The Seven Last Words from the Cross

By St. Robert Bellarmine, S.J. | Introduction by Christian D. Washburn, Ph.D. The Seven Last Words from the Cross, first published in 1618 amidst the Catholic Counter-Reformation, is a powerful reflection on the final words of Jesus Christ. In its pages, St. Robert Bellarmine, S.J., provides a profound guide for meditation on the way of the cross and the mystery of our redemption. These seven words, the “last sermon” of the world’s Redeemer, comprise everything that the prophets foretold about Christ: his preaching, prayers, sufferings, and miracles. The Seven Last Words from the Cross holds a wealth of insight for the whole of the Christian life, pointing always to Christ, who was lifted up on the cross so “that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” “True to his spiritual father St. Ignatius, Bellarmine invites us to enter into relationship with Christ and his passion so we can be changed by it. Christian Washburn has done a great service to the Church in making this s