" Mother and Son "

A beaten, battered and brutalized Jesus, about to fall under the heavy weight of the cross, barely makes his way , wounded, bleeding and struggling along the Via Della Rosa. His blood stained body from the crown of thorns on his head and the many beatings and scourgings throughout the rest of his body, would make any one screen their face . This painting depicts the overwhelming emotion that is present between, "Mother and Son ". This scenario is heart-rending, mother and son meeting face to face , pain and death lurking in their midst. Jesus, the suffering son, would want to console his mother and shield her from his agonizing pain and death. His sorrowful  mother would want to take away his pain and die in his place. This is perhaps the first time that Mary experiences the prophecy of Simeon, "and a sword will pierce your own soul too", Luke 2:35. It is the "look of love" that is triumphant in all that is taken place in Christ's passion and on Christ's journey to his death, along the road to Golgotha [the place of the skull]. At this moment his blessed mother does not utter a word. She fixes her gaze on her son's eyes. His loving, penetrating , gaze somehow changes the natural fears of his mother, into an understanding of his death walk along the road to calvary. This painting captures a moment when "perfect love casts out all fear", 1John 4:18. It is at that precise moment that Mary knew that she could not be an obstacle to God's plan for our redemption. She had to be once again obedient to God's will . Mary had to say yes to redemption as she did to incarnation. She knew in her heart that her blessed son , Jesus, had to be obedient to his father's will. Jesus' death would not bring defeat , but everlasting glory.