THE FOURTH STATION: JESUS MEETS HIS AFFLICTED MOTHER

We all experience various manifestations of suffering during our lifetimes, whether it be physical pain, the sorrow that comes from losing a loved one, or the desolation that results from facing our own limitations. At times, the suffering we face may seem insurmountable. It is precisely at such moments, teetering on the precipice of despair, that we must look up — look beyond ourselves — to Him, who suffered for us.

Christ willingly accepted humiliation, physical pain, and death on a cross out of love for us. He poured out His very life, and in doing so, gave us everything He had to assist us on our own journey of life, including the gift of His mother. Mary was a gift of consolation, of calm and of enduring presence which the Father gave to the Son. From the moment of the Incarnation, she becomes Jesus’ first disciple. Perhaps not always comprehending the breadth and depth of her Son’s mission, she nevertheless, always encouraged others to follow Him: “Do whatever he tells you.”

On the path to Calvary, as others abandoned Him out of fear, Mary set her own anxiety aside and stalwartly stood by to support Him. She followed Him all the way to the foot of the Cross. This wonderful gift that the Father gave to the Son has now been given to us. During both our trials and triumphs, what a consolation to know that Mary remains with us. She looks at us with a holy tenderness, seeing in each of us the image of her Son.