Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
Today the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, the day after the Feast of the Holy Cross. The coinciding of these feast days draws our attention to the connection between Jesus’ Passion and Mary’s sorrows. May today be an opportunity for us to unite our own sorrows to those of Christ through our Mother’s intercession. Perhaps today we can set aside some extra or extended time in prayer for this purpose. We might also ask our Mother to lend us her heart so that we might deepen our compassion for others and for ourselves, and have a keener appreciation of Christ’s suffering and a more profound gratitude for God’s gift of salvation.
Our readings present a Marian “sequence” after the psalm. I suggest we pray that sequence slowly, pausing at lines that particularly catch our attention or grip our hearts. Let your personal reflection arise as the Holy Spirit ministers to you through these verses. In our Gospel, we find Mary at the foot of the Cross. Let us position ourselves there as we pray today.
As you pray, present your own pain, suffering, and sorrows to our loving God and to our Mother. Let us also bring the pain, suffering, and sorrows of the entire human family. During the Parish retreat this past Saturday, we had the opportunity to bring our hurts and anxieties before the Lord collectively. Perhaps our prayer today might be a continuation of that prayerful work. Our Parish theme this year is Discipleship: Healing, Renewing, Restoring. As you pray today, may you experience the healing, renewing, and restorative work of God in your life. We pray in confidence knowing that the perfect will of our loving and merciful God is that we might experience life to its fullest in every capacity. May the shalom of Christ guard your hearts and minds this day. Amen!
Elizabeth Wourms