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Gospel: John 19: 25-34
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary of Magdala.
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.
After this, aware that everything was now finished,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
Jesus said, “I thirst.”
There was a vessel filled with common wine.
So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop
and put it up to his mouth.
When Jesus had taken the wine, he said,
“It is finished.”
And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.
Now since it was preparation day,
in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,
for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,
the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken
and they be taken down.
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first
and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,
they did not break his legs,
but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,
and immediately Blood and water flowed out.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Over the last five weeks, the Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Fatima has been traveling throughout the Archdiocese of Newark. News of this event has even reached the Catholic papers in Tennessee!
In journeying with her, I’ve witnessed incredible displays of faith. Some parishes have hosted over a thousand pilgrims at a time!
One of them was a legally blind, elderly woman who implored her daughter to bring her closer to the statue until she could finally see. Once she stood close enough, the woman exclaimed: “She’s marvelous!”
The climax of Our Lady’s pilgrimage was the moment we welcomed her into our Cathedral on Mother’s Day. Hundreds of faithful processed with the Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady throughout the streets of Newark. Hundreds more awaited us in the Cathedral.
When she was placed on a stand at the foot of the altar, today’s Gospel passage took on an even deeper, more spiritual meaning to me.
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In the Gospel, Jesus is drawing his final breath. Before commending his Spirit into his Father’s hands, he looks upon the Apostle John – the only one of the Twelve who did not abandon him – and said:
“Behold, your mother.”
From that moment, John, “took her into his home.”
Mary not only became John’s mother, but our mother. My mother. The Mother of the Church.
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That’s the sensation I felt when Our Lady processed into our Cathedral a few weeks ago. We literally welcomed her into the spiritual home of every Catholic in the Archdiocese of Newark.
Have I also welcomed Our Lady into my heart? Have I allowed her to draw me closer to Jesus?
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The best way to seek her intercession, we all know, is to pray the rosary. Commending our thoughts, prayers, and intentions into her loving hands today, we pray:
Hail Mary…
Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us.
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Image credits: (1) Twitter, Bishop Bob Barron (2) Jersey Catholic, Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart (3) St. Pius X