The Fourth Station: Jesus Encounters His Mother

And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary …“You yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

-Luke 2:34–35

What must Mary have been thinking, standing there in the midst of suffering, looking at her son? What pain must have been in her heart? What doubt? And yet we know that she followed Christ until the end and beyond, being present to his friends, comforting them in their fear, encouraging them as the young Church grew. Mary’s desire to love and serve God overcame the suffering she encountered.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux reminds us to seek God in little ways-that God is at work in the small, very ordinary aspects of our lives. In these small moments we can make a big difference, for ourselves and others. Think of Melvin Sánchez Ramírez from Nicaragua. He could have given up when his coffee plants died, but instead he took small steps-joining a savings group, planting new kinds of crops-to ensure his family had food to eat.

Do we take small steps to relieve the suffering of those who are homeless, orphaned and abandoned? Are we able to find God in the little things, even when hope seems lost? Let us look to Mary and the example she sets for us as she meets Christ carrying the cross.