14th Day - At the Cross

40 DAYS AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS

DAY FOURTEEN – “DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU”

When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” [And] Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.” John 2:3-5

These words were spoken by our Blessed Mother at the first of Jesus’ miracles: “Do whatever he tells you.” They are profound and powerful words which can easily serve as the foundation of our spiritual lives.

If our Blessed Mother would have spoken anything to her Son at the foot of the Cross, what would she have said? Would she have spoken words of despair or confusion, pain or anger? No, she would have spoken the same words she spoke at the Wedding of Cana. But this time, rather than speaking these words to the servants, she would have spoken them to her Son. “My dear Son, whom I love with my whole heart, do whatever the Father in Heaven tells You.”

Of course Jesus did not need this advice, but He desired to receive it from His mother anyway. He desired to hear His mother speak to Him these words of perfect love. In pondering these words once spoken at Cana, our Blessed Mother and her divine Son would have shared a deep union as they gazed at each other during His agony on the Cross. Mother and Son both knew that His death was the accomplishment of the greatest good ever known. They would have both known that the will of the Father in Heaven was perfect. They would have both longed for and embraced this holy will without reserve. And these words would have been on both of their hearts as they gazed at each other in silence:

“My dear mother, do whatever our Father tells you.”

“My dear Son, do whatever Your Father in Heaven wills of You.”

Reflect, today, upon these words and know that mother and Son speak them to you. No matter what you face in life, our Blessed Mother and her divine Son are inviting you into this glorious command of love and obedience. They are exhorting you to stay faithful through all struggles, in good times, in difficult ones, through pain and joy. No matter what you experience in life, these words must always resound within your mind and heart. “Do whatever He tells you.” Do not hesitate to hear and embrace these holy words.

Dearest Mother, you offer words of perfect wisdom. You invite all of your dear children to embrace the perfect will of the Father in Heaven. These words are not spoken to me alone. They were first spoken to you in the depths of your heart. You, in turn, expressed this command of love to all whom you encountered. You silently spoke them, also, to your own divine Son.

My loving Mother, help me to listen to you speak these words to me. Help me, by the power of your prayers, to respond to this calling to embrace the perfect will of God in my life.

My Precious Jesus, I choose to do all that You command of me. I choose Your will without reserve and I know that You invite me to follow in Your footsteps. May I never be deterred by the hardships of the Cross, but be transformed by the power of Your perfect will.

Mother Mary, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.