Mary of Simon, mother of Judas Iscariot
Mother of Judas, her only son. Widow of Simon. Apparently of very wealthy status, she owns a country house in the suburbs of Kerioth, where she likes to retreat to her vineyards, as well as one in the town itself. This heartbroken mother faces a tragic fate caused by her son: she begins to waste away from grief as soon as she learns of Judas' betrayal and the Passion of Jesus.
Character and Appearance
A strong woman who tempers her authority with great gentleness. In her fifties, rather tall, with black eyes and the hair curls of her son.[1]
Apostolic Journey
Witness to the Resurrection.
Disciple, like many inhabitants of Kerioth. She suffers greatly to see her son go astray. Judas bleeds her dry to maintain his secret lifestyle. His dissolute life tortures her to the pathetic:
"Oh! My Lord, is there therefore another man, who, like my Judas, is wicked and cruel to You? Oh! It cannot be! He has You, and yet he is addicted to foul practices. Although he lives in Your atmosphere, he is lustful and a thief and he will perhaps become a homicide. He… oh! His mind is deceitful! He lives in agitation. Make him die, Lord, out of pity! Make him die!"[2]
This situation also anguishes her for her own salvation:
"«And if she should not succeed [in converting], although she is willing, what will her destiny be?» «As her good soul deserves.»"[3]
Mother martyred by her son, she will find refuge, after the Passion, with Anne of Kerioth, her close friend following the canceled marriage of Judas with her daughter Joanna. To help reconcile the two women,[4] Jesus had healed Anne[5] and entrusted her with the terrible fate of Mary:
"But that mother! Like Cain, without being Cain, being instead Abel: victim of her traitorous son, the killer of God, a sacrilegious cursed son, she will not be able to stand the look of men, because each glance will be like a stone of lapidation, and in every word, in every voice of man, she will seem to be hearing a curse, an abuse and she will never find shelter on the Earth until her death, until God, Who is just, takes the martyr with Himself making her forget that she is the mother of the murderer of God, by giving her the possession of God… Is that mother’s sorrow not greater?"[6]
To lessen her pain, Jesus asks Mary not to be in Jerusalem for the Passover of His Passion:
"The Master told me not to be in Jerusalem in spring. I am obeying Him. But I wanted to go up to the Temple before He returned. I am in such need of God"[7]
And she said a strange word... She said:
"I am blameless. But I am so tortured that hell is in me and I am in it [...]"[8]
Resurrected Jesus will personally console her.[9] He asks her to associate her great pain with that of His Passion, until her death:
"Two tears well up in the corners of Jesus’ very mild eyes. I am surprised at them. I did not think that Jesus could weep also after His resurrection… [...]
«I have purified you, Mary. My tears of compassion are on you. I have not shed My tears on anybody since I consumed My sorrow. But I am weeping over you with all My loving pity.» [...]
«Make me die, if You love me…»
«A little longer. Your son was not able to give Me anything. Give Me a period of time of your suffering. It will be a short one.»
«My son has given You too much… Infinite horror he has given You.»
«And you your infinite sorrow. The horror is over. It no longer serves. Your sorrow serves. It joins these wounds of Mine, and your tears and My Blood wash the world. All sorrows join together to wash the world. Your tears are between My Blood and the tears of My Mother and around them there is all the sorrow of the saints who will suffer for the Christ and for men, for My sake and for the sake of men. Poor Mary!» [...]
He blesses her and is about to go away.
Mary of Simon utters a passionate cry: «They say that my son betrayed You with a kiss! Is it true, Lord? If it is so, allow me to wash it by kissing Your Hands. There is nothing else I can do! I cannot do anything else to cancel… to cancel…» She is struck with deeper grief.
Jesus, oh! Jesus does not give her His hands to kiss, those hands on which the wide sleeve of His snow-white tunic reaches down to half the metacarpus concealing the wounds, but He takes her head in His hands and He bends and with His divine lips He lightly touches the burning forhead of the most unhappy of all women, and standing up again He says to her: «My tears and My kiss! No one has ever had so much from Me. So be at peace, because there is nothing but love between you and Me.»"[10]
Her Name
מרים
Hebrew alphabet on croixsens.net
In Hebrew Miryam. This common name can mean bitterness or "the exalted one," "Prophetess" or the feminine of "Lord."
Where is she mentioned in the work?
GRM 78
GRM 102 GRM 174
GRM 210
GRM 311 GRM 367 GRM 368 GRM 370 GRM 371 GRM 376 GRM 393 GRM 395
GRM 406 GRM 419 GRM 437 GRM 491
GRM 566 GRM 567 GRM 575 GRM 577 GRM 582