"Father, Forgive them for they know not what they are doing."

How could they not know what they were doing after all the miracles he performed during his years of public life, apart from his teaching and preaching?

They had seen him walk on water, change water into wine at a marriage reception, cure a number of lepers, restore light to the blind, bring the dead back to life, etc.

Of course the greatest miracle was yet to come, that is his rising from the dead and ascending into heaven after the passion and crucifixion that he had been through!

What a merciful, forgiving and loving son of God is Jesus Christ! The big question that will affect us all forever is whether He will be equally merciful to us on the day of judgement, because we did not know (or did we?) what we were doing, considering all the opportunities we have had to know Him, offered by the Church, that Jesus Christ Himself instituted for us while on earth.