From the book The Three Hours' Agony of Our Lord Jesus Christ by Rev. Peter Guilday (Longman’s, Green, and Company, 1926). Full Audio.
6 — Fifth Word
In the final moments of Jesus Christ's crucifixion, as described in this poignant passage, the overwhelming physical and spiritual agony He endured culminates in His cry, "I thirst." This plea reflects not only His bodily torment—deprived of food, water, and rest since the previous night, His body ravaged by the scourging and crucifixion—but also a profound spiritual thirst for the salvation of humanity. From the Garden of Gethsemane to Calvary, Jesus suffered immense loss and isolation, feeling forsaken yet driven by divine love to redeem a sinful world. His mother, Mary, standing by, understands the deeper meaning of His words, recognizing them as an expression of His longing to save souls, even as the world offers Him only vinegar, symbolizing its bitterness and rejection. This cry echoes His lifelong mission to conquer sin and death, a victory sealed on the cross, where His thirst for human hearts reveals the boundless love that sustained His sacrifice.
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