We ascribe different names and different
attributes to Mary, attesting to her importance in our faith and in the history
of salvation. We think of how on August 15 we celebrated the
Assumption of Mary body and soul into heaven.
And how on September 8, just a week ago, we celebrate the Nativity of
Mary. The Memorial honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary as
the Sorrowful Mother goes back to the 15th and 17th
centuries, when there were two feasts honoring the Sorrowful Mother that were
added to our Church's liturgical calendar. Today, we honor Mary as our Sorrowful Mother in
this special way each year on September 15th.
In our Gospel reading from John today, we hear
about Mary as she stood by her son while he was on the cross. We cannot begin to imagine the sorrow that Mary felt
in her heart as she was there with her son while he was on the cross. This fulfills the prediction Simeon made about a
sword piercing Mary's heart.
St. Ambrose and many of the early Church Fathers
saw Mary as a sorrowful yet powerful figure as she stood by Jesus courageously
during his journey to the cross while many of his other followers abandoned him
out of fear. Mary's heart
was touched as she saw the wounds of her Son, yet in those wounds, she also saw
the salvation of our world. In that moment at the cross, Mary was given to us
as our Mother and the Mother of the Church. As I think of Mary as Our Lady of the Sorrows, I
think of the many mothers and grandmothers I have in my parish who have lost
children and grandchildren, how their love and their sorrows are united with
Mary as Our Lady of Sorrows. May we
never fail to reach out to our Blessed Mother in our struggles and in our
sorrow – may we gain strength in our faith from our relationship with her.
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