Standing near 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 whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, "Woman, here is your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Here is your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.
My soul trembles when I see Mary beneath the cross. Because of me.
No one will ever comprehend how much pain she endured. Mother of the man,
she is mother of the Lord. Why has this happened to me, that the mother
of my Lord comes to me? (Luke 1.43) As such she is able to suffer and share
in her son's passion in a unique and profound way. And a sword will
pierce your soul, she was told, even when she was cradling the infant Jesus
so many years ago. (Luke 2.35)
If there were any suffering left to endure, Jesus must watch the suffering of
his mother. What is this mystery, Jesus giving us his mother and giving us
to her? With one heart the apostles joined constantly in prayer
together with Mary the mother of Jesus. (Acts 1.14)
Jesus gives us his mother as our mother. If we are to imitate him, we must
act toward her as he did. Jesus came to Nazareth and lived under their
authority. (Luke 2.51) We are under Mary's authority now. She it
is who is at the head of the army. She will strike at your head
(Genesis 3.15), she who is terrible as an army in battle array (Song of
Solomon 6.10), the woman robed with the sun, standing on the moon, and on
her head a crown of twelve stars. (Revelation 12.1)
From that very hour John took Mary as his mother. So from this moment on
so do we.