By Wendy Kachermeyer
Director of Religious Education

Wendy Kachermeyer

During this time of walking within the desert I often meditate on the Blessed Virgin and her suffering with her beloved Son. As a mother myself I probably wouldn’t have been able to watch any hideous act of violence conducted against my children without losing my mind.

Mary must have had such control over her emotions in order to stay with Jesus on His way to Golgotha. In my reflection I have Jesus looking to her for strength to carry out His journey to save us. I also imagine Jesus and Mary have a deep connection of love for each other that is beyond earthly love of family. Mary needs to be with Him, she needs to let Him know she is right by His side until the end. She would suffer for Him if she could but she wouldn’t have been able to save us from death.

The tears stream down her checks in silence as she walks the path through the crowd and watches her Son being beaten as He struggles to hold the cross, She can’t see anything except for Jesus through her tears. She struggles to stay on her feet with every strike of the whip on Jesus’ already beaten body. She keeps going with the strength of humility and sorrow that would overwhelm your average mother, like me.

They finally get to the hill outside of Jerusalem, His struggle is almost over, and she is shaking from
sorrow. Still not a sound has left her. She watches from a distance as people laugh and sneer at Jesus. She gazes into her Sons eyes as His hands and feet are secured to the cross with blows of great strength. She can see the faces of the men who drive the nails through His flesh and into the wood. Their eyes don’t hold any remorse; they treat this action as if it is just another day on the job.

I hear Jesus to His Mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your
mother.” (Jn.1.9:26-27). She and the disciple hold on to each other and now it is finished. Her Son’s body has died. She collapses with sobbing and streaming tears.

Before sun down she receives Christ’s corpse. She prepares His body for burial. She is silent and gentle as she cleans every wound on His body. She wraps Him in the tradition of every good Jewish mother would and goes to say her final goodbye in the tomb. Now she is numb.

Every moment of her life has come to this time. Our Blessed Mother is the perfect example of
motherhood!! Now she is our Mother filled with the same love she has for her beloved Son for us.

Wendy Kachermeyer is Director of Religious Education and R.C.I.A (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, Dunkirk, NY