Jesus was subjected to unimaginable human cruelty and humiliation. Having lost almost all his blood and strength, he still cared enough to speak words of comfort to his precious mother and the beloved disciple. In that moment, the apostle John represented all of humanity, as our dying Savior entrusted us to his mother and his mother to us. At the foot of the Cross, Mary became the new mother of all living: “The New Eve.” She was later in the upper room with the eleven apostles and the women who followed the Lord, praying and waiting with them for the promised Holy Spirit, the greatest gift of all (cf. Acts 1:14). The mother who was present at the birth of the Church has continued to be with the Church ever since and will remain until the end. Only a child who has lost a mother knows her true value. We who experience Mary’s maternal love and intercession are blessed beyond words. Let us show our love and gratitude to her by being faithful disciples of her Son.

PRAYER: O blessed Mother of the Church, nurture in us the Spirit of your Son. Amen.