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.
As Jesus is dying on the cross in great pain and suffering, he thinks about his mother and uses some of his lasts breath to see to her care. Why? Because Jesus knew that Mary would be the means of bringing sinners to her son and to his divine mercy. This is not the only place in Scripture where those who love Mary are told to take her into their home. When Joseph learned that Mary was pregnant, he wanted to quietly divorce her. But an angel of the Lord came to him and said, “Do not be afraid to take Mary into your home.” Jesus asks his beloved disciple John to take care of his mother and thus asks any of his beloved children to take Mary into their home.
From the Stabat Mater come these lines:
O sweet Mother! font of love,
Touch my spirit from above,
Make my heart with yours accord.
Make me feel as you have felt;
Make my soul to glow and melt
With the love of Christ, my Lord.
And that is what Mary does best: she hears our prayers from above and melts the stoniest of hearts with love of Christ. And although Joseph was not present at the foot of the cross, I know he must have been present in unity with Jesus and Mary. I want to understand what it means to be in company throughout the day with the Holy Family. I imagine myself walking with Mary and Joseph ahead of me and Jesus behind to lead and guide. Knowing this is no flight of fancy—that Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, are present with me—brings a great sense of peace grounded in ultimate reality and truth. This is the truth of the Gospel, as Saint Paul puts it: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. . . . For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the one that is to come.”
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
