Facing the Sorrows of Life like…with Mary

HOMILY: Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows

Luke 2:33-35

15 September 2021 

Fr. Ricky Cañet Montañez, AA

Alinaya Cordero, a cardiologist, recounted on her FB post how broken she was after having to inform the mother of her youngest COVID patient that her child was gone. “Habang nasa gilid ng kalsada, kausap ko ang ina na OFW ng pinakabata kong pasyente na tinamaan ng COVID, 28 taong-gulang, para ipaalam na siguro ang pinakamasakit na salita na pwedeng marinig ng isang ina at pinakamasakit na salita na pwedeng masabi ng isang doktor.”  News such as this is a dagger to the heart of any mother. 

Today we remember how Mary, was not immune to suffering even if her Son, was God. As a mother, her heart was crushed every time she feared for her child, Jesus, and witnessed His sufferings. When we look at the image of Our Lady of Sorrows, Mary’s heart is often depicted to be pierced with seven wounds or with that of a sword. Explicitly we are reminded in today’s gospel reading of Simeon’s words to her: “And a sword will pierce your own soul…” (Luke 2:35). The devout man also foretold that a sword of sorrow would pierce Mary’s heart (Luke 2:22-37). Such is deemed the first sorrow of the Blessed Mother. Mary and Joseph’s flight into Egypt is said to be Mary’s second sorrow. The couple took the new-born Jesus to safety as they escaped the massacre of the children in Bethlehem (Matthew 3:16-18). In Mary’s third sorrow, we recall how the Child Jesus went missing for three days when they were in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. The 12-year-old Jesus was actually in the Temple discussing the Law with the teachers (Luke 2:41-52). Mary’s exchange with Jesus went like this… “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”(Luke 2:49) The fourth sorrow of Mary was when Jesus met His Mother on the Way to Calvary. Though not mentioned specifically in the Scripture, we find Jesus’ ascent to Calvary bearing the cross in John 19:17. Mary’s fifth sorrow is noted in the Gospel of John which tells us that the Mother of Jesus was present right there at the foot of the Cross (John 19:25-27). The sixth, although with no specific scriptural reference, must have been part of the events after the death of Jesus on the cross in John 19:39-40. It is the traditional and heart-rending scenes from the Stations of the Cross and the Pieta where Jesus is finally taken down from the cross. Lastly, Mary’s 7th sorrow is recorded in all four gospels — Jesus is laid in the Tomb. This must have been a painfully sad moment for the Mother who must have believed this would be the very last time she would lay eyes on her Son (Matthew 28:57-61; Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-50). 

In all of these sorrowful moments in Mary’s life, she remained most trusting in God. She may not have understood everything but she always pondered everything in her faith-filled heart. She was obviously sorrowful in all of those painful moments but she was also the perfect picture of calm. She was reflective. She kept everything in her heart but she was not overly emotional. Mary is an inspiration of contemplation and reflection for all of us in the most trying moments of our life.  She is there to comfort and console us as we make sense of all our painful experiences during this time.  

In this swirling pandemic where we are desperately clutching at straws and almost at the brink of despair, we turn to our Mother Mary, whose heart was battered by one sorrow after another. Yet, she did not waver in her faith, she did not falter in her resolve, she remained focused on Jesus even if her eyes were blurred by the searing pain of each sorrowful episode. Instead, she used each piercing, painful experience as a way to strengthen her faith in God. 

Our Lady of Sorrows, we pray that we may have pondering hearts like yours. May we be able to accept with serenity and hope whatever God wills for us in our lives.