“Behold Your Son”

There are few places I prefer to pray more than the Portiuncula, on the campus of Franciscan University. A few years ago, I was on campus for a conference. It was a hot humid day and a storm was moving in. As it began to thunder, and the rain became heavy, I didn’t want to leave. Here, so many times I have found peace, direction from the Lord, reassurance and comfort, and I wanted that again.

This day was different. I had come feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders; tired, burned out and stressed. Amidst the joys of the conference, I still found myself thinking about seemingly hopeless situations that had only seemed to become more hopeless. Yet in the stillness and quiet, tucked back in the trees with only the sound of the rain and occasional thunder, an incredible peace came over me.

It was while sitting in the middle of the grotto, soaked through and through (even ruined my cell phone), just me and Our Lady, that a peace had come over me. I felt such a loving and comforting embrace that suddenly everything else mattered little, even the fact that I was so wet. It was as if the Blessed Mother had taken me into her arms and said, “Rest my son, and do not worry.” I will never forget this moment. Sure, I “knew” all the doctrine about Mary. But this was the first time I had come to experience what it means to say “Mother Mary” in a real way.

Here I really saw how significant Christ, while bleeding out and dying on the Cross, giving us his Mother, truly is. Jesus said to his Mother, “Behold your son;” and to his beloved disciple, “Behold your Mother.” Scripture then affirms that from that day, this beloved disciple “took her into his home.” We to, as beloved disciples must take her into our homes, and allow the love of the Mother of God to penetrate our hearts as only that of a faithful mother can. Her heart is to draw us ever closer to the source of peace that surpasses all understanding: her son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.