which thou once prophesied to me, 'A sword
shall pierce through thine own soul!'" And as she spoke Mary Magdalene
gently supported her from falling.

Jesus said in terms of gentle reproach, "Mother, the will of the Father
was also ever sacred to thee." His word rallied her courage and she
replied, "It is so to me still. I am the handmaid of the Lord. What
he requires of me I will bear patiently. But one thing I beg of thee,
my son."

"What desirest thou, my mother?"

"That I may go with thee into the fierce conflict of suffering, yea,
even unto death!"

"Oh, what love!" exclaimed John, who stood tearfully beside the two
Marys, wistfully looking for some ray of hope to illumine the darkness
beyond.

Jesus embraced her lovingly. "Dear mother, thou wilt suffer with me,
thou wilt fight with me in my death struggle, but thou wilt also
rejoice with me in my victory, therefore be comforted."

"Oh, God!" she cried in heartrending accents, "give me strength that my
heart may not break."

"We all weep with thee, thou best of mothers," said the holy women,
adding their tears to those of the mother of Jesus.

"I will go with thee, my son, to Jerusalem," said Mary.

And the holy women declared they also would go with her.

But Jesus, holding her hand, tenderly forbade her: "Later you may go
thither, but not now. For the present stay with our friends at
Bethany. I commend to you, O faithful souls, my beloved mother, with
those who have followed her here."

Eagerly the Magdalene accepted the charge.

"After thee," she exclaimed, "there is no one dearer to us than thy
mother."

But even at the eleventh hour Lazarus interposed one last word of
entreaty: "If only thou, O master, couldst remain!"

Not noticing this, Jesus said, "Comfort ye one another. After two days
you may come up together to Jerusalem, to be there on the great day of
the feast."

Mary said: "As thou wilt, my son."

But the holy women said: "How sadly will the hours pass when thou art
far from us."

Then Jesus spoke to his mother and said, "Mother, mother, for the
tender love and motherly care which thou hast shown to me for the three
and thirty years of my life, receive the warmest thanks of thy son."
And stooping down he kissed her. Then raising his head, he said, "The
Father calls me. Fare thee well, best of mothers."

Mary asked him: "My son, where shall I see thee again?"

And Jesus replied: "There, beloved mother, where the Sc