September 15 2023 - Our Lady of Sorrows - A heart united to Christ in love and suffering

Yesterday, on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, the Church turned her heart to the Passion of Christ and the wood of the cross upon which our Lord conquered death.  Today the Church turns her heart to the suffering his His Mother—the heart of His mother which shared in her son’s great suffering. 

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.

Love unites the mother with her children. She shares their joys, their excitements, their sorrows and sufferings. The heart of the mother aches in every of her child’s bruises, broken bones, or illnesses.

Our Lady’s heart because of it’s purity, selflessness, devotion to the will of God, and faith loved more deeply and therefore suffered more deeply than any mother in history. Because of her love her heart was pierced with swords of sorrow so intense that one might say she only survived the sufferings of her son through special graces from God. 

Today we turn our hearts to her, that she might teach us how to love and how to suffer with grace. And also to know that because her love for each of us is great, she also knows and shares our sufferings too. For since her heart is united to Christ in love and suffering, she loves what he loves...that includes us.

Pope St. John Paul II wrote: “Turn your eyes incessantly to the Blessed Virgin; she, who is the Mother of Sorrows and also the Mother of Consolation, can understand you completely and help you. Looking to her, praying to her, you will obtain that your tedium will become serenity, your anguish change into hope, and your grief into love.”

It is sad to think of how many Christians do not really grasp the motherhood of Mary, the role that God wants her to have in our lives. For God himself, from the cross, told us, “Behold your mother.”

So we who love her have a duty to help those who do not to come to understand this dimension of the Good News of Christ—the Gospel. For it is part of the Gospel that Mary is our Mother—and comes to our aid in our suffering. 

Older Catholics especially can help younger family members to love Mary. When the grandkids or nieces and nephews come over to visit, pray the rosary with them, teach them of the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady, for the younger generations who do not know Mary are in danger of have stilted, colder hearts, as we all are when we fail to love Our Mother as we should.

During the remainder of the day, let us reflect upon the sufferings of the Mother of God. May the tears of Mary give us more compassionate hearts, and keep us faithful to her Son, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For the Church in every place; that, by calling to mind the sorrow of the Blessed Virgin Mary upon hearing the prophecy of Simeon, she may offer comfort to all who advance in this life

along a path of obscurity and suffering. 

For the leaders of nations; that, by remembering the sorrow of the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt,

they may be moved to care for refugees and for all who are obliged to flee from war and persecution. 

For parents anguishing over their children; that, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary

and of Saint Joseph who were anguished by the disappearance of Jesus for three days, they may come to deeper trust and confidence in the providence of the Heavenly Father.

For all who bear the cross of suffering; that, like Jesus bearing His cross, they may encounter the Mother of Sorrows on the way, and be sustained by her compassion.

For widows mourning the death of a beloved spouse; that, by turning to Our Lady, the Virgin Widow of Saint Joseph, they may be comforted in their solitude and inspired to go forward with courage and trust in God.

For all priests; that in the daily offering of the Holy Sacrifice, they may discover the nearness of the Mother of Sorrows and, like Saint John, take her into their homes.

For ourselves; that, by remembering the sorrow of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the entombment of her Son, we may be strengthened in hope and learn from her to wait in silence for the light of the resurrection, and for N. for whom this mass is offered. 

May we be aided at your Mercy Seat, Lord Jesus Christ, now and at the hour of our death, by the pleading of the Blessed Virgin Mary, your Mother, whose most holy soul was pierced, in the hour of your sufferings, by a sword of sorrow. Who live and reign forever and ever.

September 15 2021 - Our Lady of Sorrows - Who, that sorrow contemplating...

 Our Lady of Sorrows in the title of Our Lady under which our parish Legion of Mary is particularly dedicated. So Happy Feast to our Legionaries. It is somewhat strange to wish someone a happy feast, on a day when we are contemplating the tears and sorrows of Our Mother, but there is some happiness knowing that we honor her in a way that God wishes us to honor her.

Members of the Legion and all of us have a special duty to pray for the grieving and to go to their side: to go the grieving, to the bedsides of the dying, to attend wakes and funerals with those who grieve their deceased relatives and friends. And also the special duty to pray for those who do not grieve their sins—and to go to their side—to approach families members and members of our parish who have stopped going to Church, who do not go to the Sacrament of Confession, to invite them home.

