...And You Yourself a Sword will Pierce"

Today's Mass Readings

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. Although this feast really became popular during the Middle Ages, one can trace its origins to the most sorrowful of events in her life – the death of her Son on the Cross. John the apostle can be called her first devotee, since, he considered it important to record her presence at the foot of the cross and weeping for her only born (John 19: 25-27). Traditionally there are seven events associated with Mary’s sorrows. They are often considered a fulfilment of Simeon’s prophecy in today’s gospel reading where he prophecies, “…and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2: 35). These seven sorrows are:

1. The Prophecy of Simeon.
2. The Flight into Egypt.
3. The Loss of the Child Jesus for Three Days.
4. Meeting Jesus on the Way to Calvary.
5. The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus.
6. Jesus Taken Down from the Cross.
7. Jesus Laid in the Tomb.

Mary’s feasts are always feasts in which we can find much consolation. In spite of being “full of grace” as the angel announced to her, she had her share of human suffering. The most painful one, of course, was the suffering and death of her Son. They say, a mother suffers twice – she has her own pain the pain of her children which she feels like her own. But Mary makes us feel that we too can be faithful to God through our sufferings like she herself was.

This, then, is the point for reflection for us today. Nothing... not all the suffering she endured, not even the death of her Son would take Mary away from God. Her "Yes" at the annunciation was an unconditional "Yes." May our lives reflect the faith and the steadfastness of Mary in spite of it all.