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Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s
sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. John
19:25
Our Blessed Mother, the Mother of the Son of God, loved her Son
with a perfect love. She enfleshed every virtue to perfection. Her
love for her Son was a love that was beyond what we could ever
imagine. She conceived Him miraculously, bore Him in her womb, gave
birth to Him, nursed Him, raised Him and loved Him throughout His
life. It’s difficult to even imagine the depth and beauty of the
love she had for Jesus. Generally speaking, a mother’s love is
powerful, unwavering, deep and filled with tenderness. Try to
imagine the Immaculate Heart of Mother Mary and the amazing depth
of love alive in her heart.
Imagine also the scene depicted in the Gospel passage quoted above.
This loving mother stood at the foot of the Cross, gazing upon her
crucified Son, continuing to exude every motherly virtue. And
because it’s hard to fathom the depth of her love for her Son, it’s
also very hard to imagine the depth of sorrow and interior
suffering she endured as she watched the cruelty toward Jesus
unfold. All she could do in that moment was stand by Him and with
Him in this moment of extreme agony. Her love was expressed, in
that moment, by her fidelity to Him.
What’s beautiful to know is that love, sorrow, compassion and
suffering were united as one within her Immaculate Heart. Within
the beauty of her heart was every human emotion, fueled by God’s
grace, enabling her to give to her Son the greatest gift she had:
her motherhood. She was a true mother throughout her life, and, in
this moment, as her Son hung on the Cross, her motherhood
culminated in a perfect human expression.
We all long to be loved by another. To give and receive love is the
greatest gift that we can give and receive. Love is what we were
made for and is the source of our fulfillment in life. We can be
certain that as Mother Mary stood at the foot of the Cross, her
human heart experienced the greatest fulfillment ever known. Her
heart was fulfilled because she exercised her motherly love to
perfection.
Gaze upon the image of the Mother of God this day. Ponder,
especially, all that she would have experienced within her human
heart. Though theologians could write volumes on this meditation,
the best way to understand her heart of love is through prayerful
meditation. Ask our Blessed Mother to reveal her heart to you
today. Find some time to sit in silent adoration of this holy image
of perfect motherly love. As you do, know two things. First, know
that Mother Mary has this same depth of love for you. Do not doubt
it. Her heart burns with compassion as she gazes upon you, even in
your sin. Second, know that our Blessed Mother’s love must also
fill your heart and overflow into the lives of others. We all must
allow her compassion, concern, fidelity and mercy to flow through
our hearts. Who do you need to love with the heart of our Blessed
Mother? Seek to receive the love in the heart of the Mother of God
and seek to give that love. Receive it in and then allow it to flow
forth. There is truly nothing in this world more beautiful and awe
inspiring than the holy image of this love.
My Immaculate and Sorrowful Mother, you stood at the foot of the
Cross of your Son with the perfection of a mother’s love. Your
heart was filled with a sorrow that was mixed with every holy
virtue. Pray for me that I may understand this love more fully, so
that I may also open up my own heart to your love. As I do, I pray
that I will become an instrument of the love in your heart toward
those in my life who suffer and are in most need of tender
compassion and mercy. Sorrowful Heart of Mary, pray for us. Jesus,
I trust in You.
Daderot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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