Meditation on Our Lady's Sorrows - Day Five

The Crucifixion & Death of Jesus

"They crucified Him. Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, His Mother. When Jesus therefore had seen His Mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, He saith to His Mother: Woman: behold thy son. After that he saith to the disciple: Behold thy Mother." – John XIX, l8-25-27.
Meditation: Look, devout soul, look to Calvary, whereon are raised two altars of sacrifice, one on the body of Jesus, the other on the heart of Mary. Sad is the sight of that dear Mother drowned in a sea of woe, seeing her beloved Son, part of her very self, cruelly nailed to the shameful tree of the cross. Ah me! how every blow of the hammer, how every stripe which fell on the Saviour's form, fell also on the disconsolate spirit of the Virgin. As she stood at the foot of the cross, pierced by the sword of sorrow, she turned her eyes on Him, until she knew that He lived no longer and had resigned His spirit to His Eternal Father. Then her own soul was like to have left the body and joined itself to that of Jesus.

Say one Ave Maria [Hail Mary] Today go to the feet of your Mother as she stands at the foot of her Son's cross witnessing His suffering and death. There lay at her feet all your petitions and requests. Amen+

Meditation for the Month of Holy Souls V

Death of Jesus
"And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. Standing by 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 near, 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 to his own home. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "E'lo-i, E'lo-i, la'ma sabach-tha'ni?" which means, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, "Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his last. (Mk 15:22; John 19:18; Mk 15:34; Lk 23:46)

For some reason, I find this sorrow of Mary to be one of the more difficult ones to meditate upon. Perhaps its because her sorrow at this time is incomprehensible, perhaps because I don't want to really face what it would be like to witness your own child murdered, or more likely, its that I have little faith. Whether praying the rosary's fifth sorrowful mystery, or Mary's sorrow at the death of Jesus - I often picture her before the cross, much like in the above painting. I imagine her offering her own pain together with her Son's to the Father for the redemption of the whole world. I see her stretch out her arms to Him who is her life as He suffers unbearably. Mostly I just throw myself at her feet in spirit and simply spend time there. It it well to simply be there when one cannot say or do anything. Love can be expressed quite well with only presence, no words, prayers or mystical contemplations are neccessary.

Death of Jesus III

"My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" (Mt 27: 46)

These memorable words were spoken by Jesus from the Cross, in a moment of unfathomable darkness. Scholars have often likened these words to have been spoken at the height of Jesus' dark night of the soul. St. Bridget of Sweden tells us of the effect these words had on the Blessed Virgin: "she was never able to forget {them} for the rest of her life. She saw her Jesus suffering on every side. She longed to help him, but could not."

What would be the cause of the greatest suffering in the heart of Mary as she stood watching her Son die? According to St. Alphonsus de Ligouri it was the fact that her suffering had the effect of increasing the suffering of her Son. Just imagine a moment - a mother watching helplessly as her own child in tortured to death, unable to help in even the smallest way...then imagine knowing that your being there actually causes your child's suffering to be worse!? Could there be anything in all creation more terrible? "The grief which filled Mary's heart," say St. Bernard, "flowed like a torrent into the heart of Jesus and aggravated His martyrdom to such an extent that on the cross Jesus suffered more from compassion for His mother than from His own torments." Speaking in the name of Mary he continues: "I stood with my eyes fixed on Him, and His on me, and He was more sorry for me than for Himself. She stood there dying, without being able to die."

Blessed Battista Varani of Camerino was a visionary of Jesus - He assured her "that when He was on the cross, He was so saddened at seeing His mother at His feet in such bitter anguish that pity for her caused Him to die without any consolation whatever." So moved was this Blessed that she was powerless but to exclaim, "O Lord, tell me no more about your sorrow, for I cannot bear to hear any more!"

Imagine, if you will, the astonishment of all who looked upon this Sorrowful Mother as she watched her Son die. She uttered not a complaint, her lips silent...but her heart spoke unceasing canticles of love and devotion, offering her sufferings to the Father in union with her Son's for the salvation of the whole world. This is a Truth of our Catholic Faith! One we must be familiar with and so very grateful for!!

By the merits of her sufferings and sorrows, the Blessed Virgin Mary "cooperated in our birth to the life of grace. That is why we can truthfully say we are the children of the life of grace. Christ willed that she, the cooperator of our redemption and the one whom He had determined to give us for our mother, should be present there. It was at the foot of the cross that she was to bring forth us, her children." If Mary knew any consolation amidst her desolation - it was this. She was assisting in the redemption of the world. She was assisting in our salvation.

Jesus revealed this to St. Bridget of Sweden in a vision: "My Mother Mary, because of her compassion and love, was made the mother of all in heaven and on earth." Our Lord testifies to this also with His words of farewell to Mary, "Woman, behold your son" (Jn 19:26) Since this moment, Mary has been our devoted Mother.

I urge you, let her be your Mother - pray her rosary, pray the chaplet of tears...at least think from time to time on all she suffers on your account and cooperate with her efforts to lead you to her Son.

