Fourth Station, Jesus Meets His Mother Mary

Again tradition tells us of a meeting of mother and son on his way to execution. She was so much the center of the beginning of this redemptive mystery; she was with him for many of his preaching and healing adventures; she would stand beneath the cross at the end. Isn't it likely that the one who is the model of faith and solidarity would also take part in this last journey?

From the beginning, Mary shared the lot of her child, including his call to prophecy, his rejection and sufferings. She loved what he loved - the place where the proud are overthrown in the conceit of their hearts, where the hungry are fed and the rich sent away empty, where the meek and the lowly live with dignity while the powerful are dethroned. She was pierced by the sword of truth so that the hearts of many might be revealed. In her solidarity with Jesus who suffered the dispassionate gaze of strangers, she images all who stand in solidarity with those whose pain is public. She stands with the women who have illegitimate children, the ones who contract AIDS, the men and women marginalized because of their sexuality. And she stands with all who befriend them.

We stand together and commit ourselves to compassion, to openness and to accepting suffering in our lives rather than inflicting it. We pray to be faithful to the word of kindness and courtesy, to forgiveness and silent mutual love. We pray to have the courage to offer our support to those who struggle to live.

St. Stephen the Witness Student Center, Cedar Falls, IA