December 6

The Divine Legacy

When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, here is your son.” — John 19:26 BSB

This was the third word spoken by our Lord from the cross. Nearby, in the midst of the crowd, stood a small group of His closest friends, most of them women. As Jesus looked down upon them, He saw His mother standing there, her heart pierced with sorrow as she watched her Son suffer. Even in His own deep agony, Jesus' heart was filled with compassion for her.

His thoughts turned to her future needs. After He was gone, who would care for her? He entrusted her to the beloved disciple, John, saying, “Woman, behold your son,” and to John, “Behold your mother.” In doing so, Jesus was not only caring for His mother but also providing a new relationship of love and responsibility between His closest companions.

This tender act of love shows us the importance of honoring our parents. Jesus, even in His final moments of life, remembered His duty to His mother. He was fulfilling the fifth commandment: “Honour your father and your mother.” His example calls us to pay the highest respect and care to our parents, regardless of our own difficulties or pain. We should never neglect our responsibility to them, and we should honour them throughout their lives, just as Jesus did.