Mary, Mother of Sorrows

Is it possible that Mary, both as Mother and disciple of Jesus, heard her Son tell his disciples that “the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised” (Lk 9: 22-25), as we read in today’s Gospel?  And even if Mary was not among this group of disciples when Jesus shared this first prophesy of His passion, death and resurrection, would not someone have carried this message to her.  We might imagine a conversation like this:

“Mary, your son is prophesying that he will be put to death and rise again.”

“From the prophesy of Simeon, I know that he is destined for the rise and fall of many in Israel and that he is ‘destined to be a sign that is opposed’” (Lk 2: 34-35).

“Yeah, many strongly objected when he said he would destroy the temple and in three days raise it up again’ (Jn 3:19).   Some Pharisees accused Him of blasphemy when he said to the paralytic: ‘Your sins are forgiven you’ (Mt 9:5).  And many disciples stopped following him when he said: ‘I tell you the truth unless you eat of the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you’ (Jn  6: 53).

“We probably need to prepare ourselves for a final confrontation that will lead to His death and resurrection. It seems to be approaching quickly.

“What should we do, Mary?”

“Do whatever He tells [us].”

Mary’s “yes” to God at the Annunciation was not a once and for all “yes.” It was a “yes” repeated every day of her life. Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel  that “if anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it” (Lk 9: 23).  Mary certainly denied herself in the Annunciation  and every moment thereafter,  taking up her cross daily and following the will of the Lord all the way to Calvary, where she stood beneath the cross of her dying Son.  To what, today, is God asking you and me to say “yes”?  What, in your and me, needs to die so that, we, rise to new life with Christ?