of numerous books, including the New York Times bestsellers Jesus: A Pilgrimage, The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything and My Life with the Saints, which Publishers Weekly named one of the best books of 2006. Father Martin is a frequent commentator in the national and international media, having appeared on all the major networks, and in such diverse outlets as The Colbert Report, NPR's Fresh Air, the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Before entering the Jesuits in 1988 he graduated from the Wharton School of Business.