(Photo Credit: Margaret Schermann. St. Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh, Northern Ireland)

The Fourth Sorrow of the Blessed Virgin Mary was when she met Her Son on the way to Calvary.

"In the breadth of sorrow which lay heavily upon her, she saw nothing but God only. In that light, all secondary causes vanished. There was no Pilate, no Herod, no Annas, no Caiphas, no Pharisees, no executioners, but only God and His Adorable Will. Hence so much sweetness, so much gentleness, so much patience, so much calmness, so much tender love of sinners....Learn from Mary now an important lesson -- that all our trials and sufferings, even those which come from the wickedness of men, are not without relation to the Will of God, Who orders or permits them all, according to the holy and loving designs of His Wisdom."

~ Behold Thy Mother, Servite Fathers, 1959.

A scene from a recent movie made about Our Lord's life and death often comes to mind when I think of this incident. In it, the actress who plays Our Lady can only stammer, "My Son, My Son." But when He falls, she moves forward and helps Him lift the cross back onto His Shoulder, with a crescendo of movie music, to show us how important this scene is. She does not tear the Cross away from Him, screaming, "No! No!" Instead, she places it back on His Shoulder. She helps him and supports Him in His mighty work of Redemption. Could we be that strong? Could we lift the Cross back onto our own shoulder, or one of a loved one, offering love and encouragement, coupled with a perfect acceptance of God's Will?