On Good Friday, St. Joseph Church in Madison presented “Seven Last Words,” a dramatization and meditation on the thoughts of seven women who followed and assisted Christ during his public life.
This was the fourth year “Seven Last Words” was presented at St. Joseph. The performance was chaired by Clair Ivanov, and nine St. Joseph parishioners, eight women and one man, enacted the dramatization.
In the Gospels, only a few women who witnessed the crucifixion and death of Jesus are named. In “Seven Last Words” each woman is introduced by the Narrator and speaks about one of the different last words of Christ. Each woman responds to the word of Christ from a personal experience of Christ. Likewise, their witness of the resurrection is recorded, since women were the first to go to the tomb on Easter Sunday and then witness to the apostles.
Each woman’s meditation on the words spoken by Jesus was followed by an appropriate musical selection. according to the uniqueness of each of the seven sets of words spoken: “Father, forgive them they know not what they do” (Luke 23:24); “This day you shall be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43); “Woman, behold your son. Son, behold your mother” (John 19:26-27); “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34); “I thirst” (John 19:30); “It is finished.” (John 19:30); “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46).
A video of the presentation is available on the St. Joseph Church Facebook page.
