Woman, behold, your son

HOLY FRIDAY 10 APRIL (Jn 19,23,37)

Jesus says of his Father: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (Jn 3,16-18). It must be said of Jesus: “Jesus loved his apostles so much so as to give his Mother as their true Mother”. But giving the Mother is not enough, it is also necessary to give the Holy Spirit and the grace of the sacraments. The Holy Spirit is given because in the mystical womb of the Mother of Jesus, in the sacrament of Baptism, we are born as true children of Mary to be true children of God in her Son Christ Jesus. Grace is given to grow as true children of Mary and true children of God, abounding with every good fruit for eternal salvation: “Jesus then, seeing the mother and the disciple whom he loved beside her, said to the mother: “Woman, behold your son!”. Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother!” And from that time the disciple welcomed her with him.” “But one of the soldiers with a spear hit his side, and immediately blood and water came out.” Jesus left these very great gifts to his Church as a Crucifix and after that he gave the spirit back to his Father. He left them to us so that with them we became his true disciples. Who is the true disciple of Jesus? He who gives to the whole world, making him a disciple of Jesus, these very great gifts made to him by Christ from the cross. If these gifts do not become his own life, his truth, his justice and his grace, the disciple is not a true disciple of Christ the Lord. If these gifts are not given to the whole world, the disciple attests that he is not a true disciple. He does not live as Christ Jesus lived. It doesn’t do as Christ Jesus did. He does not give his Mother to men. He does not pour the blood and water of their regeneration, salvation and redemption for them.

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four shares, a share for each soldier. They also took his tunic, but the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top down. So they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be,” in order that the passage of scripture might be fulfilled (that says): “They divided my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots.” This is what the soldiers did. Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I thirst.” There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit. Now since it was preparation day, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the Sabbath, for the Sabbath day of that week was a solemn one, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken and they be taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out. An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true; he knows that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may (come to) believe. For this happened so that the scripture passage might be fulfilled: “Not a bone of it will be broken.” And again another passage says: “They will look upon him whom they have pierced.”

The Gospel is an obligation and not a feeling. It is a command and not taste. It is obedience and not instinct. It is a service of true universal salvation, not a lamp that is put under the bushel. The Gospel is a cry of salvation that every man must hear. Who loves man makes him hear the Gospel of his eternal life. Whoever hates him is keeps quiet and is silent. Jesus has the Mother, and gives the Mother. He has the Spirit and gives the Spirit. He has the grace and gives the grace. He has the Word and gives the Word. He has eternal life and gives eternal life. Who has, he gives. Today, if the Christian does not give men either the Gospel, or the Mother, or the Holy Spirit, or Christ Jesus, or the Father, or eternal life, he attests that he is devoid of these divine and eternal gifts. But if he is deprived, it is a sign that he is on the road to perdition.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints fill us with these eternal gifts to give them to every man.