AUDIO MEDITATION:

Luigi Gregori (Italian, 1819-1896), Station XII, ca. 1874-1877, oil on canvas, Basilica of the Sacred Heart, University of Notre Dame. Photo by Matt Cashore.

FULL TEXT:

Hanging on the cross, at the very end of his life, having given all he had to offer, Jesus said, “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

This painting of the crucifixion stands as the twelfth station in the Stations of the Cross in Notre Dame’s Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Generations of people at Notre Dame have used this image in devotional prayer, and we join them today.

The station was painted by Luigi Gregori, the artist who decorated the other murals in the Basilica. Notice how he illuminated the cross with light, and positioned Mary Magdalene at the foot of the cross. She clutches the cross, not Jesus’ feet as she might, because the cross, once a sign of torture, has become an instrument of hope.

The motto of the priests and brothers of the Congregation of Holy Cross who founded and still animate Notre Dame is “Hail the cross, our only hope.” How might a cross in our lives become a source of hope?