REFLECTIONS TODAY Mary, as Our Lady of Sorrows, is presented in John’s account as standing by the cross of Jesus on Calvary. Pope Francis presents her thus: “Without yielding to evasions or illusions, she accompanied the suffering of her Son; she supported him by her gaze and protected him with her heart. She shared his suffering, yet was not overwhelmed by it. She was the woman of strength who uttered her ‘yes,’ who supports and accompanies, protects and embraces” (Christus Vivit, 45). Two images of Mary in her sorrow have become popular. One is Stabat Mater, a 13th-century Christian hymn to Mary which portrays her suffering at the foot of the cross. The title comes from its first line, “Stabat Mater Dolorosa” (“At the cross her station keeping, stood the mournful Mother weeping”). The other image of Mary is that of Pieta; it shows the Virgin Mary holding the dead body of Christ after his crucifixion, death, and removal from the cross, but before he was placed in the tomb. The most famous Pieta is the one carved by Michelangelo which is now located in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. When the work was finished, there was a complaint that Michelangelo depicted the Virgin so young that she could scarcely be the mother of the 33-year-old Jesus. The artist answered that women who are chaste retain their beauty longer, which meant that the Virgin would not have aged like other women usually do. Gospel • John 19:25-27 Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2022,” St. Pauls, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.