But who is the “beloved disciple”? 

It is the one who receives the word and obeys the commandments of Jesus; that is, the one who 

loves as He loved. Here, then, the disciple represents all the disciples of the Lord. The “beloved 

disciple” can be you or me: each of us is loved by Jesus. Mary’s motherhood, which began at the 

Annunciation, assumes at Calvary a universal dimension. Since then, as the Second Vatican 

Council teaches, Mary takes care of the brethren of her Son (cf. LG 62), who became from that 

moment her own children. Yes, from “that hour,” as it is written in the Gospel of John. It is the hour 

of the Cross, the hour of the manifestation of the glory of Christ, the hour of salvation, the heart of 

the paschal mystery of Christ itself. What happens from that hour on? “The disciple took her into 

his home.” This is the consecration to Mary: Welcoming the gift of Christ! John takes Mary into his 

home, among his own things, into his inner life space, as St. John Paul II says (RM 45). This gift also 

concerns us today. Every disciple of the Lord, on the day of one’s Baptism, together with the gifts of 

Christ receives the gift of the Mother. To consecrate oneself to Mary does not mean, therefore, to 

“create” the gift, to make up something. The gift is a gift, is free and unmerited and remains so even 

if we are not conscious of it. Mary always exercises her motherhood, whether we are aware or not. 

What we can do is accept the gift of the Mother, like all gifts of Christ. To accept her, as John did; to 

take Mary into our life, to live this mother-child relationship with gratitude and awareness. 

As St. John Paul II continues: 



“It means accepting – like John – the one who is given to us anew as our Mother. It also means 

taking on the commitment to be conformed to Christ, putting ourselves at the school of His Mother 

and allowing her to accompany us” (Ecclesia de Eucharistia 57). There is another passage that 

encourages us to take Mary with us. It is a text from the Gospel of Matthew: “Do not be afraid to take 

Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in 

her” (Mt 1:20). It is the invitation of the angel to Joseph, while he had decided to divorce her quietly. 

This motherhood comes from the Spirit; it is a gift of the Spirit. This is true of Mary’s motherhood of 

Jesus and of her spiritual motherhood of us. “She will bear a son...,” said the angel to Joseph. That is 

what the spiritual motherhood of Mary is: to give birth to Jesus within us.

Closing Prayer

Hail Mary… 

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you, and for all those who do not 

have recourse to you, especially the enemies of Holy Church and all those 

recommended to you.