How hard those last months of Jesus’ life must have been for Mary, knowing that as her son’s popularity increased so did the jealousy of people in authority. With his dying breath, Jesus commended Mary to John’s care and named her mother of us all. Mary’s children — our brothers and sisters — continue to suffer. On February 23rd, Russia’s objections delayed voting on a long-argued United Nations proposal that would have established a 30-day cease-fire in Syria, allowing humanitarian aid to be delivered to the people of Eastern Ghouta, where, in a five-day aerial assault, 470 people, including 150 children, were killed and over 2000 wounded. Without food, medicine and evacuation of the most gravely wounded more will die. Perhaps by the time you are reading this, the cease-fire will have taken effect, but a suffering world still awaits our attention. Lent reminds us that Jesus entered into our life with all its joys and suffering and that he entered us into his mission to give all people fullness of life. Let us by prayer, thought and deed choose life for ourselves and others.
