HOMILY: “Behold Your Mother: The Birth of a New Family at the Cross.” - “The Gospel of Consolation” - The Third Word of Jesus from the Cross.
“Behold Your Mother: The Birth of a New Family at the Cross.”
The Third Word of Jesus from the Cross
“The Gospel of Consolation”
John
19:26–27
“When Jesus
saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing near, He said to His
mother, ‘Woman, behold your son.’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold your
mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.”
1. Introduction – Words Spoken from the Heart of the Cross
Every word a
dying person speaks is important.
But the Seven
Last Words of Jesus are not ordinary last words.
They are words spoken from the Cross, the place where the salvation of
the world was accomplished.
From the
Cross, Jesus gave:
- Forgiveness to sinners
- Hope to the repentant thief
- And in the third word, He gave a Mother to the Church.
The Gospel
of Consolation. The God who comforts.
These words
were spoken while:
- His body was wounded
- His hands were nailed
- His blood was flowing
- His breathing was painful
Yet in that
moment of suffering, Jesus was still thinking of others.
First, He
forgave His enemies.
Then He saved a sinner.
Now He creates a new family.
At the foot
of the Cross, Jesus gives the world a gift that continues until today:
“Behold
your Mother.”
2. The Scene at Calvary
Let us
imagine the scene.
Calvary is
not a place of comfort.
It is a
place of:
- pain
- humiliation
- darkness
- cruelty
Many people
were present.
Some came
to mock.
Some came to watch.
Some came out of curiosity.
But only a
few came out of love.
The Gospel
tells us that near the Cross stood:
- Mary, the mother of Jesus
- Mary Magdalene
- The other women
- The beloved disciple
Others
stood far away.
But these
stood near the Cross.
That is the
difference between spectators and disciples.
A spectator
watches suffering from a distance.
A disciple stands close to the suffering of Christ.
3. The Courage of Mary
At the
Cross, we see the greatness of Mary.
Thirty-three
years earlier, Simeon had prophesied:
“A sword
will pierce your own soul.” (Luke 2:35)
That
prophecy is now fulfilled.
Mary sees:
- her Son rejected
- her Son humiliated
- her Son tortured
- her Son dying
A mother
suffers deeply when her child is hurt.
But Mary
does not run away.
She does
not faint.
She does
not collapse.
She stands.
The Gospel
says:
“Standing
by the Cross of Jesus was His mother.”
Mary stands
because she believes.
She stands
because she trusts God.
She stands
because love is stronger than fear.
4. “Woman” – A Meaningful Address
Jesus says:
“Woman,
behold your son.”
At first,
this may sound strange.
Why did
Jesus not say “Mother”?
But this
word “Woman” has a deep meaning.
Jesus used
the same word earlier at the wedding feast of Cana.
There He
said:
“Woman,
what is that to me? My hour has not yet come.”
At Cana the
hour had not yet come.
Now at
Calvary the hour has arrived.
The word “Woman”
connects two great moments:
- Cana
- Calvary
At Cana
Mary helped begin the public ministry of Jesus.
At Calvary
she stands at the completion of His mission.
But the
word “Woman” also reminds us of something deeper.
In the Book
of Genesis, God promised that the Woman and her offspring would defeat
the serpent.
At Calvary,
that promise is fulfilled.
Jesus is
the new Adam.
Mary is the new Eve.
From the
Cross, the new humanity begins.
5. Two Periods in the Relationship of Jesus and Mary
The
relationship between Jesus and Mary has two great periods.
The First Period: From Crib to Cana
During this
time:
Mary is the
Mother of Jesus.
She cares
for Him.
She raises
Him.
She
protects Him.
In this
period:
Jesus
belongs to Mary as her Son.
The Second Period: From Cana to Calvary
At Cana
Jesus begins to show that His mission is not only for His earthly family but
for all humanity.
Gradually
Jesus reveals that the Kingdom of God creates a new spiritual family.
For
example, when people said:
“Your
mother and your brothers are outside.”
Jesus
replied:
“Who is my
mother? Who are my brothers?”
Then He
said:
“Whoever
does the will of my Father is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew
12:50)
Jesus was
not rejecting Mary.
He was
revealing a deeper truth:
The true
family of God is formed by obedience to the will of God.
Mary is the
first and perfect member of that family.
