“Woman, behold your son… Behold your mother.”

Jesus so loves His mother, you cannot imagine how painful He felt when He saw her sorrowfully standing at the foot of the Cross. To Mary, no matter how painful it was to her heart, she chose to stay to accompany Jesus, until the end. Witnessing her only Son, her beloved God shamefully hanging on the Cross, bleeding continuously, laboured breathing and every single breath is one step closer to His Death, listening to those others still mocking, scorning, despising, their indifferences.... The more one loves, the more it hurts. Due to the great tenderness with which Mary loved Jesus, thus so great was her grief at the sight of His sufferings. Her sorrow, like a sword pierced her tender heart through and through, she lived dying without being able to die; yet she did not stop offering to God the life of her Son for our salvation. Our Lord, the King of Kings, who should have everything, but at that moment, even the last dignity (i.e. clothes) got stripped off from Him. But He can still see the love from His beloved disciple - John, although seeing the same thing as Mary did: the whole execution, Jesus' sufferings in every detail, John still courageously remained behind while other disciples all ran away, supported His mother and not afraid that he might get persecuted himself. These loving hearts were His last comfort. But He gave them away. For the love to His mother, but most importantly, for love of us. Jesus held nothing back, even that was His last consolation at His death. Jesus, not only established the Eucharist, so He can still always be with us until the end of time; He also gave us Mary, His mother as our Mother, whom He loves so much and at that time so in need of her, but He gave her to us, because He knows that we also need her very much. This last request: 'Behold your mother' is not only to John, but to all of us. Think of her often. In the end it is for our sake that she became the Mother of Sorrows. Take her into your heart, you can be sure that your consolation to this dear Mother will not leave you unconsoled in return.