THE WOMEN AT THE CROSS.
The Women at the Cross At noon, an intense darkness enveloped Jerusalem. The local authorities had crucified Jesus beside two thieves and inscribed above his head. ‘Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.’ Jesus’ fate was sealed. Or was it? In the months before the crucifixion, a band of faithful women had followed the Master through Galilee, caring for his needs while he preached, healed, and raised the dead to life. Now, he hung on a rough Roman cross between two thieves and these perplexed, broken women stood at a distance watching their beloved Jesus die. How could Mary, his mother, tear herself away? Helpless and overwhelmed, her son’s agony bound her to his pain. She had cradled him, a tiny babe in her arms, after his circumcision. Was this the meaning of Simeon’s prophecy? ‘This child will cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has bee...