- Feb 5, 2002
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The third of Christ’s ‘Seven Last Words From the Cross’ reveals the feminine and maternal dimension of the mystery of salvation.
Editor’s Note: For more than 20 years, Father Raymond de Souza has preached the “Seven Last Words” devotion, a traditional meditation on the seven times Jesus speaks from the cross on Good Friday. Made famous in recent times by the Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, the meditations are usually organized around a particular theme. For 2025, Father de Souza chose the Nicene Creed as his theme, as the Catholic Church marks this year the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. This first of seven meditations was preached at Holy Cross parish in Kemptville, Ontario, where Father de Souza is the pastor. Read Word 1 and Word 2.
“Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 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 to his own home” (John 19:25-27).
The third word from the cross reveals the feminine and maternal dimension of the mystery of salvation.
Our Blessed Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Sorrows, is present at the foot of the cross and addressed by her Son, Jesus, hanging before her eyes. He calls her “woman,” and it reminds us of that passage from the second chapter of St. John’s Gospel. The third word comes from John 19. But in John 2, we’re told that there’s a wedding at Cana and the mother of Jesus was invited. And because she was invited, Jesus and his disciples also went along.
At the cross, it is different. Mary is there because Jesus was invited. It was a different kind of invitation, an invitation from the Father. Jesus accepts it: Your will, not mine, be done.
Continued below.
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Editor’s Note: For more than 20 years, Father Raymond de Souza has preached the “Seven Last Words” devotion, a traditional meditation on the seven times Jesus speaks from the cross on Good Friday. Made famous in recent times by the Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, the meditations are usually organized around a particular theme. For 2025, Father de Souza chose the Nicene Creed as his theme, as the Catholic Church marks this year the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. This first of seven meditations was preached at Holy Cross parish in Kemptville, Ontario, where Father de Souza is the pastor. Read Word 1 and Word 2.
“Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 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 to his own home” (John 19:25-27).
The third word from the cross reveals the feminine and maternal dimension of the mystery of salvation.
Our Blessed Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Sorrows, is present at the foot of the cross and addressed by her Son, Jesus, hanging before her eyes. He calls her “woman,” and it reminds us of that passage from the second chapter of St. John’s Gospel. The third word comes from John 19. But in John 2, we’re told that there’s a wedding at Cana and the mother of Jesus was invited. And because she was invited, Jesus and his disciples also went along.
At the cross, it is different. Mary is there because Jesus was invited. It was a different kind of invitation, an invitation from the Father. Jesus accepts it: Your will, not mine, be done.
Continued below.
The 7 Seven Last Words and the Nicene Creed: ‘Behold, Your Son’; ‘Behold, Your Mother’
COMMENTARY: The third of Christ’s ‘Seven Last Words From the Cross’ reveals the feminine and maternal dimension of the mystery of salvation.
