Hora Nona | At three

At three o' clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?"which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" – Mark 15:34

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All of us at some point of our life might have yelled at God or complained to him for the difficult situations that we go through in our life or for troubles faced by our close ones. We might have felt left alone or totally abandoned by all, even God. Some saints have called this time the dark night of the soul. It was one such moment for Jesus at the cross. We all know that the intimate relation Jesus had with his Father was so strong. We feel so free to put our difficulties to someone with whom we are close with. Jesus also did the same at the cross.

Jesus was in fact making a prayer to his beloved Father from the cross by reciting Psalm 22:1 –"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?" Jesus cried out to his Father just like any child would do. I also feel that there is nothing wrong in crying out to God our Father in our desperate moments. It even helps to some extent in our spiritual growth. But of course we also need to have a close relationship with God the Father just like Jesus had.

When it ticks 3 pm on the clock we all know that it is the hour of Divine Mercy. It is the hour where Jesus destroyed evil, death and conquered the world. It is the hour where Jesus won over for us mercy rather than God's Justice. It is the hour where we see the culmination of God's love. This is exactly that hour where John 3:16 –" For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life," comes true. 

Let us pause for a few seconds at every 3 pm and thank God for his love for the whole world.

Reflection on Mark 15: 21-47 by Fr. George Joseph SVD

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