Dear Family of God,

Why did Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” What is the meaning of the whole Psalm 22? What message is Jesus trying to tell all of us?

Truly our Lord extremely suffered like no other, for He is innocent and his love is perfect. The perfect your love is, the greater suffering you felt for the one you love.

He literally fulfilled what the psalmist proclaimed: “I am poured out like water,” “All my bones are out of joint,” “They have pierced my hand and my feet,” “I can count all my bones.” So, he cried out: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me.”

The Psalms in antiquity were almost certainly not known by their present numberings, the way to refer to a psalm was by its first line, a practice similar to traditional Jewish naming of the biblical books by its first words (also done in our catholic tradition with Papal documents). So, when Jesus cried out, “My God, My God…” from the Cross, he is really making a reference to all of Psalm 22, inviting all he hear him to interpret what is happening to him in the light of this psalm.

How does this Psalm end? “I will proclaim your name to my brethren; in the midst of the assembly (Church) I will praise you: You who fear the Lord, praise him; all you descendants of Jacob, give glory to him; revere him, all you descendants of Israel!” (vv.22-23).

“All the ends of the earth will worship and torn to the Lord; all families of nation will bow low before you. The generation to come will be told of the Lord, that they may proclaim to a people yet unborn the deliverance you have brought.” (vv. 28 & 32).

Jesus certainly know how this psalm ended. Though he was in agony on the Cross, he also knew that this was the path to triumph.

May all aways trust in the Lord when we have struggles in life, because the only way to glory is through the Cross.

Yours through Mary Immaculate.

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