Feast of the Sorrowful Mother: In prayer this morning, I was reminded that people are nailed to the cross every moment, in agony, by the acts and words, the deafness and blindness, of others. The questions I was confronted with were: Can you be there when my Son asks that of you? When your God calls you to show compassion and support , can you do that without striking out at the source of that person’s suffering whether of his/her own doing or coming from others, without condemning that person or those causing the suffering? Can I stand in the midst of “violence” without resorting to “violence” in words or deeds, without condemning anyone, neither the “crucified” or the “crucifiers”? I was reminded that neither Mary nor Jesus lashed out at those who were crucifying Him. Jesus said: “Father, forgive them. They know not what they are doing.” Do I realize that those who do or say things that hurt another human being usually do not realize what they are doing? Who would intentionally kill the spirit of another human being, seriously cripple anyone’s self-esteem, self-confidence, initiative and creativity? Probably no one, really. Like Mary, can I stand with, show compassion and give support to “the wounded” without causing further damage by lashing out, ranting and raving, doing violence myself?
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