Mary for di Foot of di Cross

One mother stand for one hillside outside di city walls. Nothing she fit do to help. But she no go leave. She stay.

More than thirty years before, Mary don carry her baby enter di temple for Jerusalem, and one old man wey dem dey call Simeon carry am for im arms and praise God. Then Simeon turn to Mary and talk something wey strange and wey dey sad: sword go pierce through your own soul too. Mary keep dat words for her heart. Now na Friday, for Passover time. Dem don arrest her son Jesus, di Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, don condemn am, and dem don lead am go outside di city to crucify am. Most of im disciples don run. But no be everybody.

Di gospel of John tell us who stand near di cross of Jesus. Im mama. Im mama sister. Mary di wife of Clopas. And Mary Magdalene. Four women, near enough to see im face and hear im voice. E dey dangerous make people see you as friend of person wey Rome dey kill. Di soldiers dey right there. But dis women stay. And near dem na one of di disciples, di one wey di gospel of John call di disciple wey Jesus love. Picture Mary, wey once wrap her baby with cloth for Bethlehem, now dey watch am as e dey suffer, and she no fit reach am. Dis na di sword wey Simeon talk about.

And Jesus see her. For di middle of im own pain, as e dey struggle for every breath, e look down from di cross and see im mama, and di disciple wey e love wey stand beside her. E tell im mama: Woman, see your son! Then e tell di disciple: See your mother! E call her woman, no be to dey cold, but for di respectful way wey people dey take address woman for dat time; e use di same word for di wedding for Cana. Jesus dey give dem to each other. Mary no go dey alone. Di disciple go take care of her like say na im own mama, and she go get son to lean on.

John add one simple sentence. And from dat hour, dat disciple carry her go im own house. No be later. No be when everything don calm down. From dat very hour. Even as e dey die for di sins of di world, Jesus keep di commandment to honour im mama. E make sure say she get house and somebody to take care of her. Small after, John tell us, Jesus talk, e don finish, e bow im head, and e give up im spirit. But dat one no be di end, for Mary or for anybody. Three days after, di tomb go dey empty.

Di gospel of John no ever name di disciple wey Jesus love. But around di year one hundred and eighty, Irenaeus, di bishop of Lyon, write say John, di disciple of di Lord wey lean for im chest for di supper, publish im gospel when e dey live for Ephesus. Most of di early church talk say di beloved disciple na John, son of Zebedee. One later tradition talk say Mary spend her last years with am.

Mary for di Foot of di Cross. You go find am for John chapter nineteen, verse twenty-five to twenty-seven. Di baby wey Simeon carry grow up come love im mama till di very end. Di sword pierce di soul of Mary for true, exactly as Simeon talk. But Jesus no leave her alone, and e no dey leave im people alone. Christians dey remember for Christmas say dem born di child inside di manger to give im life, and say im love reach out even from di cross. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Even for di cross, Jesus make sure say person go take care of im mama. Who for your family you fit take care of dis Christmas?