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 and participated in our redemption.

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. Stabat Mater Dolorosa we sing during the stations of the cross, or in English: At the cross her station keeping,  Mary stood in sorrow weeping When her Son was crucified.

This Church rightly reflects upon our Lady’s suffering as she witnesses her Son’s Passion and death. 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.  

Who, that sorrow contemplating,
On that passion meditating,
Would not share the Virgin's grief?

We are to contemplate her sorrows, her sufferings in union with her Son. Why? Because it wakes up our hearts to the yes, the sufferings of Christ, the sufferings of Our Lady, but the suffering of others in general. Having contemplated her sorrow, her tears, makes us more attentive to the sorrow and tears of our neighbor. It opens up a path to reaching out to them in compassion. Her tears are a road to charity. 

Pope St. John Paul II wrote: “Turn your eyes incessantly to the Blessed Virgin; she, who is the Mother of Sorrows and also the Mother of Consolation, can understand you completely and help you. Looking to her, praying to her, you will obtain that your tedium will become serenity, your anguish change into hope, and your grief into love.”

During the remainder of the day, let us reflect upon the sufferings of the Mother of God. May the tears of Mary give us more compassionate hearts, and keep us faithful to her Son, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - - - 

The petitions I will use today are inspired by the Seven Sorrows of Mary Devotion. 

For the Church in every place; that, by calling to mind the sorrow of the Blessed Virgin Mary upon hearing the prophecy of Simeon, she may offer comfort to all who advance in this life along a path of obscurity and suffering. 

For the leaders of nations; that, by remembering the sorrow of the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt,they may be moved to care for refugees and for all who are obliged to flee from war and persecution. 

For parents anguishing over their children; that, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of Saint Joseph who were anguished by the disappearance of Jesus for three days, they may put their all their confidence in the Father. 

For all who bear the cross of suffering; that, like Jesus bearing His cross, they may encounter the Mother of Sorrows on the way, and be sustained by her compassion.

For widows mourning the death of a beloved spouse; that, by turning to Our Lady, the Virgin Widow of Saint Joseph, they may be comforted in their solitude and inspired to go forward with courage and trust in God.

For all priests; that in the daily offering of the Holy Sacrifice, they may discover the nearness of the Mother of Sorrows and, like Saint John, take her into their homes.

For ourselves; that, by remembering the sorrow of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the entombment of her Son, we may be strengthened in hope and learn from her to wait in silence for the light of the resurrection, and for N. for whom this mass is offered. 

May we be aided at your Mercy Seat, Lord Jesus Christ, now and at the hour of our death, by the pleading of the Blessed Virgin Mary, your Mother, whose most holy soul was pierced, in the hour of your sufferings, by a sword of sorrow. Who live and reign forever and ever.

September 15, 2017 - Our Lady of Sorrows - More Compassionate Hearts

The priest may choose between two different Gospel readings for this Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. The first, which we heard today, from Luke’s Gospel: the words of Simeon to Our Blessed Mother. He foretells the great destiny of her son, while speaking of a future which will be filled with suffering—not just the Son’s suffering, but the mother’s as well: and your own heart a sword shall pierce.

Those who love Christ share his sufferings, and no one loved Jesus more than his mother. In earlier centuries, this feast was called “Our Lady of Compassion”—the word “Compassion” coming from the latin “to suffer with”. Our hearts stretch, we grow in compassion when we meditate on the sorrows of Mary, on the suffering of Jesus. Growing in compassion means stretching the heart to include greater awareness of the suffering of others.

The other Gospel we could have used was from the crucifixion in John’s Gospel: Jesus speaking to Our Lady and the beloved disciple from the cross—Our Lady standing at the foot of the cross. At the cross her station keeping, Stood the mournful Mother weeping, Close to Jesus to the last.

Jesus tells the beloved disciple to take Mary as his mother, and in doing so, gives Mary as mother to all of his beloved disciples throughout the centuries. We are invited to share in our mother’s joy, in her wisdom, we are invited to know her maternal protection. But like any child who sees his mother weeping, we also share in her sorrows.

