III. Calvary

Preparation:
1. Praise of the Father.
2. Hail Mary.

Text: John 19:25-27.

Setting: To meditate on this passage, it is important to be aware of the following: in the mind of St. John, who wrote this Gospel that tells of the words of Jesus to his mother at Calvary, the crucifixion of Jesus and his death are not a defeat, but Jesus' supreme victory. His determination to carry out the Father's will has triumphed over every evil force that tried to stop him. This is, then, Jesus' 'Hour', the Hour of his glorification. And it is in this Hour, at the moment of his death, that Jesus 'hands over his Spirit', the Holy Spirit. This scene, then, is, for St. John, the beginning of Pentecost and the birth of the Church. And it is precisely in this same Hour that Jesus gives his mother as mother to all the disciples, to the fellowship of those who do his Father's will, i.e., to the Church. This text is crucial, then, for Mary, for the Church and for you as a disciple of Jesus, member of his new family.

Grace: Ask God for the grace to feel more deeply his great love for you, and the love of Mary, your mother in the Church; and if it be his will, that you may perceive his gracious choice to belong to the Marist ' family.

Reflection:
1. Jesus sees his mother and the beloved disciple at the foot of the cross, united with him doing his Father's will.
2. He Says, 'Woman, behold your son.'
3. Then, 'Behold your mother.'

Conversation: Take Mary 'with you into your home' and speak with her about what it means that you are now her son or daughter in a special way--and listen to her as she tells you what it means to her. Journal

Journal: Record your reflections, and anything you have learned or felt, in your journal or notebook. Do this for each meditation.

Reflection Day November 2011

Marist Spirituality