WOMAN BEHOLD YOUR SON; SON BEHOLD YOUR MOTHER.

As I continue my reading of the Glories of Mary many things I understood roughly have become clear.   Alphonsus quotes many theologians and saints who tell us that the Church began on Calvary when the work of Redemption began.   Jesus in his humanity suffered for the world but the offering of Himself to the Father was in some ways patrolled by the offering of Jesus to the Father by Mary through her own sufferings.   She stood at the foot of the Cross for all mankind and for all who have offered Jesus in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offering their own hearts and souls.

Then Jesus turned to her and his disciple John.   "Woman behold your son, son behold your Mother"   Notice that he did not say Mother behold John, John behold your Mother.    He used the word first quoted in  Gnesis about a Woman who would crush the Serpents Head while it lay in wait for her heel.   He was addressing Mary as that woman.   Then he referred to John as Mary's Son and goes on to call him Son himself "Son behold your Mother"   In other words He and Mary were his parents.   Why?   He did not say John behold your mother.   John was a disciple and someone close to him   We can say then that as a disciple he had in the spiritual order new parents.   And indeed all the  disciples had new parents and all the disciples that have followed Jesus ever since.     Without Mary there would have been no incarnation, no life of Grace, and no Redemption, so Jesus acknowledge her as Mother of the Church.   And shortly afterwards in the Upper Room we find Mary fulfilling her role.

And let us be clear on another point.   Mary gave her whole life to Jesus and took nothing for herself.    Having spoken to Gabriel at the Annunciation she knew that this Child was God made Man.    That she had been given by Heaven the demanding role of bringing up a very special child who had a very special purpose and she must let nothing get between them.   Every hour of every day she lived for jesus.   In the order of humanity how could a woman with such a special respoonsbility even think of having other children?   She was a very special mother with a very special task and nothing could distract her.   Yes, she had brethren.  Cousins and relatives who often came with her when she visited Jesus as he was preaching and teaching.   But no other lineage from Joseph and Mary existed in the early Church.  

It is wonderful to have a Mother like Mary.   Someone who loves her Son so much that she loves those that he loves and that is all of us.  

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