STANDING AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS!
Monday, June 01, 2020
Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church
My dear encountered couples:
Today we celebrate the memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church. The Memorial of Mary, the Mother of the Church has been included in the Roman Calendar and from now on it will be celebrated on the Monday after Pentecost, as stated in the “Ecclesia Mater” decree of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, dated 11 February 2018, memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lourdes.
The Gospel reading depicts Mary standing at the foot of the cross watching her son die a horrible death. How many parents and family members have stood “at the foot of the cross” watching someone they love die? Watching, waiting, knowing what the end will be but faithfully staying with the one they love, journeying with them to end!
As we reflect on Jesus' suffering and death, many of us, know that in addition to the one dying on the cross, it can be just as difficult for those standing at the foot of the cross. We would rather undergo the suffering ourselves than stand by and watch a loved one, especially our child, suffer. Yet this is where love sometimes takes us.
Mary went through so much in her lifetime: a visit from an angel announcing that she would give birth to a son even though she had never been with a man! What was it like when she had to face Joseph? She watched her son grow up and become a teacher. And she watched her son die a horrible death — and for what purpose? Yet Mary never lost her faith and her trust in God! She must have questioned at times. (She was human!) Yet she must have had a very real, a very deep relationship with the God who called her.
At times, we also stand at the foot of the cross. How do I — how do we — respond? Do we trust that God is with us? Today may we ask Mary to grant us a share of her faith and her trust in God!