Prayer

O my Mother, it was you who one day wept over your son who died for me. Offer your tears to God, I beseech you, and by means of these obtain for me true sorrow for my sins. Have pity on me, O Queen of Heaven, do not let my soul, nor the souls of those for whom I pray, go down into the fire. O Mary Mother of God, be our salvation! Amen+

(Source: The Glories of Mary by St. Alphonsus de Ligouri)

Death of Jesus II

"Anyone who had been present then on Mount Calvary would have seen two altars on which two great sacrifices were being offered: the one in the body of Jesus, the other in the heart of Mary" ~ St. John Crystostom

According the St. Augustine: "The cross and nails of the Son were also those of the Mother; crucified with Christ was also his mother." We hear this sentiment also from St. Bernard: "Love inflicted on the heart of Mary the tortures which the nails caused to the body of Jesus." Again from St. Bernardine: "At the very same time that the son was sacrificing his body, Mary was sacrificing her soul."

Mothers in general, when witnessing the death of their children do everything in their power to relieve the child's suffering. She speaks slowly, soothingly, she moves gently, smoothing their childs hair back ~ all touch and speech is directed at the comfort of the child and away from their own breaking heart. As a nurse, who for years worked in pediatrics, I have witnessed this scene several times. Each time is shockingly similar. Near the end, or at times of great distress, mothers (and fathers to a lesser degree) orient themselves totally and completely to the child. They seem to utterly forget their own suffering, which is great - and fly to the aid of the child. O how love begets sacrifice!

Mary was similarly obliged to attend the deathbed of her Son. Mary however could offer Jesus no relief. Mary was indeed a most afflicted mother. Jesus spoke "I thirst" and she could offer Him no drink. Perhaps she said, in the words of St. Vincent Ferrer "My son, I have only the water of my tears." As Jesus hung on a bed of torture by three nails, she could not place Him in a more soothing position. "In vain," says St. Bernard "she stretched forth her arms; they only sank back empty on her breast." She was unable to give Jesus the consolation He sought, as foretold by the prophet Isaiah, "I have trodden the winepress alone...I looked about and there was none to help; I sought, and there was none to give aid" (Isa 63:3, 5).

Who could console Him, who is Our God as He suffered upon His cross? ~ for all were his enemies! This was related by Mary to St. Bridget of Sweden: "I heard some say that my Son was a thief; others, that He was an imposter; others, that no one deserved death more than He did; and every word was a new sword of grief to my heart."

Think on all Mary offered on the altar of sacrifice, in union with The Lamb ~ for us.

Prayer

O my Mother, keep me near you so that I may weep with you. I have good reason to shed bitter tears for the many times I have committed sins against my Savior. O Mother of mercy, I hope first through the death of my Redeemer, and then through your sorrows, to obtain forgiveness and eternal salvation. Amen+

(Source: The Glories of Mary by St. Alphonsus de Ligouri)

The Death of Jesus

"There stood by the cross of Jesus his Mother" (Jn 19:25)

Mary was indeed a martyr - one condemned to watch her innocent child be murdered, slowly and in great agony.

In the above biblical quote, John did not deem it necessary to say more on Mary's martyrdom. We can see her at the foot of Jesus' cross. Let us stay with her for awhile and consider this fifth sword of sorrow which pierced our Blessed Mother's heart.

After reaching Calvary, Jesus was stripped of all his clothing. His hands and feet were impaled with blunt nails. They raised his cross and placed it in a hole, then left him to die. The soldiers left him, but Mary did not...she then walked right up and remained close to her son. As she herself revealed to St. Bridget: "I did not leave him, but stood nearer the cross."

St. Bonaventure comments on the scene: "What good did it do you to go to Calvary and see your son expire? Shame should have prevented you from going, for his digrace was your disgrace since you were his mother. And if not shame, at least horror of witnessing such a crime as the crucifixion of a God by his own creatures. But your heart had no regard for its own sorrows, but only for the sufferings and death of your loved one. And so you wished to be present to suffer along with him." No, not even the fear of death itself, nor shame would keep Mary from her Divine Son.

What a spectacle of sorrow was beheld by those on Calvary that day. Jesus suffering untold of agony with his tearful mother standing close by. Mary recounts this to St. Bridget of Sweden: "My Jesus was breathless, tormented, and in the last stages of exhaustion on the cross. His eyes were sunk, half-closed, and lifeless. His lips were swollen and his mouth hung open. His cheeks were hollow and drawn in. His face was gaunt, his nose sharp, his countenance sad. His head had fallen on his breast, his hair was matted and gory, his stomach collapsed, his legs and arms stiff, and his whole body covered with wounds and blood."

All of these sufferings of Jesus were also the sufferings of Mary, his holy and Immaculate Mother. The next time you meditate on the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, give special attention to Our Lady, bent with pain and unspeakable sorrow at the foot of the cross. Whisper to her your gratitude for her offering of pain on your behalf. Compassionate her sorrows and she will shower you with graces in return!

Prayer

O most sorrowful of all mother, your son is now dead - that son so loving, who loved you so much! Weep, for you have reason to weep. Who can ever bring you any consolation? Only this thought can console you: that, by his death, Jesus conquered hell, opened heaven, and gained so many souls. From the throne of the cross, he will reign in millions of hearts. Conquered by his love they will serve him with love.

Amen+

(Source: Glories of Mary by St. Alphonsus de Ligouri)