There is perhaps no scene in the story of Jesus quite so poignant as that described in today’s Gospel. Jesus hangs on the cross, dying a slow and agonizing death like a common criminal, humiliated, mocked and scorned by many who pass by or who have gathered to watch the spectacle of a public execution. He has been rejected by his own people, sentenced by the authority of the Roman occupying force, abandoned by almost all of his followers and denied by Peter. His disciples are in hiding, or perhaps watching from a safe distance. By all human standards of success, his life had been a complete failure.
If George Gallup had been in Jerusalem that day with his helpers and they had taken a poll, the results would have been almost unanimous. Was this man the Messiah, the Son of God? 95% “no”, 4.5% “don’t know”, less than 1% “maybe”. So much for polls.
The focus of today’s memorial is on a small group standing at the foot of the cross: Mary the mother of Jesus and her sister Mary and John, his “beloved disciple”. A few others, perhaps, were gathered some distance away. It must have been some small consolation that he could entrust his mother to the care of someone in whom he had confidence. Not much to show for years spent in wandering, teaching, preaching and healing: his mother, his aunt, one repentant sinner and one friend.
Without this sorrow, accepted in the obedience of faith, there could have been no Resurrection. The obedience of Christ was the price of our redemption. That is something we must never forget. The faithfulness and devotion of Mary to her Son is the model which the Church proposes to us today.
Just a few hours before, Jesus had said to his disciples, “Do this in memory of me.” In some mysterious fashion, there is a deep connection between what happened on that day and what we do at every Mass. We repeat the words of Jesus. We participate in His sacrifice. There is also a spiritual continuity between the sufferings of Jesus and the suffering of the Church today. The Church is the Body of Christ, and somewhere on earth that body is still being humiliated, scorned and persecuted. We are connected to the suffering of Jesus in his members. We are also members of that body, and what happens to other members cannot be a matter of indifference to us. It is good for us to remember that from time to time.
Today and every day, let us pray in union with Mary, his sorrowful mother, and the mother of the Church. Let us pray in solidarity with all those members of the Church who are suffering persecution, imprisonment and all kinds of political and economic harassment because of their faith in many parts of the world. Then, in spirit, we too can be members of that small group who are faithful to Jesus not only in good times but also in the midst of sorrow and pain.
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