2025-09-17 - Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows Author: Fr. CamillusNwaigwe
15th of September 2025
Monday in the 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Year I
1Cor 10,14-22
Lk 2:33-35
If you want to assist at Mass, with devotion and with fruit, think of the sorrowful Mother at the feet of Calvary.* (St Padre Pio.
Yesterday, Church celebrated the feast of the exaltation of the Cross. Today, we gather to celebrate our Lady of Sorrows. This feast focuses on Mary's intense sufferings and grief during the passion and death of Christ. Note also that traditionally, this feast was not restricted only to her sorrows during Christ's passion but extends to the Seven dolors of Mary which Simeon summarized when he said "a sword will pierce your own soul." Mary is depicted with seven swords piercing her heart. But in all, she embraced these sorrows with love.
In the *Gospel*, Simeon presented the mission of Jesus which will be characterized by sufferings. These sufferings impacted on Mary.
Dearest friends, the feast of today is named 'Our Lady of Sorrows', but we must be careful not to reduce it solely to a sorrowful feast. Why? This is because in it we see love in action. Mary's sorrow was a consequence or function of love. In her, we see a heart that does not shy away from loving. It was as a result of her love that she felt sorrow. When the one you love suffer, you suffer with him/her. Today, we are invited to love and not to shy away from loving God and one another.
Again, in Mary's suffering I see what could be called "Redemptive suffering." Simeon having prophesied about the mission of Christ and Mary being aware of the prophesy of the suffering servant, had to coperate and participate in the sufferings of Christ. We are all called to participate in the sufferings of Christ by seeing what comes our way as God asking us to unite our sufferings with his and offer it to him.
Finally dear friends, if you love God, He will have a direct impact on you. Because of Mary's unique relationship with Christ, the sufferings of Christ had an impact on him. Be close to Christ so as to feel his heartbeat.
May the Sorrowful heart of Mary push us to love God and one another, amen.
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