On our Lord’s compassion for his sorrowful Mother and his giving of the Blessed Mary and Saint John to each other
On our Lord’s compassion for his sorrowful Mother and his giving of the Blessed Mary and Saint John to each other
LORD JESUS CHRIST, Consoler of all who mourn, I bless and thank you for the sad scene you witnessed when you gazed upon your beloved Mother standing at the foot of your Cross, overcome with grief. You best knew how great was her sorrow, for you alone fathomed the most secret depths of her heart. While you were on this earth there was none dearer to you than your Virgin Mother, and there was none she cherished more than you, her Son and God. Though born of her, she still acknowledged you as the Creator and Lord of all things. Therefore, when she saw you, whom she loved so thoroughly, hanging on the Cross, her thoughts were all on you rather than on herself. As if drawn out of herself and lifted on high, she also, in spirit, was crucified with you, though in body she remained standing and weeping at the foot of the Cross.
I praise and glorify you for your infinite compassion, with which you, as a loving Son, grieved with your most sorrowful Mother. She took upon herself all your sorrows as if they were her own and wept over each of your wounds as though they were hers. Furthermore, whenever her motherly eyes saw blood flowing from your body, or when she heard your voice speaking to her from the Cross, she suffered ever new torments.
I praise and honor you for your most tender words that you finally addressed to your grief-stricken mother, commending her to your beloved disciple, John, who was to be her devoted guardian. By the indissoluble bond of love, you joined Virgin with virgin, saying: Mother, behold your son,1 and then to the disciple, Behold your mother.2
O blessed union and gracious commendation brought about and consecrated by virginal integrity! By your words, you manifested your filial and loving care for your Mother’s honor and assured her of protection in the person of your chaste disciple. You offered him to her as another son, as if to take your place, and being pure he would fit in well with her manner of life and would see that she was provided with life’s necessities. It was your devotion as a loving son that prompted you to do this, namely, that the spotless Virgin, your holy Mother, would not be without a faithful companion. Inasmuch as she would be deprived of your sweet presence, she would feel left alone in the world, a stranger among her own people.
Holy Mother of God, may your Son’s holy desire and excellent commendation please you, and may you graciously welcome this disciple, whom your Son Jesus has chosen for you. He is John, one of the apostles, a virgin, someone special, more beloved than the others, refined in demeanor, cordial in speech, bashful in countenance, modest in behavior, temperate in food, simple in dress, conscientious, and ever ready to obey. He is the most beloved disciple, a relative of yours, and enjoys a good reputation; he is pure in mind, chaste in body, pleasing to God, respected by everyone, and well worthy to be your companion, O Mother of God.
I well know that whatever pleased your Son has also pleased you and continues to please you, and I also know that it is your supreme desire to do what he wished done, for in all his actions he never sought to do his own will but always sought his Father’s glory. Therefore, I have no doubt that it pleases you that as he was about to leave you, he wanted John to take his place with you.
Holy John, accept the priceless treasure offered you. Receive the Blessed Virgin, the revered Mother of Jesus, Queen of heaven, Mistress of the world, your beloved aunt and your mother’s sister. Until now the Blessed Virgin Mary was looked upon as your aunt because of a blood relationship, but because of a special grace now offered to you, she is to be called your mother, and this by a more sacred bond and by divine choice. And you, who, according to the flesh, were once known as the son of Zebedee, the brother of James the Greater, relative of the Lord our Savior, and afterward one of Jesus’ disciples, shall now be known by a new name, Mary’s adopted son, and with a son’s love you shall obey her in all things. Therefore, do as Christ bids you; fulfill his sacred commendation and you will be honored and beloved by all.
Blessed John did as Jesus bade him from the Cross. For from that very hour the disciple received her into his own home; he watched over her, carefully attended to her needs, diligently obeyed her, and loved her with all his heart.
Rejoice and be glad, Blessed John, because of the charge entrusted to your care. Christ confidently handed over to you what he deemed his dearest possession in this world. And when he, as his final testament, bequeathed to you Mary, whose praise the holy angels cannot sufficiently sing, he showed you his special favor. Christ may have given Saint Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven, but he appointed you his own Mother’s chamberlain. Mary was once betrothed to Saint Joseph, but now she is commended to you, who are to be her second protector. The angel addressed Saint Joseph saying: Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife,3 but the Lord of angels now says to you: Behold your mother!
Just as Saint Joseph did not fail in his duty to the Virgin at the time when their Son was born, neither did you fail your Mother during the hour of Christ’s Passion nor during the long span of years after his ascension into heaven.
If Blessed John the Baptist were alive then, it would have rightfully seemed to me that, since he was both a close relative of hers and was known for his chastity—he would have been a most suitable protector and would well fill the role of the bridegroom’s friend. But since Saint Joseph was not then alive—nothing else is actually known about him, whether he survived or had died, and John had been executed after a long imprisonment, and Jesus himself was about to die and soon to be taken from his mother’s gaze—it is for you to take the place of these dear ones and to be a son to her instead of Christ, who had been taken from her.
I trust in the Lord Jesus that your brother James and the other apostles will heartily agree with this arrangement, that none of your friends will envy you, and that those who are close to you will rejoice with you. You deserved this extraordinary reward because of your many virtues: your total contempt for this world, your love for Jesus, your pleasant manners, spotless purity, evenness of mind, openness of soul, inviolable conscience, and probity of life. Therefore, take Christ’s Mother under your care and abundant grace will be yours in return. From being with her, you will be uplifted and will benefit much: you will find instruction in her words, edification in her example, assistance in her prayers, and inspiration in her admonitions. Her charity will inflame you and her devoutness encourage you; you will reach new heights in meditation, be filled with joy, relish spiritual consolation, and savor heavenly delights.
From her lips you will hear divine mysteries and will be taught things hidden until now, you will witness marvels and comprehend what is now beyond comprehension. By being in her very presence, you will become more chaste and will remain wholly pure, you will grow more holy and your devotion will ever increase.
Her very appearance is purity, her words prudence, her every action justice, her reading Jesus, her meditation Christ, her contemplation God. Her graceful countenance radiates light, her face is awe-inspiring yet it turns no one away, her delicateness purifies those who look upon her, and her speech drives away all evil.
Such is Mary’s dignity and so great is it that it surpasses all the saints in purity and grace, and by the Most High King of heaven you have been appointed to be her companion. Therefore, fulfill your office diligently, show her due honor, and surround her with your loving care.
Now stand next to the Cross and watch at Mary’s side; with your arms embrace her when she feels weak, support her when she feels faint, and comfort her when she sheds tears. Weep with her when she weeps, grieve with her when she grieves, move with her as she moves, stand when she stands, and sit when she sits. Do not leave her alone in her sorrow, but remain and fulfill this work of mercy.
Since Jesus is about to die, prepare yourself for his burial Take his Mother with you to the sepulcher, return to the city, lead her to your home, and comfort her, who is the Comforter of the Afflicted. Be as a ministering angel to her, though in this instance you offer comfort to one far more worthy than you. Christ was comforted by an angel at the time of his agony and though he did not require it, nevertheless, he did not refuse it because he chose to be ministered to by an inferior.
Behold, dearest John, to what sacred office you have been called, as well as the Virgin who has been committed to you and whose Mother it is that has been given to your care.
I now humbly ask you, offer a fervent prayer for me a sinner, that I may also grow fervent in my love for Jesus, be found faithful in praising the Blessed Virgin, and in sharing in her sorrow.