Although the Sacred Scriptures never speak of the Blessed Virgin Mary interacting with Jesus Christ after his Crucifixion on Calvary, it is highly doubtful that He would have never appeared to her or speak to her again.
He does give her to Saint John on the Cross, “Women, behold your son”, who in turn represents all Christians and all of humanity, for she is now our maternal mediator. The Gospel does tell us that he, Saint John, took her into his home from that day forward, but do we really believe that Our Lord Jesus Christ would not have spoken to his own Mother again? Why did the gospel writers choose to not include any conversation between Jesus and Mary into their accounts?
These are the questions that the soon-to-be saint (less than six days now), Blessed Pope John Paul II asks in his Wednesday Audience from May 21, 1997. As we begin the Season of Easter, let us prayerfully contemplate the words of John Paul II –
“In the supposition of an “omission”, this silence could be attributed to the fact that what is necessary for our saving knowledge was entrusted to the word of those “chosen by God as witnesses” (Acts 10:41), that is, the Apostles, who gave their testimony of the Lord Jesus’ Resurrection “with great power” (cf. Acts 4:33). Before appearing to them, the Risen One had appeared to several faithful women because of their ecclesial function: “Go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me” (Mt 28:10).
If the authors of the New Testament do not speak of the Mother’s encounter with her risen Son, this can perhaps be attributed to the fact that such a witness would have been considered too biased by those who denied the Lord’s Resurrection, and therefore not worthy of belief.
Furthermore, the Gospels report a small number of appearances by the risen Jesus and certainly not a complete summary of all that happened during the 40 days after Easter. St Paul recalls that he appeared “to more than 500 brethren at one time” (1 Cor 15:6). How do we explain the fact that an exceptional event known to so many is not mentioned by the Evangelists? It is an obvious sign that other appearances of the Risen One were not recorded, although they were among the well-known events that occurred.
How could the Blessed Virgin, present in the first community of disciples (cf. Acts 1:14), be excluded from those who met her divine Son after he had risen from the dead?
Indeed, it is legitimate to think that the Mother was probably the first person to whom the risen Jesus appeared. Could not Mary’s absence from the group of women who went to the tomb at dawn (cf. Mk 16:1; Mt 28:1) indicate that she had already met Jesus? This inference would also be confirmed by the fact that the first witnesses of the Resurrection, by Jesus’ will, were the women who had remained faithful at the foot of the Cross and therefore were more steadfast in faith.
Indeed, the Risen One entrusts to one of them, Mary Magdalene, the message to be passed on to the Apostles (cf. Jn 20:17-18). Perhaps this fact too allows us to think that Jesus showed himself first to his Mother, who had been the most faithful and had kept her faith intact when put to the test.
Lastly, the unique and special character of the Blessed Virgin’s presence at Calvary and her perfect union with the Son in his suffering on the Cross seem to postulate a very particular sharing on her part in the mystery of the Resurrection.
A fifth-century author, Sedulius, maintains that in the splendour of his risen life Christ first showed himself to his mother. In fact, she, who at the Annunciation was the way he entered the world, was called to spread the marvellous news of the Resurrection in order to become the herald of his glorious coming. Thus bathed in the glory of the Risen One, she anticipates the Church’s splendour cf. Sedulius, Paschale carmen, 5, 357-364, CSEL 10, 140f).
It seems reasonable to think that Mary, as the image and model of the Church which waits for the Risen One and meets him in the group of disciples during his Easter appearances, had had a personal contact with her risen Son, so that she too could delight in the fullness of paschal joy.
Present at Calvary on Good Friday (cf. Jn 19:25) and in the Upper Room on Pentecost (cf. Acts 1:14), the Blessed Virgin too was probably a privileged witness of Christ’s Resurrection, completing in this way her participation in all the essential moments of the paschal mystery. Welcoming the risen Jesus, Mary is also a sign and an anticipation of humanity, which hopes to achieve its fulfilment through the resurrection of the dead.
In the Easter season, the Christian community addresses the Mother of the Lord and invites her to rejoice: “Regina Caeli, laetare. Alleluia!”. “Queen of heaven, rejoice. Alleluia!”. Thus it recalls Mary’s joy at Jesus’ Resurrection, prolonging in time the “rejoice” that the Angel addressed to her at the Annunciation, so that she might become a cause of “great joy” for all people.”
This is no way undermines the important role of Saint Mary Magdalene, who is told by our Lord to go and tell his disciples to meet him in Galilee. Pope John Paul II is just giving us another expression of the importance of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s relationship with Jesus Christ.
It would be from this moment on that She becomes our Advocate, our Queen Mother, and our maternal mediator. As Jesus resurrects and then forty days later ascends into Heaven, Mary’s role as the Mother of the Pilgrim Church would develop. To this very day and till the day when Our Lord Jesus Christ come again, Mary’s role is to lead souls closer to Jesus Christ as Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix of All Graces.
Holy Mother of All Humanity…Pray For Us.
Categories: Mariology, Pope Saint John Paul II
TOM PERNA 
I can relate to Jesus’ mom–why?—she was many things but she was human and so am I. She suffered greatly in the years of her son’s ministry and long after He ascended. Her agony as a human from friends and enemies alike of criticism, lies, spite, rejection etc. to her face and behind her back is common to humanity. I can understand her suffering. I know (a bit) of her pain as do we all. She is my hero!
During this past holy week, I received a light which definitely came through he Holy Spirit!
It occurred after a discussion related to our Holy Mother of Sorrows,on a radio program!
Obvious it is definitely related to my spiritual life which I’ve been practising for these last 8 years!
