All the apostles fled from the cross save Blessed John.
Judas betrayed him. Peter denied him. The rest abandoned Him.
Why did St. John stay at the foot of the cross until the bitter end?
Was he not just as afraid as the rest of the twelve?
See the apostle self-described as "the disciple whom Jesus loved" at Golgotha's bloody mountain.
He stands with the Blessed Virgin Mary.
She is not leaving. Beyond all human comprehension her immaculate heart is crushed in agony as she stands there at the base of the cross united to her Beloved Son.
St. John obtained grace to brave the threats of the Romans, the treachery of the Jews, and the timidity of his fellow disciples because he followed our Lady.
He was caught up between the love of the Mother and the Son.
No human vocabulary suffices to describe such a love.
The sacred heart of Christ and the immaculate heart of Mary are one.
Blessed John, trusting in our Lady, accompanies her on the Via Dolorosa and to Calvary.
She will not abandon Him, ever.
Some Saints and mystics have pondered that she would have substituted herself for Him had the Father's will permitted.
John, steadfastly united to Mary, finds the grace of supernatural courage in the face of this darkest of all moments in human history.
She faithfully leads all to her divine Son, and to Him crucified.
She obtains by her union with Him the gratuitous privilege to participate in a unique way in His sorrowful passion.
Are we not all afraid in our hearts to endure persecution and martyrdom?
This is completely natural.
In our own strength we too betray, deny, and abandon our Lord when the shadow of our own crosses draw near.
Let us then follow Blessed John's example and stay attached to our Lady.
Let us as St. John did unite ourselves to this unspeakable love between the Mother and the Son.
She will not fail us.
She will not abandon us.
She will always and only lead us to Jesus Christ our Lord.
For his attachment to our Blessed Lady St. John is granted the inestimable honor of being her son.
"Woman, behold thy son. Son, behold thy Mother."
Yes, persecution, illness, and death are intimidating and frighten us.
Yet, as Solomon wrote, "love is stronger than death" and St. John himself would later write "perfect charity casteth out fear."
It was love that kept St. John close to our Lord when the rest abandoned him.
Love overcomes fear.
Let us then love our Blessed Mother Mary in all our fears, failures, shortcomings and weaknesses. Cling to her as a child to its Mother. She will obtain the graces for us that kept St. John faithful when all fled.
Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us. +
