"Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."
by Fr. Jesus M. Madrid, Jr.
One day in my previous parish where I was assigned, I talked to a boy in front of the parish office. I asked him, “Do you want to be a priest when you grow up?” He replied with certainty, “No, father!” Then I asked again, “What, then, do you want to become when you grow up?” He paused silently thinking about what he wants and then he answered, “Okay, father. I want to become a priest.” It seemed like he was forced to say that but still he said it that’s why I said to him, “Since you want to become a priest, when you grow up, this thing that I am wearing, I will give it to you.” Then he quickly replied, “Father, when I grow up, you’ll be dead by then.” I was surprised by that answer and just laughed. It was direct, honest, and simple. It was a statement of truth that was said without fear. And when I looked at it deeper, death is something we usually are afraid to talk about, yet in reality it is part of life. Death is something we cannot run away from and the only thing we can do is to prepare for it.
“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Jesus’ final words on the cross carry a deep meaning. Those words show us how Jesus faced death and those words teach us also how we are called to face death as well.
The first important thing we can get from this is this: Jesus calls God his Father. It is easy to forget who we really are in moments of pain, of suffering, and of darkness. What do we usually do when we go through difficulties? We start to question God. We isolate ourselves then we feel alone and abandoned. But Jesus on the cross, in the most painful moment of his life, said, “Father!” This is a reminder that even in our darkest moments may we remember who we are. We are children of our heavenly Father. We belong to Him. That is a relationship that cannot be destroyed even by suffering or pain. To call God Father is not just to say something. It is a call of trust. It is a call that signifies, “I know I am not alone, God is with me.
The second important thing in the final words of Jesus is the act of surrender. When he said, “into your hands I commend my spirit.” Jesus in that moment entrusts everything to the Father. He gives his all and he holds nothing back. He totally gives everything and unites his spirit with the Father. And I would like to note that his surrender is not a sign of weakness rather it is a sign of great strength. The surrender is not defeat but a free offering of himself. Why did I say that it is not a sign of weakness and defeat, because most of the time we think of the act of surrender as an act of weakness because we are not strong enough. Why is that? Because in our lives we like to be in control. We like to hold on to things. We do not want our plans to be disrupted. We want to be secure in many things. And there is nothing wrong with that but we have to know also when to let go of the things that keep us from holding on to the plan and dream of God for us. It is scary, true, but we still have to trust still even if we do not know the next things that will happen. Jesus showed us that true peace comes from trusting the Father, the One who holds everything.
Going back to the boy in front of the parish office that I spoke with, who did not hesitate to speak about death. I think, for him, it was something simple, something natural. But I just observed that as we grow older, we begin to fear it more. We begin to avoid it. We begin to hold on tighter to life, as if by holding on we can prevent it from ending. But the truth is, life is not something we possess. It is a gift given to us, a gift we are asked to use well by living well and to live well is to learn how to trust and surrender the source of the gift, not only at the moment of death but everyday of our lives.
These final words of the Lord are also a powerful prayer that will help us dispose ourselves everyday. It is a reminder that the one who prayed it had conquered the greatest evil, the greatest pain, and the greatest darkness that one could ever experience. By following his prayer, the way he recognizes his true identity, and the way he completely trusts the Father will help us also conquer the evil and challenges that will come our way.
Let us then call on God always and unite our spirits with him everyday.
Prayer:
Father, into your hands I commend my spirit. Help me remember that I am your child, especially in moments of fear and weakness. Help me remember that you are always with me. Teach me to grow in trusting you so that day by day, I could offer my all to you. Amen.
