On Friday preceding Good Friday the Local Church holds the devotion of Our Lady of Sorrows. People literally flood the churches and the streets for the procession with the statue of Our Lady, normally followed by people who tread bare-footed as a thanksgiving gesture for an obtained favour through Mary’s intercession.
Unfortunately, popular piety somehow veils the deep significance of this manifestation of faith. Suffice to look at the gospel that is read on the occasion, Jn 19, 25-27. In this short yet profound periscope, the fourth evangelist is presenting Mary and the Beloved disciple at the foot of Jesus’ cross. Biblical scholars describe this event as one of “the beloved disciple scenes”. Verse 25 already gives us the clue that Mary had a greater role when she is compared to her sister, Mary the wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene. For the Johannine community the importance of Mary is undisputed. She is presented here in the context of discipleship. Mary stands at the foot of Jesus’ cross together with the beloved disciple whom Jesus loved.
John’s gospel is unique in its rich symbolical content. As in the other Johannine crucifixion episodes, this episode is singular in terms of its symbolical and theological meaning. Mary’s maternal role to the beloved disciple is imparted and received in the “hour” of Jesus (Jn 13,1). It comes into effect solely when Jesus dies and returns to his Father. The crucified Jesus leaves behind him a small community of believing disciples. In John’s view Jesus work found its culmination in founding the Christian community. Mary with the beloved disciple was part of that telein (it is completed) which Jesus speaks of in Jn 19,28. Through Jesus’ word (Jn 19, 26-27) we have a new mother-son relationship coming into being. Jesus’ natural family is replaced by a new family of disciples, the eschatological family. And in it Mary has a spiritual maternal role.
Symbolically, Mary can be considered as Israel giving birth to the Christian community via discipleship and acceptance of Jesus. In Mary, Israel becomes the true mother of Jewish Christianity. In the latter Israel’s spiritual heritage is protected. The symbolism of Rev 12, 1-5, 17 backs up this view. The author of the book of Revelations speaks of a “Woman” in the apparel of the sun, moon, and the twelve stars who gives birth to a messianic child. Then she survives the snatching off of that child “to God and to His throne” and keeps living on earth with her offspring (seed) made up of Christian disciples (“those who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus). Thus, Revelation 12 appears to make use of the symbolism of a woman depicted like Israel who is both the mother of the messiah as well as the mother of the Christian disciples.
Another interpretation of Mary’s presence at the foot of the cross is connected with Mary/Eve symbolism particularly since the woman in Revelation 12 is in conflict with a dragon who in 12,9, is distinctively identified with the serpent of the Genesis account. In Gen 3, 15 there would be enmity between the serpent and the “woman”, between the serpent’s seed (offspring) and the woman’s seed (offspring). If Mary, whom the crucified Jesus refers to as “Woman,” takes up an Eve symbolism, at the foot of the cross not only she becomes a mother with seed (offspring), the Christian disciple but also in the language of Rev 12, 17 she, together with her offspring, engages in the war against the dragon/serpent.
Spiritually speaking, at the foot of the cross, Mary is Israel who is giving birth to the Church. Furthermore, she protects Christ’s disciples from the snares of the serpent (the Evil One) by warring relentlessly against him until his final defeat! May the Our Lady of Sorrows devotion help us to be closer to Jesus by keeping his commandments, bearing witness to him, combating sin and asking Mary to intercede for us as committed disciples of her Son.
Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap
San Gwann