The Archbishop of Paris once told a story of three young men who were visiting the cathedral of Notre Dame. On a dare, one of the young men entered the confessional booth and made a false confession to the priest. The priest, aware that the young man was deceiving him, assigned him this penance - stand in front of the crucifix in the church, look Jesus in the eyes, and say three times, "All this you did for me, and I don't give a damn."
The young man and his friends laughed as they entered the sanctuary. He looked into Jesus' eyes and said, "All this you did for me, and I don't give a damn." The second time, his voice faltered, "All this you did for me, and I don't give a damn." The third time, he couldn't say the words. The young man returned to the confessional booth and made a sincere confession to the priest. He went on to become a priest and eventually, became the Archbishop of Paris.
Source: Reported in Robert C. Morgan, Lift High the Cross (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995), pp. 36-37.
Applications: Christ's death, arrogance, crucifixion, conversion