Cross – photo John Kingery (c) 2013
Station 5: Jesus meets his mother (Beaverton Fountains)
Theme: We meet Jesus in every person we encounter
Tema: Reconocemos a Jesús en cada persona que encontramos
Scripture: John 19: 25-27
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
Reflection by Teresa Baden of Rose Haven sponsored by St. Pius Women’s Group:
Rose Haven sees many different faces every day, each with their own unique story, background, and situation. We hear many stories. We understand there exist difficult realities for our guests.
One story is of a woman I will name Tori. Tori lost her job and ran out of unemployment checks. She did not have any family in the area to stay with. The closest family she had was in Arizona, but she could not afford to get there. Tori’s friends were unable to let her stay at their homes for long periods of time because of their lease agreements, and eventually, she found herself having to face the difficult reality of sleeping on a sidewalk. Eventually, Tori got into a shelter where she learned about Rose Haven. Tori never thought she would end up experiencing homelessness. She never thought she would have to ask for help. Before losing her job, she was independent and only relied on herself. She humbled herself to ask for clothing and a meal. She received much more.
At Rose Haven, she finds a different set of friends; women who understand where she’s been, and have advice to help her get to where she is going. She finds a safe and supportive community to help her with her job search, and an outfit for a job interview. We don’t know what happened to Tori, whether she became employed and housed again, or whether she stayed in the shelter system.
We don’t always get to see the endings whatever those may be, but we are present for the story. We see many different faces every day. We see very strong women, women with hope, and women with courage. We see women who are supportive and willing to give to each other the shirt of their back when they sometimes have so little. We see hope.
Prayers: Thank you for reminding us of your faithfulness through your mother Mary.
WE THANK YOU, LORD
Teach us to believe that our faith will bear fruit in service to others. O GOD, HEAR OUR PRAYER
Help us to be ready to share the suffering of our brothers and sisters and offer assistance and love to those in need. O LORD, WE WANT TO WALK IN YOUR WAYS
LET THE FAITH CAFE COMMUNITY TAKE UP THE CROSS
Song: “Jesus Remember Me” (repeat as needed)