T hroughout Jesus’ earthly life his Mother Holy Mary fulfilled the Divine Will by looking after him with loving care - in Bethlehem, in Egypt, in Nazareth. She looked after him in all his ordinary needs as any mother would do for her child, and also in extraordinary necessities, such as when his life was in danger. The Child grew up with Mary and Joseph in an atmosphere full of sacrifice and cheerful love, secure care and protection and work.

Later on, during his public life, Mary rarely followed him in a physical way, but she knew where he was at each moment, and news of his miracles and his preaching reached her. Sometimes Jesus went to Nazareth and while He was there spent more time with his Mother. The majority of his disciples would have known her since the time of the wedding at Cana of Galilee (cf John 2:1-10). Apart from the changing of the water into wine, in which she played such an important part, the Evangelists do not record her presence on the occasion of any other miracle. Nor was she present when the people were full of enthusiasm over her Son. She is not to be seen amid the palms of Jerusalem, nor at the hour of the great miracles - except at the first one at Cana.

But she doesn’t escape from the contempt at Golgotha; there she stands, ‘juxta crucem Jesu’, the Mother of Jesus, beside his Cross (J. Escrivá, The Way, 507). She stays as a rule in Nazareth, in perfect union with her Son, pondering in her heart all that is happening; but in the hour of sorrow and desertion, Mary is there.

G od loved her in a unique and singular manner. Nevertheless, He did not spare her the ordeal of Calvary, making her share in suffering no-one else has ever experienced except her Son. Perhaps she could have stayed quietly at home in the consolingly agreeable company of the women; after all, there was nothing she could do, and her presence neither avoided nor relieved the sufferings and humiliations of her Son. But she was there, nevertheless. She stayed with Christ for the same reason as any mother stays beside the deathbed of her son, instead of going out to by to distract herself when she sees that she can neither keep him alive nor stop his suffering. No, the Virgin Mary identified herself with her Son; her love made her suffer with Him (F. Suarez, Mazy of Nazareth). Little by little she kept getting nearer to the Cross; finally, the soldiers must have allowed her to stay very close. She looks at Jesus, and her son looks at her. In the closest union, she offers her Son to God the Father, co redeeming with Him. In communion with her suffering and agonizing Son, she put up with pain and almost death. As a Mother, she abdicated her rights over her Son, in order to obtain the salvation of mankind, and to satisfy divine justice in as much as it depended on her. She immolated her Son, in such a way that it can rightly be said that she redeemed the human race with Christ (Benedict XV, Letter, Inter sodalicia, 22 May 1918).

The Virgin Mary not only accompanied Jesus but was actively and intimately united to the sacrifice which was offered on that first altar. Voluntarily she shared in the redemption of the human race, thereby fulfilling the fiat she had pronounced years before in Nazareth. And so we may consider that in each Mass, the very center and heart of the Church, we find Mary. On many occasions this fact will help us to live the Eucharistic Sacrifice better, by uniting our sacrifice, which also has to be a holocaust, to the sacrifice of Christ, feeling ourselves to be on Calvary, very close to Our Lady. # # #

With permission from Scepter UK.  Short excerpt  from IN CONVERSATION WITH GOD by Francis Fernandez.  

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