6. The Third Word – A New Relationship
Now at
Calvary, Jesus says:
“Woman,
behold your son.”
And to the
disciple:
“Behold
your mother.”
Something
new is happening.
Jesus is
not simply asking John to take care of Mary.
If that
were the only meaning, Jesus would have said:
“John, take
care of my mother.”
Instead He
says:
“Behold
your mother.”
This is a spiritual
declaration.
At the
Cross, a new family is born.
Mary
becomes the Mother of all disciples.
John
represents every believer.
Therefore,
the message is clear:
Every
disciple receives Mary as Mother.
7. The Birth of the Church
The Church
was born from the Cross.
Just as Eve
came from the side of Adam,
the Church comes from the pierced side of Christ.
At that
moment:
- blood and water flowed
- the Sacraments were symbolized
- the Church began
Mary stands
there as the Mother of the new people of God.
That is why
the Church calls her:
Mother of
the Church.
8. The Beloved Disciple – The Model Disciple
The Gospel
does not name the disciple.
He is
simply called:
“The
disciple whom Jesus loved.”
This is
important.
He
represents every disciple who loves Christ.
The Gospel
says:
“From that
hour the disciple took her into his own home.”
A true
disciple receives Mary into his life.
Not only
into his house.
But into
his heart.
9. The Spiritual Meaning for Us
This word
from the Cross speaks to us today.
Jesus looks
at each one of us and says:
“Behold
your Mother.”
Mary
becomes the Mother of:
- the suffering
- the weak
- the broken
- the faithful
Whenever we
feel alone, we remember:
We have a
Mother at the foot of the Cross.
10. Illustration
Imagine a
soldier dying in battle.
Before
dying, he entrusts his family to his closest friend.
That friend
feels a deep responsibility.
Similarly,
Jesus entrusts Mary to the disciple and the disciple to Mary.
This is a
sacred trust.
11. The Message for the Church Today
The Cross
teaches us three lessons.
1. True disciples remain near the Cross.
Many ran
away.
But the
faithful stayed.
2. The Church is a family.
Not built
on blood relationships.
But on
faith.
3. Mary leads us to Christ.
She does
not replace Christ.
She brings
us closer to Him.
12. Spiritual Diagnosis
Let us
examine our hearts.
Do we stand
near the Cross like Mary?
Or do we
stand far away?
Do we
accept Mary as our spiritual Mother?
Do we live
as true disciples?
Each one of
us must ask these questions.
13. Practical Applications
How can we
live this message?
- Stay close to Christ in suffering.
- Accept Mary as a spiritual mother who guides us to Jesus.
- Build Christian families rooted in faith.
- Remain faithful even when life is difficult.
14. Conclusion – A Mother at the Cross
At the foot
of the Cross, a new family was born.
Jesus gave
His life for the world.
But before
He died, He gave the Church a Mother.
Mary stood
there not only as the mother of Jesus,
but as the mother of every disciple.
Whenever we
come near the Cross, we discover two gifts:
- a Saviour who redeems us
- a Mother who accompanies us
And from
the Cross, Jesus still says to every believer:
“Behold
your Mother.”
15. Prayer
Loving
Father,
we thank You for the gift of Your Son, who gave His life for our salvation.
At the foot
of the Cross,
He gave us a Mother to guide and protect us.
Help us to
stand near the Cross with faith like Mary.
Teach us to live as faithful disciples of Christ.
May the
love revealed at Calvary transform our lives.
And may Mary, the Mother given to us by Jesus,
lead us always closer to Him.
We ask this
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Contact
details:
Dr.
ADDANKI RAJU.
addankiraju.blogspot.com
Mobile,
WhatsApp: +91 98481 43047
X:
Dr. ADDANKI RAJU@addankiraju
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Addanki Raju
A Gentle Invitation to Share
If this
message has brought you even a small measure of joy, light, encouragement, or
spiritual nourishment, I humbly invite you to share this spiritual food with
others.
Someone you
know may be waiting for a word of hope.
Someone may be silently searching for meaning.
Someone may be thirsty for God.
By sharing
this message, you become a simple yet powerful instrument in God’s hands. This
small act of sharing becomes a beautiful act of evangelisation — a quiet
mission of love you carry out in your daily life.
Let the
Word that touched your heart reach another heart.
May the
Lord use you to spread His light.
May His Word bear abundant fruit.
God bless
you abundantly.
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