Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows
How appropriate it is that the feast of the Sorrowful Mother, which we celebrate today, falls immediately after the commemoration of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. It speaks to us of how closely the heart of Mary was entwined with that of her crucified Son. From her earliest days as a young mother, she was told by Simeon that this child of hers would be the cause of the rise and fall of many in Israel, and that her own soul would be pierced by a sword. That prophecy must have haunted her all her life, yet she would later accept it as God's will for her and for her beloved Son. At that tender age, she could hardly have understood what would be asked of her.
It is striking that three times in the Gospels we are told that she pondered all these things in her heart. The word "ponder" means to think deeply and carefully, often about serious matters. Surely Mary kept everything Jesus said and did at the very center of her being.
The Gospels tell us little about the thirty hidden years Jesus spent with his mother in Nazareth. But we can imagine the joy Mary must have felt as she watched him grow before her eyes. Sr. Margie, in one of her talks, shared some artistic renditions of Mary's life, including one that depicts a teenage Jesus standing by his mother, her arm around him, as she points to a scriptural passage—a mother and son united in their love of God, and a tender reminder of their mutual love for one another. To have lived such an intimate life with such a Son must have made her heart ache during his public ministry, as he was continually questioned by the religious authorities and even rejected by his own hometown and extended family.
Although tradition speaks of seven sorrows, Mary must have endured constant anxiety during those three years, knowing in her heart what he was attempting to do through his words and actions. Certainly, there was much to ponder as she watched from the sidelines. Ultimately, she was asked to share in the physical and spiritual anguish of her Son’s humiliating death as a convicted criminal. This final sorrow—his death and burial—must have been for her a heartbreak beyond human understanding. For the deeper the love, the deeper the suffering, and no one loved Jesus more than his mother.
In the years following Christ’s resurrection, Mary was given more time to ponder and to share her memories with all who sought to walk in his footsteps. John and the other apostles must have gained much from her wisdom and insights into the mysteries of his life and death—a strength that helped them face their own destinies with courage.
May we, through Mary’s intercession, learn to ponder deeply the mysteries of our own lives, to recognize how our sufferings can lead us to greater understanding, and to trust that all things work for our good. As St. Paul reminds us in his First Letter to the Corinthians: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the human heart what things God has prepared for those who love him.”
– Sister Helen R. Boyd, OP
Sister Helen lives at Dominican Convent, actively contributing as a member of the Life Enrichment Committee, co-chair of the Mission Outreach Committee, and a preacher of the Word.