The founding pastor of our parish, Fr .Fitzgerald, had a great devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows, which is why her statue stands near the sanctuary.

It is sad to think of how many Christians do not know the motherhood of Mary, which I’m sure is one reason why our Mother weeps. When the grandkids or nieces and nephews come over to visit, pray the rosary with them, teach them of the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady, for the younger generations who do not know Mary are in danger of have stilted, colder hearts, as we all are when we fail to love Our Mother as we should.

Pope St. John Paul II wrote: “Turn your eyes incessantly to the Blessed Virgin; she, who is the Mother of Sorrows and also the Mother of Consolation, can understand you completely and help you. Looking to her, praying to her, you will obtain that your tedium will become serenity, your anguish change into hope, and your grief into love.”

During the remainder of the day, let us reflect upon the sufferings of the Mother of God. May the tears of Mary give us more compassionate hearts, and keep us faithful to her Son, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - - -
 
For the Church in every place; that, by calling to mind the sorrow of the Blessed Virgin Mary upon hearing the prophecy of Simeon, she may offer comfort to all who advance in this life
along a path of obscurity and suffering.

For the leaders of nations; that, by remembering the sorrow of the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt,
they may be moved to care for refugees and for all who are obliged to flee from war and persecution.

For parents anguishing over their children; that, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary
and of Saint Joseph who were anguished by the disappearance of Jesus for three days, they may put their all their confidence in the Father.

For all who bear the cross of suffering; that, like Jesus bearing His cross, they may encounter the Mother of Sorrows on the way, and be sustained by her compassion.

For widows mourning the death of a beloved spouse; that, by turning to Our Lady, the Virgin Widow of Saint Joseph, they may be comforted in their solitude and inspired to go forward with courage and trust in God.

For all priests; that in the daily offering of the Holy Sacrifice, they may discover the nearness of the Mother of Sorrows and, like Saint John, take her into their homes.

For ourselves; that, by remembering the sorrow of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the entombment of her Son, we may be strengthened in hope and learn from her to wait in silence for the light of the resurrection, and for N. for whom this mass is offered.

May we be aided at your Mercy Seat, Lord Jesus Christ, now and at the hour of our death, by the pleading of the Blessed Virgin Mary, your Mother, whose most holy soul was pierced, in the hour of your sufferings, by a sword of sorrow. Who live and reign forever and ever.

Homily: Sept 15 2016 - Our Lady of Sorrows - Mother of they Dying

In times of great sadness, suffering, and loneliness, we think of our mothers. No doubt, it brought such great consolation to Jesus, as he hung upon the cross, that his mother was with him, even though it brought her great pain to do so.

Through her heart, his sorrow sharing,

All his bitter anguish bearing,

Now at length the sword had passed.

Mary, we know, looks upon all of us as her sons and daughters. For from the cross, as we read in the Gospel today, Our Lord gave to her all of his disciples throughout all the ages to be her spiritual children. She has such great compassion for us all, and comes to the aid of her children.

Mary comes especially to the aid of the dying, in the final moments when salvation may be won or lost. We read numberless instances in the lives of saints and devout souls in which Mary appeared to them and aided them on their deathbed. The rooms of the dying are Our Lady's special sphere of activity, for those who are in their last agony are her beloved children. Mary draws close to the dying, helping them prepare for eternity.

In Dante’s Purgatorio, one soul explains how because of his wicked life he had become destined for hell, but in his last breath he was inspired to speak the name of Mary, and this was enough to save his soul.

Sharing our Mother’s compassion for the dying, we should pray every day for those in the hour of death, for faithful souls as well as impenitent souls. For we know that deathbed conversions are possible. Mary helps unrepentant souls reach final contrition.

Whenever I visit the dying, I always encourage their family members to pray the rosary with them. For no doubt, as they lay dying, the prayers of our childhood, are so comforting and also so powerful because it helps them to know the closeness of Mary, Mother of the Dying.

Those who die with her as their mother, die as faithful disciples of Christ, and heirs of the kingdom of heaven. May we show true compassion to all the afflicted, and know Mary’s closeness as we carry our crosses for the glory of God and salvation of souls.