Today as we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, it comes the day after the feast of the Triumph of the Cross. Even though we know that Our Lord has triumphed victoriously through His Cross and Resurrection, nonetheless, the pain and the anguish in which Our Lady would have been suffering as she stood at the foot of the Cross is certainly recognized and celebrated. It is celebrated for a very particular reason, first of all, because she became our mother at the foot of the Cross. "When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, 'Woman, behold, your son!'. Then he said to the disciple, 'Behold, your mother!’" (Jn 19:26-27).
In the solemnity of this feast, we principally remember Mary on Calvary where she suffered the supreme sorrow of all sorrows that filled her life. Indeed, so great was Mary's grief on Calvary that, had it been divided among all creatures capable of suffering, it would have caused them all to die instantly.
Our Lord's suffering on the cross is magnified through our Lady of Sorrows. That is her role. She magnifies the Lord. As the Gospel of John dramatically presents her, Mary stands “near the cross of Jesus. Is there a greater pain than for a mother to witness the death of her son in public, under the atmosphere of shame and ridicule, under condemnation and after a grueling tortures beyond the imagination of men? Mary experienced such supreme pain, humiliation, loss and trials. And she did it with grace, courage, detemination and faith.
Once again our beloved and unforgettable Pope John Paul II, in his encyclical Redemptoris Mater, commented:
Simeon's words seem like a "Second Annunciation" to Mary for they tell her of the historical circumstances in which the Son is to accomplish his mission, namely in misunderstanding and sorrow ... They also reveal that she will have to live her obedience of faith in suffering at the Saviour's side and that her motherhood will be mysterious and sorrowful.
Mary our Mother teaches us not to complain in the midst of trials as we know she never would. She encourages us to unite our sufferings to the sacrifice of her only begotten Son and so offer them as spiritual gifts for the benefit of our family, the Church, and all humanity.
May each one of us, precisely through the concrete reality of Mary's universal motherhood, fully acknowledge her as our own Mother, and trustingly commend ourselves to her maternal love.
Therefore let us faithfully pray and render our heartfelt consolation to our Sorrowful Mother Mary :
O Mother of Sorrows, thou,
who beneath the Cross of Jesus
were given to us as our Mother,
look down with pity on us,
thy children, who weep and mourn in this valley of tears.
By that swords of sorrow which pierced thy Heart
when thou looked upon the Face of thy dead Son,
obtain for us that comfort
we so sorely need in our sufferings.
Thou were given to us our Mother
in the hour of thy greatest grief
that thou might be mindful of our frailty
and the evils that press upon us.
Without thy aid, O Sorrowful Mother,
we cannot gain the victory
in this struggle against flesh and blood.
Therefore, we seek thy help,
O Queen of Sorrows,
lest we fall prey to the wiles of the enemy.
We are orphans in need of the guiding hand of our Mother
amid the dangers that threaten our destruction.
Thou whose grief was boundless as the sea,
grant us by the memory of those sorrows
the strength to be victorious.
Intercede further, O Mother of Sorrows,
for us and all who are near and dear to us,
that we may ever do the Will of thy Son,
and may direct all our actions to His honour,
and to the furtherance of devotion to thy sorrows.
Amen.
Virgin Most Sorrowful, pray for us. Amen
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