Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
Have you ever lost someone whom you loved deeply? Those times may be where the phrase broken heart comes from? Those are the times in our lives when we can feel like we have lost the will to keep living because the pain is almost unbearable. This pain of a broken heart was surely something Jesus’ mother, Mary, must have known well. Even Mary or Miriam in Hebrew can be translated “sea of bitterness or sorrow.” Today’s feast of Our Lady of Sorrows remembers that the bearer of the Son of God carried many sorrows in her heart. Yet it also celebrates, like yesterday’s feast, that sadness is not the end of the story.
The gospel readings for today illustrate times in Mary’s life when those circumstances could have left Mary in extraordinary sorrow. This is especially true in the gospel of John where we encounter Mary standing at the foot of the cross with the beloved disciple. Think of what it must have felt like for Mary. Jesus, who was flesh from her flesh, had been brutally tortured and was left to die. And yet, there she stood. Standing is not a likely posture of sorrow, yet that is her stance despite the agony of Jesus’ crucifixion.
How can Mary stand there in the midst of all of that pain? How do we stand when the situations in our lives nearly bring us to a grinding halt? Mary’s standing is but one clue. The reason for her ability to stand might be best rooted in the first reading. The reading from 1st Corinthians’ Chapter 13 is one of the most familiar in the New Testament. Its’ theme of love is shared at many weddings. For the reading today, the church includes one verse which is seldom connected. “Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts. But I shall show you a still more excellent way.” (1Cor 12:31) With this verse, the church has tried to highlight Chapter 13 in the context of previous one on great spiritual gifts.
The spiritual gifts of healing, prophecy, leadership and tongues are all wonderful, yet an even greater gift is love. Reflect on your own openness to love God and to accept God’s love from other people. Love is what gave Mary the ability to stand faithfully with hope despite suffering. Surely she must have felt like we do when our world is shattering yet, there she stood. How could Mary still have enough hope to keep herself standing? How do we continue when our hearts are broken? Today’s readings suggest that when we give ourselves over to loving God completely, then we will have strength and hope to remain faithful disciples no matter the adversities we face.
-Michael Montgomery