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Who could ever imagine the excruciating pain and enormous suffering of our Lady at the foot of the cross? What sorrow is greater that the pain of a mother who witnessed the execution of her only child? Mary was present at the foot of the cross. She saw the pain, agony and suffering of her only Son.
From the moment she conceived Jesus in her womb, Mary shared every aspect of the mission and ministry of Jesus. But the climax was her sharing of the suffering of Jesus on the cross. At the foot of the cross she saw her Son ‘bruised, derided, cursed and defiled.’ She saw her Son gasping for his last breath. Nothing could be more painful to a mother. Nothing could be more dreadful. The prophesy of Simeon was fulfilled. A sword pieced the soul of Mary (Lk 2:35).
Yet Mary accepted the immolation of her Son with faith. She accepted everything with utter submission and resignation to the will of God. According to Vatican II, “the Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and loyally persevered in her union with her Son unto the cross. There she stood, in keeping with the divine plan (Cf. Jn 19:25), suffering grievously with her only begotten Son. There she united herself with her maternal heart to his sacrifice and lovingly consented to the immolation of this Victim which she herself had brought forth” (Lumen Gentium, n. 58).
Mary reminds us that our place is at the foot of the cross. Like Mary we offer our little discomforts, sufferings, and pains as a sharing in the suffering of Christ. If we share in the suffering of Christ, we shall also share in His glory (Rom 8:17). Mary also teaches us how to accept the tragedies of life (like the loss of our loved ones) with faith, submission and resignation to the will of God. The best way we can confront the tragedies of life is the way of the cross. The way of the cross is the Christian way. It is the road less travelled. But it is the only way that leads to glory.
Thank you Padre for this beautiful write-up. The catholic church still remains the only church in our present world that still teaches us to accept /offer our sufferings and sorrows unto God for the salvation of our soul. No wonder people keep leaving the church...probably because the truth hurts. O My sweet mother Mary, grant me the grace to always look up to Christ crucified whenever I encounter difficulties and sufferings in life. That way I will always be reminded that the man I claim to love is a man of the cross and my love for him cannot be complete without the cross.
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