Eucharist: standing along with Mary at the cross

Source: Mary at the Cross: A Mother’s Unwavering Love – Life Lessons by Jenine Marie

In yesterday’s blog I reflected on the close association between the Holy Cross – celebrated each year on 14 September – and the Eucharist which makes the fruits and the power of the sacrifice of Calvary present in the here and now.  Today’s memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows follows immediately after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross yesterday.  The liturgy invites us to stand with Mary at the foot of the Cross contemplating her Son who is given for us.  The evangelist, John, witnessed to what happened as follows:

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home (John 19:26-27).

At this crucial moment in salvation history three important strands come together:

1. The sacrifice of Jesus on Cross from which the Eucharist draws its meaning.
2. Mary becomes the mother of Christ's disciples.
3. Mary’s motherhood goes beyond biology to spiritual care.

Mary was given a premonition of this when the prophet Simeon, having blessed the infant Jesus, told her:

so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too (Luke 2:35).

And so it that many mothers are destined to suffer in a particular way. They have carried another within themselves; they have fed and sustained life over many months; they have suffered for another's good; and they have remained present when they cannot fix a situation. Mary simply remains near (John 19:25).

Mary's heart is pierced by sorrow on Calvary.  The Sacred Heart of Jesus is pierced on the Cross (John 19:34), and the Eucharist makes present for us the love that flowed from that pierced Heart. Many mothers know hearts pierced by worry, loss, sacrifice or helpless love. Yet none of these wounds are meaningless.

Just as Jesus freely offers himself to the Father, Mary participates in that offering as a mother united to her Son. She cannot possess him as he was up to now.  She consents to losing him so that his saving mission may be fulfilled for the life of the world. His grief and her grief are immense; the redemption won for us is beyond measure.

Reflecting Colossians 1:24, in the Roman Missal for today’s Mass the Priest prays in the Post-Communion prayer

Having received the Sacrament of eternal redemption, we humbly ask, O Lord,
that, honouring how the Blessed Virgin Mary suffered with her Son, we may complete in ourselves for the Church’s sake what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

There is nothing lacking in Christ's Passion. His sacrifice is perfect, complete and all sufficient as Hebrews 10:10-14 makes clear. What is lacking is our participation in the one all-sufficient sacrifice of Jesus. Like Mary, we are invited to share in His sufferings and join our sacrifices, trials and acts of love to His once-for-all sacrifice which is now re-presented to us in each Mass.