Mama - Station 4

I think that one of the most profound and life teaching pains is the pain that a parent, especially a mother experiences when a child dies either expectantly or unexpectedly.  Not to discredit any pain or anguish that fathers may experience, I think that this tragedy is particularly harder on women.  The societal norm is that children will bury their parents.  It seems so unnatural for a parent to grieve and mourn a life full of promise and potential, for reasons that are outside of our control.

So, here we are at Station 4.  Jesus meets his mother.  I'm sure that Mary, like my own Ma' Bevs was an extreme worrier.  Here we see a glimpse of an aged Mary who has been widowed and probably at her wits end.  Back in those days, Jesus, Peter and John couldn't shoot Mary a text to inform her of Jesus' trial and sentence.  They had no way of tweeting, facebooking or instagramming that which would soon ensue.  Nothing is mentioned in the gospels about where Mary was when she found out about what was happening to Jesus.  We do however know that she showed up, ready to support and console her child, as any mother would.  I could only imagine what Mary felt in her heart when some friend, relative or neighbor awakened her in the late hours of Passover saying, "Mary, Mary, They got Jesus!  Let's go find him!"

At this point, mother and son meet.  I'm sure that Mary is reluctantly recalling the words that she told to the angel Gabriel "Be it unto me according to your word."  But was this really what Mary envisioned as her baby was on his way to the cross?  In a fit of bitterness, Mary probably remembered the words of the prophets concerning the Messiah.  "A sword will pierce through your soul."  He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he not opened his mouth."  "He was like a lamb led to the slaughter."  Mary had compassion on her son.  The word compassion means shared suffering.  In essence, Jesus' pain and humiliation became hers, Jesus' cross became her cross.

Beloved, two things that I wish you to ponder are.  How and where do you see God in the midst of loss and anguish?  How do you partake in the shared sufferings of others as they bear their cross to Calvary?  I'm a teacher.  Remember that in the midst of your tests, the teacher is always present in the room, they just can't tell you the answers to get you through the test.

Prayer:
Holy Mother Mary, our sister in the faith, mother of our Lord Jesus crucified, grant us your grace that in the midst of our losses, anguish and trials we might be able to accept the will of God for us in our lives, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Faithfully,
Karr