John 19: 25-27
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 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.
Dawg's thought:
Today's prayer intention is for peace and balance in your lives.
(Commentary from The New American Bible):
This scene has been interpreted literally, of Jesus' concern for his mother; and symbolically, e.g., in the light of the Cana story in John 2 (the presence of the mother of Jesus, the address woman, and the mention of the hour) and of the upper room in John 13 (the presence of the beloved disciple; the hour). Now that the hour has come (John 19:28), Mary (a symbol of the church) is given a role as the mother of Christians (personified by the beloved disciple); or, as a representative of those seeking salvation, she is supported by the disciple who interprets Jesus' revelation; or Jewish and Gentile Christianity (or Israel and the Christian community) are reconciled.
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Today, after the "Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross," the Catholic Church celebrates the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. We remember the pain that Jesus' mother felt as she looked at her Son nailed to The Cross. As The Church, we all must look at The Cross with the same sorrow and mourning that Our Lady felt on that day at Calvary (for, as stated in the New American Bible commentary, Our Lady is a symbol of the Church).
Mary, the mother of God, did not have to be there to watch her Son suffer. Yet, she was there because she loved her Son. We must be willing to endure our own trials and sorrows just as Mary, the mother of God, did. We are The Church, and we must strive to love Our Lord and remain with Our Lord through our pain and our sorrows. May God be with you today and call you to greater obedience. Take care and God Bless.
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