Gospel
Jn 19:25-34
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary of Magdala.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved,
he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
Then he said to the disciple,
“Behold, your mother.”
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
After this, aware that everything was now finished,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
Jesus said, “I thirst.”
There was a vessel filled with common wine.
So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop
and put it up to his mouth.
When Jesus had taken the wine, he said,
“It is finished.”
And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.
Now since it was preparation day,
in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,
for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,
the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken
and they be taken down.
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first
and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,
they did not break his legs,
but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,
and immediately Blood and water flowed out.
Reflection
The main thing that stuck out to me the most in this Gospel was the great love of Mary as a mother. Mary was standing by the cross, she was not hiding in fear of repercussions for supporting Jesus nor was she off somewhere succumbing to her own grief and despair at losing her only son. She was with Him the entire way of the cross and in the end when He took His last breath. I cannot even begin to fathom Mary’s pain from watching Jesus suffer and being unable to save Him but it shows her great love and strength that she was with Him to the end.
Furthermore, when Jesus says to John, “behold, your mother” I believe He is talking to us all, implying that she is our Blessed Mother not just the mother of our redeemer but mother of the church, our mother. And when He tells Mary “woman, behold your son” I believe He is telling Mary that His beloved disciples, all who follow Him, are her children. He gave us His mother, what a gift.
Mary’s role is not just confined to being the mother of Jesus but extends to being a guiding figure for us all. Her purpose is always to lead us back to her son. I heard this analogy that showcases this idea beautifully, just as the moon reflects the light of the sun, Mary reflects the light of Jesus. She has no light of her own but instead points us towards the true light, her son.
Ultimately, Mary's unwavering presence and Jesus' final act of entrusting her to us encourages us to deepen our relationship with both Jesus and His mother. We are encouraged to seek Mary's intercession, allowing her to guide us closer to her son because that is what she does, and why it is so important that we have a relationship with her, our mother.
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