What was Mary's interior disposition during the crucifixion?

A cheerful topic, I know! But it occurred to me during rosary this morning, praying the sorrowful mysteries. I ask it because we know, at least, that in the garden Jesus asked that, “…if it is possible, let this cup pass from me” (Matthew 26). Being a mother myself now, I have a whole other view of the passion narrative, as it takes place from Mary’s view. I think it can be understood she was there throughout, if she was there at the end, which we know she was (“Behold your mother”). Did she also ask God to “let this cup pass?” Did her sinless nature, and readiness to say “yes” to God, both things we know for certain, give her the ability to accept Jesus’s sufferings, even as she had to stand by and watch? Did she cry? Did she faint? Did she scream? It seems uncharacteristic to imagine her screaming, but that seems like a pretty reasonable reaction to watching one’s son murdered.

I think also about how, long before her son’s final moments, she watched him grow up, and he was always the Son of God, from the beginning. So she saw his extraordinariness from the beginning, and any other smaller persecutions along the way. How much did god reveal to her in prayer, about Jesus’s future? How much did Jesus himself share?

I have heard that tradition says that, after the resurrection, Jesus appeared to Mary first before anyone else, even though the Bible does not lay it out that way. But their bond was incredibly close and significant. I’d like to think there was likely a level of telepathy between them, a mutual understanding of each other and of each of their missions. And perhaps that made Jesus’s crucifixion less of a surprise than it was for the disciples or the world in general.

So, it is a question to ponder. What did Mary do during the passion? What did she say, how did she act? She was, after all, human. But then - imagine her joy on the other side of the resurrection, being reunited to her son in all his glory.

One last thought: I am beginning to get emails from Catholic companies, primarily publishers, saying things like, “Are you ready for Advent?” My answer is no, because that’s still a little ways away. Specifically, Advent this year starts on Sunday, November 29. That’s actually the Sunday after Thanksgiving and just over a month from now. But it does prompt me to begin thinking about it! In a future post I will share some practical ideas not just how to observe Advent, but how to approach and understand its meaning. In searching my own writing, it appears I have discussed this topic a fair amount. I do love that pre-Christmas time of year.

Revisiting Ecclesiastes in a Political Season

Today’s first reading is from Ecclesiastes - vanity, vanity, all is vanity! It reminded me of this article I wrote in the summer of 2020, Ecclesiastes and Turning Politics Over to God.

As I shared over this summer, my family and I just relocated away from the center of the world’s politics, Washington, DC, back to a saner place, my home state of North Carolina. I can tell you, I have not missed the politics. It’s like shedding an icky skin.

However: you really can’t escape politics. Even if you want to be unplugged and removed, policy decisions at the local, state, and federal level impact every single one of us, whether we like it or not.

And yet: God is always in control. And that was the purpose of the article I wrote, to remind us all that when things feel particularly politically heated, and when the political outcome you desire does not materialize, life goes on, because it is God’s will. The world is a history of dark times and political upheaval, and yet here we are. And we must take the good with the bad, the victories with the losses, and trust in Him as to what he is doing. As Saint John Henry Newman said: “God does nothing in vain; He knows what He is about.”

So let’s keep that in mind as we head into yet another political season this fall. Catholics, do register to vote, become informed, and then vote. But remember that you are not in control. The Lord of all creation is.

Happy fall to one and all!

Saints for Back to School

It’s August, and while summer is not officially over, I know my own mind is going to “back to school.” Vacations are ending, school supplies are being bought, Old Navy has a million ads with children in popped collars. So, let’s embrace it, and for those going back to school, or sending their children back to school, get to know some saints who can go with you.

Saint Scholastica: the name says it all. The sister (possibly twin) of the great St. Benedict and the foundress of Benedictine nuns, she is considered a patron saint of education, reading, and tests.

Saint John Henry Newman: Ever been to a Newman Center on a college campus? It’s named after Saint John Henry Newman, who famously converted from the Church of England to Catholicism, losing a lot of worldly power and honor along the way ( which was then restored as a cardinal in the Catholic Church). He was himself an academic and wrote The Idea of a University.

St. Thomas Aquinas: He is the OG Catholic scholar and a big ol’ doctor of the Church. ‘Nuff said.

St. Carlo Acutis: He is not traditionally associated with education, but he died while a teenaged student. We see many pictures of him with his friends and in recreational activities, living the life of a normal kid. I always think of that common image of him on a hilltop wearing a backpack. I just learned you can buy a Carlo Acutis backpack.

St. John Paul II: I have to throw him in here as a personal favorite, and because of his extraordinary work with young people and students. He was himself a lifelong writer and scholar, as well as a professor in the 1950s and 1960s. See if you can find pictures of him with his young people, celebrating Mass on an overturned canoe-turned-altar while on an outdoor adventure.

These are just a few of those you can call on to help you prepare and enjoy back to school time. God bless all the students and families of students!