Read St. John 19:25–27
1. Our Divine Saviour did not depart from those He loved without providing them with a Mother who should be their Consoler, their Protector, their Advocate with God. In the person of St. John, He intrusted them all to Mary’s care. If He had simply been providing Mary with a home, He would first have addressed St. John and commended to him the pious task of sheltering the Mother of God. By speaking first to Mary, He showed that it was she who was to shelter all those who were desolate and in sorrow. St. John was the representative of all who love Jesus, when Jesus said to Mary respecting him, “Woman, behold thy son.”
2. This was the occasion when Our Lady for a second time became a mother. The birth of her first-begotten Jesus cost her no pang of travail; the birth of her spiritual children, the sinful sons of men, brought to her unspeakable anguish. The Queen of heaven became the Queen of Dolors before she could earn the right to exercise over each of us a mother’s fostering care. How we ought to value the privilege of being her children, when it cost Mary such unspeakable suffering!
3. When Jesus said to Mary, “Woman, behold thy son,” He asked Our Lady to regard us with a mother’s love for His sake. Her love for Him was to be transferred to us, without, however, becoming one whit the less. She was to love us for Jesus’ sake; to show her love for Him by loving us. With what perfect confidence can we go to Mary, who sees in each of us, in spite of our sins, the image of her Divine Son!
Source: Clarke, R. F. (1889). The Sacred Passion of Jesus Christ: Short Meditations for Every Day in Lent (p. 46). Benziger Brothers.
1. Our Divine Saviour did not depart from those He loved without providing them with a Mother who should be their Consoler, their Protector, their Advocate with God. In the person of St. John, He intrusted them all to Mary’s care. If He had simply been providing Mary with a home, He would first have addressed St. John and commended to him the pious task of sheltering the Mother of God. By speaking first to Mary, He showed that it was she who was to shelter all those who were desolate and in sorrow. St. John was the representative of all who love Jesus, when Jesus said to Mary respecting him, “Woman, behold thy son.”
2. This was the occasion when Our Lady for a second time became a mother. The birth of her first-begotten Jesus cost her no pang of travail; the birth of her spiritual children, the sinful sons of men, brought to her unspeakable anguish. The Queen of heaven became the Queen of Dolors before she could earn the right to exercise over each of us a mother’s fostering care. How we ought to value the privilege of being her children, when it cost Mary such unspeakable suffering!
3. When Jesus said to Mary, “Woman, behold thy son,” He asked Our Lady to regard us with a mother’s love for His sake. Her love for Him was to be transferred to us, without, however, becoming one whit the less. She was to love us for Jesus’ sake; to show her love for Him by loving us. With what perfect confidence can we go to Mary, who sees in each of us, in spite of our sins, the image of her Divine Son!
Source: Clarke, R. F. (1889). The Sacred Passion of Jesus Christ: Short Meditations for Every Day in Lent (p. 46). Benziger Brothers.
RSS Feed