THE SORROWS OF MARY HELP REVEAL OUR THOUGHTS - 9/15/22 (Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows)

Luke 2:34-35

“Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”  

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091522.cfm

Blessed Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows! Jesus Christ died on the cross for our salvation. Because of His sacrifice, the whole world is redeemed, and we all have the hope of everlasting life in heaven. And yet, it's also true that our Lord was a sign of contradiction. What does this mean? Even though Jesus came to the world to pour forth His infinite love, He received ingratitude from His own people. Even after promising us with the greatest good, eternal life, He became the object of the worst evil in history, the crucifixion of God. The Blessed Virgin Mary, our pure and immaculate Mother, experienced sorrow because of the sufferings of Jesus. Our mothers always feel the pain when we see that we are in pain. If that's the case, then the pain that Mary experienced was unimaginable. In her sorrows, we can reflect on the thoughts that came from her immaculate heart. And, we can also see how her sorrows help us to reflect on our own thoughts. 

The desires of the heart are revealed when one experiences suffering. This is definitely true for the Blessed Virgin Mary. St. Simon prophesied that a sword would pierce her heart, and everytime she saw her Son, Jesus Christ, suffered throughout His life, even in His childhood and ministry, she was remembering the passion that Jesus would experience on the way to the Cross. When we suffer, we may look for something to blame. If someone causes our sufferings, we may be angry with them and say inappropriate words at them. But, when we look at our Mother Mary, we see a great example and model of humility and trust in God. She was sorrowful, not just because of the physical sufferings of Jesus which were truly painful, but also because He bore our sins on the cross. In short, our Mother was sorrowful because of us. Despite of our sins, she loved us, and all she desired was for us to be united with God. As such, when we suffer, it's an opportunity to imitate Mary by submitting to God's will and by loving those who offend us. That's definitely difficult, but it's a sign of pure love. 

In the gospel reading, it also said that the reason why Mary was pierced spiritually by a sword was for the reason that many thoughts would be revealed. Our Mother Mary did not just suffer, but she offered herself as a sacrifice for the redemption of the world and conversion of sinners. She did this by participating with the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross because she was fully united with God. When we discover our thoughts about our sins, temptations, distractions, trials and many more, God reveals these things to us for us to know His will and avoid those that keep us far from Him. And, if we caused the sorrows of Mary, her sorrows caused us to be open to God's graces and genuinely repent of our sins. Even today, she continuously intercedes for us in heaven, and by praying to her, especially through the rosary, we can accept the help of our Mother. We may acknowledge that we have fallen to many sins in the past. But, we have more reasons to hope, and one is because of Mary. Just because we fall, it does not mean that we will remain at it. May we persevere to do what is good and please God because with her intercession, God will raise us up to heaven. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic

Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows:

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/september-15-our-lady-of-sorrows/

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth

Amazing Testimony on Rosary:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=FFyRwJBExMk

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/