She is standing at the foot of our own crosses too

Mary’s greatest challenge and heartbreak came as she had to watch her Son willingly allow Himself be whipped, beaten, crowned with thorns, mocked and ridiculed. Then she had to follow Him, bloodied, and battered, as He carried His cross to Calvary. She watched Him die and held His blood-soaked, lifeless body in her arms before he was buried.

Jesus gave his Mother to all of us as He was dying on the cross. Mary gave her all to Him and, as our Mother, will do so for us. As we endure our own sufferings in life, she accompanies us as she did Him. She is standing at the foot of our own crosses too.

This is why she is called Our Lady, Health of the Sick.

The magnificent Stabat Mater (Sorrowful Mother) was written to describe the pain and suffering Mary had to endure during her Son’s crucifixion and death. Here are the first two and the next to last verses of the Stabat Mater, which frame the entire hymn.

At the Cross, her station keeping 
stood the mournful Mother weeping,
close to her Son to the last.

Through her heart, His sorrow sharing,
all His bitter anguish bearing,
now at length the sword has passed…

Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence,
be Thy Mother my defense,
be Thy Cross my victory …

As she said to Saint Juan Diego at Guadalupe, 1,500 years after watching her firstborn on the Cross: Am I, your Mother, not here at your side? Are you not protected by my shadow? Am I not your safety?

Larry Peterson – Aug. 25, 2018

Aleteia