So,I became aware that since,all was created by THE WORD, it is quite obvious that THE WORD ended his mysterious divine work, within St.Anna’s womb,therefore THE WORD was actually HOLY MARY’S SOUL. DUE TO THE FACT THAT HE CREATED HER!
SO FROM THAT MOMENT IN TIME ON MARY WAS NEVER IN A WAY ISOLATED FROM JESUS CHRIST THE WORD MADE FLESH!
TO CLARIFY, JESUS’ FLESH BODY, AND MARY’S SOUL ARE THE SAME SPIRIT! THE WORD!
THEREFORE WHATEVER JESUS EXPERIENCED DURING HIS LIFE SHE DID EXPERIENCED IT WITHIN HER SOUL AS THE GOSPEL HEREUNDER CLEARLY DECLARES!
Liuke 1:46 And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord.
2:35 And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed.
Now the fact that the Gospels never mention any encounter between Jesus and Mary, for the simple reason that Our Holy Virgin Mary experienced all whatever JESUS’ BODY experienced to the least detail EVEN THE UNIFICATION OF THE GLORIFIED BODY OF JESUS, WITH THE GLORIFIED SOUL OF JESUS,THE HOLY SPIRIT!
NOT ONLY THAT BUT UP TO THIS VERY DAY HOLY MARY’S SOUL, THE WORD, IS SUFFERING SINCE THE WORD IS ALSO WITHIN US!
THE FACT THAT SHE IS OUR MOTHER!
THE FACT AS WELL THAT MARY’S BODY IS IN HEAVEN!
WHICH ALSO TO ME IT IS QUITE CLEAR IN GENESIS 3:16
To the woman also he said: I will MULTIPLY YOUR SORROWS, and thy conception
in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children,
A REFERENCE TO ALL CONCEPTIONS ON EARTH!
and thou shalt be under thy husband’s power, and he shall have dominion over thee.
A REFERENCE TO THE WORD ITSELF AS VIRGIN MARY’S SOUL!
THEREFORE ALL THESE PAINS,ARE IN ACTUAL FACT BEING EXPERIENCED BY THE WORD, NOT MARY HERSELF! HER SOUL!
THE SON WHO LEFT THE FATHER , AND WAS SLAIN FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, REV.13:8
Such a nice and popular Pope…but not a saint. So much went wrong under him, the homosexual clergy propogated, Homosexual child abuse was rapant, Vatican coverups, heretical conduct on the altar of Christ, and bowing down to pagan gods and demonic religions, sacrilidge on the altars of the Most Holy, Kissing the Koran, etc etc. We must pray for his soul and forgiveness of his sins, but here is a reason there is no 2d miracle for this man, and even the 1rst so called miracle is very suspect. The odor of Sanctification does not exist.
I am sorry that you don’t think he is saint, but the Church has declared him one. That’s good enough for me. I don’t try to be holier than the Church. Not really sure what you are talking about in regards to the second miracle, but there is one.
It’s unfortunate that those evils (child abuse and coverups) occurred under his watch as Pope, but they don’t reflect his overall papacy. In regards to your other disagreements, he was trying to bridge gaps between Catholics and others.
He is my hero. Everything I do for Jesus Christ and the Church is because of his example.
Don’t get me wrong, I always like JPII, and I think there was some personal holiness there. But the fruits of his papacy are appallingly barren. Church attendance down 300 to 400%, Catechisis in crisis with the total absences of faithful education. The emptying of seminaries and convents. The heresies of “Universal Salvation” (that everyone is saved no matter what their beliefs or lifestyles was strongly promoted under his tutelage), Talk about the loss of millions of souls over that heresy, its a crime!
And the worse thing he did is downgrade the Catholic Faith to just another religion, one among equals…something you called “bridging the gap”, but which in reality, was a sell out of Souls who needed to understand the Truth of the Catholic Faith above all else, so they had a chance to come to it for salvation.
And about the “one miracle ” thing, just know that both of these pontiffs are being canonized irregularly. JPII himself changed the canonization process from what it was for 1200 years. Did away with the ‘devils advocate’, who surely would have brought up these inconvenient facts, did away with the 2 bonafide miracles requirement, which have always been the sign to the Church from heaven of sanctification of the proposed saints. The one miracle he does have is an alleged cure of a palsy in a nun who is still alive, something not allowed in the past as the miracle had to exist for the entire lifetime of the benefactor of the miracle. There is some evidence that this nun, who is still alive, is having the palsy return.
And there is zero miracles for Jolly John XXIII, who disobeyed our Lady’s command to reveal the 3d secret in 1960. No wondering at why there is no miracles in his case, after that. Christ doesn’t take insults to his mother easily.
The Modernists need their saints to continue the subterfuge of the faith. You need to know your Faith otherwise you easily get sucked into the glitter and flashing lights of the world. Lots of glitter and flashing lights in Rome this week.
Again, I am going to side with the Catholic Church on this one and not a small contingency of complainers and ranters.
Long live the names of Pope St. John Paul II and Pope John XXIII! May they continually intercede for us each day of our lives.
well said…
For me, on the first day of the week, Jesus appeared to His mother early. She was asleep. He came to her and woke her up, “Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and come! For see the winter is passed, the rains are over and gone…for your voice is sweet, and you are lovely.” They were as they were when He was little; she His mother, He her son. As John Paul would say, they were made gifts to each other. God bless.
I was at the youth rally in Denver at cherry creek park..I was there feeding the firemen and police that were there helping the youth because of the heat wave…I remembering hear the Pope saying he didn’t want to die because he said the Pope After Him would be in office a short time..but one coming after that would bring in other religions..he told the youth to hold fast what they believe. .this is coming to pass in front if my eyes