Jesus meets his Mother
This station teaches us that real love gives the ones we love freedom to follow their own path.
Jesus and Mary meet under the worst of circumstances. He has become an enemy of the state, an outcast from the synagogue. She is a widow left alone in a male world without the sustenance of her only son and no visible means of support. In a way, they are both condemned to death. But she does not beg him to change his life for her sake and he does not tailor his life to please her.
For Reflection: Do I love another just to satisfy my own needs? Or do I love them enough to respect the call of God in their lives?
Prayer: Jesus, when I am tempted to put my expectations of others above your will in their life, give me a love that trusts them to find their own way of pleasing you.