The most spiritually accurate depiction of the Passion, presented to Sr. Lucy of Fatima, in a vision.

Today, Holy Saturday, we call to mind the first full day of Mary’s Spiritual Motherhood of all humanity.  In John 19:26, Jesus states, “Woman, behold your son…Behold your Mother.”  John, the beloved disciple of Christ, at that pivotal moment, represents the entire Church – all of humanity – for Mary, as Co-Redemptrix, participates, with her divine Son, in meriting the grace of divine life for all of humanity.  Mary suffers intensely as she offers her divine Son to the Eternal Father, and that very suffering is united to Christ’s perfect, redemptive suffering, in such a manner that she, among all of God’s creatures, most uniquely participates with her Son in the salvific work of Redemption.  Certainly, her participation in this sublime work of Redemption with her Son is entirely dependent upon and subordinate to the perfectly redemptive act of Christ, whose work of Redemption lacks nothing whatever; yet, it is the will of God that Mary, the New Eve, participate with Christ Jesus, the New Adam, in bringing about the reconciliation of God and humanity, just as the first Eve participated with the first Adam in bringing about the fall of humanity.  Moreover, the first Eve, the first Woman, was born of the side of the first Adam, while he lay in a deep sleep; so too was Mary, the New Eve, the “Woman” of Genesis and Revelation, born of the side of Christ, the New Adam, while he lay in the deep sleep of death on the cross, when Christ’s  Sacred Side was pierced open with a lance.  From His Sacred Heart there gushed forth an ocean of blood and water, as a fount of Grace and mercy for us.  This was the birth of the Church, the origin of the grace and mercy that gave rise to the entire Church, the Mother of God, the Seven Sacraments, etc.  It is precisely for this reason that we, the followers of Christ, call this most tragic day, “Good Friday.”