Another Evangelist mentions a different group of people – “and all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood far off, beholding these things (Lk. 24, 49)

Every one of us must consciously join one of the groups. It is so hard to see such a small amount of people “by the cross” and such a multitude “far off”. Are we going to remain “far off”? Aren’t we going to hurry up to take the place by the cross, the place that belongs to us, like to every faithful?

True love is surrounded by a strange, unexplainable mystery – it submits the whole itself to suffer for the other.

Who could ever measure the depth of sorrow of the Most Holy Virgin when she stood by the cross? Every groan of the Divine Sufferer was shaking up Her soul, echoing with pain in all of Her being. But She was standing there regardless. This is the fruit of true love! The Mother of God could not better prove her faith but by just standing by the cross,- words were unnecessary. In silent    and endless sorrow – She just stood there!

Some artists pain The Virgin Mary in exhaustion, fainting – that would be normal and usual for human nature. But the words of Gospel reveal supernatural power of the grace of God: She stood by the cross!

What could possibly make someone stand there, where the cross of his life is? Not his own power, but the power, given from above, - the power of the grace of God, the power that is testing and cleansing our faith by the given cross. Someone, who submitted himself and accepted his cross and stands by it, can bring others to God better than any preacher.  His whole life becomes one live testimony, silent sermon, leading people after him and showing the way to Heaven.

In those great days of our Lord’s suffering the prophetic words of elder Simeon came true: “Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Lk.2, 35) When standing by the cross, the Virgin Mary understood the meaning of those words, - the weapon of suffering pierced Her soul, and in this cross, the reason of her sorrow, She saw the love of God.

Only in the light of the cross our eyes will get opened to understand the truth; we will see the Light of Christ on the place of our own sorrow, and the price of this sorrow will open our eyes. Glory to You that has shown us the light!