Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary Magdalene.
Stabat Mater means "the mother standing." Saint John's Gospel describes her place and ours as we attend with her the crucifixion of Jesus. There may be many places we'd rather be, and many more places we could be; but by the cross is where we must be, who belong to the Lord.
For all its beauty, wonder, and mystery; for all its efficient merit to save humankind and the universe from the ongoing horror of sin, the cross -- the sacrifice of Jesus on that terrible Friday -- is not complete until we are there with him.
And so we celebrate "the Mother Standing," and our standing with her. We come because he must be there for us. There is no salvation without his crucifixion and death. We become because he is our friend and brother; because he is a man of flesh and blood like us, who deserves our sympathy; because we know that our sins of omission and commission have put him there, and we bitterly regret it.
We come because he must do this for us, and he does it willingly, without hesitation. We come, like his Virgin Mother, to be with him. Because at this hour we can be nowhere else.
Christians and Catholics have always contemplated Mary's standing with Jesus on Calvary. We knew his hour was coming, that hour of which he spoke during the wedding feast of Cana. It was the hour of the day of which Amos the Prophet had spoken many centuries before. It was the first hour of the year of favor Isaiah predicted and Jesus announced.
The hour, day, year, and moment are endless. We must remain with Jesus forever, as he remains with us, in the eternally present.
It is good, as Saint Peter said, that we are here. He spoke eagerly of the hour when Jesus was transfigured on Mount Tabor. He was hardly aware of what he said; he could not understand the Lord's speaking with Moses and Elijah about the exodus he would accomplish in Jerusalem. Perhaps he spoke too eagerly for when the hour arrived on Calvary, Peter was nowhere to be seen. But his moment arrived not long afterward, on Pentecost; and it was accomplished many years later, when he was crucified in Rome. Still remembering his craven failure, he requested and was given permission to be crucified upside down, because he said he should not be suspended upright like the Lord.
It is good that we are here with Mary, the martyrs, and all the saints, including Saint Peter. We remember her sorrow; we cannot and dare not take it from her.
It is enough, as Jesus said. It is accomplished.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.