Station 13: Jesus Is Taken Down from the Cross

By Dan Nguyen

Sometimes, I dream about what it'd be like to be a father. Would I be a good one? What does it mean to be a good father? These are questions that I am wrestling with.

One clear way that I can tell if someone's a good father is through his children. Children, not always, but often can be a reflection of their parents. In this station, there's an example of an unbelievable child and incredible parents.

Mary, like most parents, wants the best for her child. It makes me think back to when Jesus was found in the temple, causing her and Joseph great anxiety. I'm sure after finding him that Mary never wanted to lose him again. An event like this could cause a parent to be overprotective, to shield their child from all harm, to never let them go.

It is at this temple that Jesus replies with, "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"   This is the moment it sinks deeper into Mary that Jesus doesn't belong to her, but belongs to God. This is indeed a mystery to be grasped.

It's an incredible feeling to be trusted by your parents. When Jesus and Mary were at the wedding of Cana, Mary said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." How encouraged and empowered Jesus must have felt.

The joy a parent feels when their child fully trusts them must feel like reaching the top of Mt. Everest. In the Agony of the Garden, Jesus proclaims against all fibers in his being, "Yet, not my will, but yours be done." I imagine that with every step, every fall toward the hill, carrying the weight of the cross, this mantra is repeated over and over.

Now it is truly finished. And following right beside, seemingly powerless, is his mother Mary. Even though she "let him go" to God, she remained present and remains present even today.

Lord, there is so much to learn about being a good parent. Allow me to learn through the examples of Mary, Joseph, and the heavenly Father through growth in trust and presence. Amen.