Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
and you yourself a sword will pierce
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
Mary was always a part of the plan, not only of the incarnation, but also of the Passion. We note a certain similarity between the two which might not be immediately evident. For, in conceiving the Son of God, Mary played a passive role yet was nevertheless asked to assent to that it be done unto her according to the word of the archangel. And in bearing witness to the cross of her son her role was to watch and bear witness. Yet, in her presence there at the cross she manifested an active assent to the will of God. Not only that, but both events were ultimately life-giving, first to her son on Christmas, then to his Body the Church on Good Friday.
Her assent to the will of God always meant a sharing in the suffering of her Son. This began from even before he was born with the journey for the census, the lack of housing, the somewhat ignoble birth to which shepherds were the first to bear witness. It accelerated with the persecution of Herod and the flight into Egypt. No doubt it continued through his ministry when others opposed him. And it culminated at the cross were it was for the mother as though the pains of her son were her own pains. The lance that pierced the side of Jesus also pierced the heart of Mary. But from this single wound flowed streams of life-giving water. This water was a sign of the gift of the Holy Spirit, who was the one who would bring about the new life of the baptized by his presence in them. Yet for the Spirit to come to dwell in human hearts it was necessary that their thoughts be revealed to them so that they could truly reject even the sins that self-deception made them ignore. Thus the promised Spirit would "convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment" (see John 16:8). In a particular way the Spirit would do this through people's response to the sorrow of the cross of Christ, which was the sorrow of both son and mother.
Do we appreciate the gift of the sorrow of the mother of the Son of God? Do we recognize in it the power to reveal us more deeply to ourselves? It can be for us another stream from which the life-giving water the flows constantly from the heart of Christ can be received by us. The secret isn't so different from that which was always Mary's secret, which was always, presence, assent, bearing witness, and treasuring in her heart. It was this treasuring that made everything that belonged to Jesus also her own. And this is not a privilege exclusive to her, provided we follow her example.
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