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. Ignatius of Loyola reminds us to pay special attention to our holy desires-those impulses within us that seek the greater good for our community and the world. Think of Yuvi from Guatemala whom we met in this week’s Story of Hope. Her holy desire is to become a doctor-to care for the sick and suffering in her own community and beyond.

How do we respond when we see suffering? When we encounter the homeless, orphaned and abandoned? What stirs in us? Do we work to empower people like Yuvi to do good in the world? Is God calling us to take action, to stand up for the rights of those whom others may have forgotten?