Near the Cross with Mary - Bishop Scott McCaig

Bishop Scott's inspiration comes from Saint Teresa of Calcutta who found herself next to the Cross and by Our Lady's side, in an apparition in 1947. As a result of this event, she often exhorted "With great love and trust, stand with Our Lady near the Cross. What a gift of God!" Saint Teresa's promise that 

"if we stand with Our Lady, she will give us her spirit of loving trust, total surrender, and cheerfulness."

From a letter written on the day of her death –

1. “Loving trust and total surrender made Our Lady say ‘yes’ to the message of the angel. And cheerfulness made her run in haste to serve her cousin Elizabeth. That is so much our life: saying ‘yes’ to Jesus and running in haste to serve him in the poorest of the poor. Let us keep very close to Our Lady and she will make that same spirit grow in each of us.”

2. “Pray especially to Our Blessed Mother Mary, placing all your intentions into her hands. For she loves you as she loves her Son. She will guide you in all your relationships so that peace may fill your life.”

3. “Let us ask Our Lady, in a very special way: Mary, mother of Jesus, be a mother to each of us, that we, like you, may be pure in heart, that we, like you, love Jesus; that we, like you, serve the poorest for we are all poor. First, let us love our neighbors and so fulfill God’s desire that we become carriers of his love and compassion.”

4. “Mary is our mother, the cause of our joy. Being a mother, I have never had difficulty in talking with Mary and feeling close to her.”

 A few other Words from Mother Teresa on Mary

5... She never feared to proclaim Jesus her son. At Calvary we see her standing upright – the mother of God, standing next to the cross. What a deep faith she must have had because of her love for her son! To see him dishonored, unloved, an object of hatred. Yet, she stayed upright.”

6 “How much we need Mary to teach us what it means to satiate God’s Thirsting Love for us, which Jesus came to reveal to us. She did it so beautifully. Yes, Mary allowed God to take possession of her life by her purity, her humility, and her faithful love…Let us seek to grow, under the guidance of our Heavenly Mother…”

7 “If we stand with Our Lady, she will give us her spirit of loving trust, total surrender, and

 cheerfulness.

My brother Jimmy painted this beautiful image of Mother Teresa years ago

when he was living in Toronto. He met Mother Teresa as she was getting out of a taxi I believe and their eyes locked. I can't remember the exact circumstances... She might have dropped something and he picked it up: not sure but I believe their encounter was the inspiration for the painting which he gave to me. I was so excited!!!