Homily: September 15 - Mother of Sorrows - Stabat Mater Dolorosa

Today’s Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows logically follows the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross.  Yesterday, we recalled the suffering of Christ on the Cross, the Passion he suffered for our salvation.  Today we recall how Mary stood close to the cross and shared his suffering.

At the cross her station keeping,

Mary stood in sorrow weeping

When her Son was crucified.

While she waited in her anguish,

Seeing Christ in torment languish,

Bitter sorrow pierced her heart.

With what pain and desolation,

With what noble resignation,

Mary watched her dying Son.

Ever-patient in her yearning

Though her tear-filled eyes were burning,

Mary gazed upon her Son.

Who, that sorrow contemplating,

On that passion meditating,

Would not share the Virgin's grief?

Those words are just the first few stanzas of that beautiful poetic meditation known as the Stabat Mater.  This beautiful hymn reflects upon the Blessed Virgin’s union with Christ as he suffers and dies on the cross.  The grief of any mother watching their child suffer is truly terrible.  Yet, she with perfect love must have suffered all the more.  The Church Fathers teach in fact, that Mary’s sufferings were so great that all the suffering of all the martyrs together do not compare to her suffering with Christ. 

The Stabat Mater also expresses the devout soul’s desire to share her suffering; to not let her suffer alone.  “Who would not share the Virgin’s grief?”  We are to contemplate with her the sufferings of Christ, recognizing God’s great love for us in his willingness to bear the sin of the world, our sins.

And not just to meditate upon Christ’s crucifixion, but we, like Mary and with Mary are called, to share in his suffering, to bear the cross with him.  In this way, our earthly sorrows can be transformed into acts of love. 

God brings about through Mary’s sorrows and our sorrows united to hers great graces for the conversion of sinners.  Suffering is the result of sin, yet, on the cross Jesus transforms suffering into the remedy for sin. So too sorrow is transformed.  Even the greatest calamity, either private or public, can become an opportunity for drawing near to God and becoming like Christ and obtaining grace for sinners.

In the Collect prayer, beginning today’s Mass we prayed, O God, who willed that, when your Son was lifted high on the Cross, his Mother should stand close by and share his suffering, grant that your Church, participating with the Virgin Mary in the Passion of Christ, may merit a share in his Resurrection. for the glory of God and salvation of souls