THE DEATH OF JESUS / THE WOMEN AT CALVARY / AFTER THE DEATH

It was now about noon. From noon onward, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon because of an eclipse of the sun. At three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1) Some of the bystanders who heard it said, “This one is calling for Elijah.” After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I thirst.” (Psalm 69:21) There was a vessel filled with common wine. Immediately, one of them ran to get a sponge; he soaked it in wine and putting it on a reed, put it up to his mouth, and gave it to him to drink. However, the rest said, “Wait, and let us see if Elijah comes to take him down and save him.” When Jesus had taken the wine, he cried out again in a loud voice, “Father, to your hands I commit my spirit. (Psalm 31:5) It is finished.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. Then the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked; rocks were split, tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. (Isaiah 26:19) Coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many. (1 Peter 3:18-20) The centurion and the men with him who were keeping watch over Jesus feared greatly when they saw the earthquake and all that was happening. When the centurion who stood facing him witnessed to what had happened and saw how he breathed his last he glorified God and said, “Truly, this man was innocent beyond doubt; this man was the Son of God!” When all the people who had gathered for this spectacle, all his acquaintances and many women there, looking on from a distance, whom had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him saw what had happened, they returned home beating their breasts. Among them were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and Salome the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

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