"Behold your Mother."

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 19:25-27.

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.

Commentary of the day
Rupert of Deutz (c.1075-1130), Benedictine monk
Commentary on Saint Johns Gospel, 13 ; PL 169, 789

"Behold, your mother."

Woman, this is your son. This is your mother.» By what right is the disciple whom Jesus loved the son of the Lord's mother? By what right is she his mother? By the fact that, without pain, she brought into the world the salvation of us all when she gave birth in the flesh to the God-man. But now she is in labor with great pain as she stands at the foot of the cross.

At the hour of his Passion, the Lord himself rightly compared the apostles to a woman in childbirth when he said: «When a woman is in labor she is in anguish because a child is born into the world» (cf. Jn 16,21). How much more, then, might such a son compare such a mother, the mother standing at the foot of his cross, to a woman in labor? What am I saying? «Compare»? She is indeed truly a woman and truly a mother and, at this hour, she is truly experiencing the pains of childbirth. When her son was born she did not experience the anguish of giving birth in pain as other women do; it is now that she is suffering, that she is crucified, that she experiences sorrow like a woman in labor, because her hour has come ( Jn 16,21; cf.13,1; 17,1)...

When this hour has passed, when the sword of sorrow has completely pierced her soul in labor (Lk 2,35), then no more shall she «remember the pain because a child has been born into the world» – the new man who renews the entire human race and reigns for ever over the whole world, truly born, beyond all suffering, immortal, the firstborn from the dead. If the Virgin has thus brought the salvation of us all into the world, in her son's Passion, then she is indeed the mother of us all.

My Reflection:
Today's gospel marks the celebration of Lady of Sorrows. Having a mother who gives me life and helped me see the beauty of creation is totally a blessing for me. My Mom's love is unconditional. She gave what is best for me. My mom is an example of a faithful servant. I really love my mom.

Mom, thank you for bringing me up in this world.