Sunday: OUR LADY OF SORROWS Date: September 15, 2000 Year: B The readings: [1 Cor. 9:16-9, 22b-27; Lk. 6:39-42] The message: The martyrdom of the Mother of God. Prepared by: CATHOLIC DOORS MINISTRY Total words: 1413 |
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Today, we are celebrating one of the Marian Feasts that is found in the Catholic Liturgical Calendar. This particular Feast, called "Our Lady of Sorrows," was formerly known as "The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary."
Did you know that two such Feasts are celebrated during the year? The first is celebrated on Friday before Palm Sunday, the second being celebrated in September. The objective of these two Feasts is to commemorate the martyrdom of the Mother of God and her compassion with the sufferings of her Divine Son.
These two Feasts have a short history behind them that I would like to share with you.
The first Feast that is celebrated on Friday before Palm Sunday can be traced to 1244 A.D. It was a devotion that was taken up by the seven founders of the Servite Order. Five hundred years later, on April 22, 1727, Pope Benedict XIII extended this Feast by Decree to the entire Latin Church.
The second Feast that is celebrated in September, the one we are celebrating today, originated with the Servite Friars in 1668. The object of this devotion is to reflect upon the seven dolors of Mary, these consisting of:
- The prophecy of Simeon;
- The flight into Egypt;
- Having lost the Holy Child at Jerusalem;
- Meeting Jesus on his way to Calvary;
- Standing at the foot of the Cross;
- Jesus being taken from the Cross; and
- The burial of Christ.
On September 18, 1814, after returning from his exile in France, Pope Pius VII extended this Feast to the entire Latin Church. This new Decree was to commemorate the sufferings that he had endured during his captivity in France.
When we reflect upon the martyrdom of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our hearts are elevated in the knowledge and understanding of the loving union that existed between Jesus and the Mother of God.
What went through the mind of Mary when Jesus was lost? Surely, it was no different than a mother who loses her child in the forest during a camping experience. Panic sets in. Instantly, the mind is elevated towards God, asking Him to protect the child. And as time goes by and the child is not found, great fear sets in. What if the child was kidnapped? Maybe someone will harm the child! Is my child hungry? Is he cold? Disturbed by the worst thoughts that could possible cross one's mind, it becomes impossible to function. The mother cannot sleep, nor eat. Day by day, she weakens in mind and body.
What is unique about the sufferings of the Virgin Mary is that she had just cause to worry over and above what the average mother would endure. The Virgin Mary remembered the words of Simeon who prophesied that her heart would be pierced. She remembered her escape to Egypt and all the baby boys who were murdered in the hope of killing her Son. Surely, she must have asked herself, "Did they finally get Jesus and kill Him?" What a terrible burden to carry!
While Jesus was safely found in the Temple and great joy engulfed the hearts of Mary and Joseph, the worst was yet to come.
What goes through the mind of a mother who just learned that her son who is innocent has been sentenced to death? Do we not often hear of innocent victims who have been executed by States that implement the death penalty?
The mother who must watch her son walk towards the gas chamber or the electric chair, surely, every limb of her body must be weak by now, she being in tears and possibly hysterical.
But what about the Virgin Mary who met her Son on His way to Calvary? Immaculate in nature, how could she look upon the Holy Face of her beloved Son who was wearing a Crown of Thorns, who had been flagellated, who was covered in blood, who was so weakened that He could barely carry the Cross? How could her Immaculate Heart comprehend the evil of the human nature? What immense compassion she must have endured for her Son during this spiritual martyrdom. What great compassion she must have endured for the guilty parties who in their blindness treated her Son as the worst of criminals and who were about to murder the Son of God.
Standing at the foot of the Cross, her Immaculate Heart was pierced! What pain she must have suffered alongside her Son who was in great agony? Having raised her little boy with all the tender loving care that a mother gives to a child, having watched Him grow and work as a carpenter alongside His father, and having followed Him in His ministry that healed so many of their ailments, how could this be the end result?
As if her sufferings were not sufficient, the Blessed Virgin Mary still had to watch the lifeless Sacred Body of the Lord Jesus being taken down from the Holy Cross and His entombment. For hours, she must have been in great tears. Our Lady of Sorrows had finally been separated from her Son! The world had finally succeeded in murdering Her innocent Child!
In life, we all have an obligation towards God. We are all called and have a commission to fulfill. The Blessed Virgin Mary also had a calling, a commission to fulfill. In a way, she is entitled to be called, "Our Lady of the Divine Commission." Her commission surpassed all our callings. Immaculate in nature as the Second Eve, her martyrdom cannot be compared to our sufferings because our sinful nature often dulls our spiritual thinking. While we frequently become apathetic to the suffering around us, the Immaculate nature of Our Lady of Sorrows could not experience such apathy. She was full of love and compassion.
During our pilgrimage on earth, our blessed hope is in the imperishable wreath that awaits us in Heaven as a reward for our perseverance in the living faith. The imperishable wreath that awaited the Blessed Virgin Mary was that every generation would call her blessed. She was called to receive the title of Mother of God. She was called to receive many other titles that radiate the glory of God through her. While her sufferings were great, her glories are greater. For all are rewarded according to how they respond to their commission.
Today's Gospel Reading asks us, "Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?" It then commands us to, "First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbour's eye."
How true it is that in our corrupted human nature, we are all experts at judging others. We see their faults but we do not see ours. We are quick at criticizing others but we do not like to receive criticism. We are quick at condemning others but we do not like to be condemned. We have a set of rules for the others and a set of rules for ourselves. How sinful we are! May the Lord have mercy on us!
But the Blessed Virgin Mary was not like that! Immaculate in nature, all her thoughts were pure. As the second Eve, God's most beautiful new creation, it could never cross her mind to judge others, to criticize them, to condemn them or to have a different set of rules for them. And if she could not judge, criticize or condemn those who crucified her beloved Son, what great suffering she must have endured. She had to be as an innocent lamb who was called to watch the worst atrocities that could be inflicted upon a human being, the Son of God. Helpless to help her beloved Son, she must have kept everything in her heart, reflecting on what was God's Divine Plan in what was progressing before her immaculate eyes.
Our Lady of Sorrows is an example for us. Her holy virtues are what we should all strive for. If we can elevate our spiritual minds to just a small percentage of her perfection, surely God will reward us accordingly.
Today, let us reflect on the spiritual martyrdom of Our Lady of Sorrows. Let us reflect on how we are called to suffer with Christ for the glory of the heavenly Father. And let us take our crosses and carry them so we will win the race and receive an imperishable wreath.
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The readings...
[The readings were taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (C) 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the United States of America.]
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First Reading...
"If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel! For if I do this on my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel. For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. Athletes exercise self-control in all things: they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified." [1 Cor. 9:16-9, 22b-27]
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Gospel Reading...
"Jesus told his disciples a parable: 'Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher. Why do you see the speck in your neighbour's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbour, 'Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye.' when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbour's eye.'" [Lk. 6:39-42]
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