04/07/2026
Reflection from Pope Leo XIV
MY AFTERNOON REFLECTION
TOPIC: SHE WAS CRUCIFIED WITH HIM IN HER HEART; LEARN FROM MOTHER MARY
Her soul was nailed to that Cross with him, not by iron, not by rope, not by the cruelty of soldiers, but by love. A love so deep, so obedient, so surrendered, that where the Son was crucified in body, the Mother was crucified in soul. For when they lifted him up between heaven and earth, they did not only raise a Saviour, they raised a sword that pierced a mother’s heart, fulfilling the ancient prophecy of Luke 2:35: “And a sword shall pierce your own soul too.” She stood there, not screaming, not cursing, not running, but standing. Standing when others fled. Standing when heaven seemed silent. Standing when the promise looked like a failure. That is not weakness; that is strength purified by obedience. See, many followed Christ when he multiplied bread, but she followed him when he was broken like bread. Many walked with him when he opened blind eyes, but she walked with him when His own eyes were covered in blood. Many sang Hosanna on Palm Sunday, but she whispered her “yes” again on Good Friday. The same “yes” she spoke at Nazareth, she spoke again at Calvary—only this time, it cost her everything. “Be it done unto me according to your word” (Luke 1:38) was not a one-time prayer; it was a lifelong surrender. And the real test of obedience is not how loud your “yes” is in comfort, but how faithful your “yes” remains in suffering.
Look at her closely. She did not negotiate with God. She did not say, “Lord, I gave You my womb, why must I now give You my Son?” She did not rewrite the script of salvation to suit her emotions. She trusted when she did not understand. She believed when everything around her contradicted the promise. That is why she is not just the Mother of Christ, she is the Mother of all who will ever learn obedience through pain. As St. Bernard once said, “At the foot of the Cross, Mary became a martyr in her heart.” And truly, there are martyrdoms that shed blood, and there are martyrdoms that bleed silently within the soul. Hers was the latter, and perhaps the deeper. Learn from her, because our generation loves God when He answers prayers, but struggles to love Him when He asks for sacrifice. We are loud in worship but weak in surrender. We want resurrection without crucifixion, glory without obedience, crowns without crosses. But Mary teaches us a dangerous, radical truth: if you will follow God to the end, you must be willing to stand when it hurts, to trust when it is dark, and to obey when it costs you everything. Some of you will not be nailed to a physical cross, but you will be nailed to misunderstandings, to betrayal, to delay, to silence. And in those moments, heaven is watching: will you run, or will you stand?
She could not stop the crucifixion, but she refused to abandon it. There are situations in life you cannot change, but you can choose how you stand in them. She chose faith. She chose silence over bitterness. She chose surrender over control. And because she stayed on Calvary, she was also present at the dawn of resurrection. Those who stand with God in suffering will stand with him in glory. That is the divine pattern, cross before crown, pain before power, death before life.
POPE LEO XIV
