Jesus' father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "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." Luke 2:33-35

Today is the feast day of Our Lady of Sorrows.  This feast day was born of the Servite Order, and in the seventeenth and eighteenth century it spread throughout the Catholic Church until now. Our Blessed Mother Mary had many great joys as the Mother of Jesus, but she had much to suffer, too. Her great love for her divine Son caused Mary to suffer when she saw Jesus treated cruelly by his enemies. Mary is the Queen of Martyrs because she went through spiritual torments greater than the bodily agonies of the martyrs. Her heart was like an altar when on Calvary she offered up her beloved Jesus to save us. What a terrible suffering it was for so loving a mother to see her Son die on the cross! As Mary’s life unfolded in the Bible, we can see that there are seven episodes which express the deepest level of pain and emotional agony in Mary’s heart. She remains faithful and endures with patience suffering. Therefore, she knows our pains and sorrows in a way no one else could. She loves us dearly as she loved her Son, and has compassion for all of our turmoil. St. Frances Xavier Cabrini said “If you are in danger, if your hearts are confused, turn to Mary; she is our comfort, our help; turn towards her and you will be saved.” Let us come to Mary and receive Her graces by meditating on Her 7 sorrows.

1)The Prophecy of Simon (Luke 2:25-35)

+Hail Mary full grace…
+For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

2) The Flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15)

+Hail Mary full grace…
+For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

3)Loss of the Child Jesus for three days (Luke 2:41-50)

+Hail Mary full grace…
+For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

4)Mary Meets Jesus on his way to Calvary (Luke 23:27-31, John: 19:17)

+Hail Mary full grace…
+For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

5) Crucifixion and Death of Jesus (John 19:25-30)

+Hail Mary full grace…
+For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

6)The Body of Jesus being taken from the Cross (Psalm 130; Luke 23:50-54; John 19:31-37)

+Hail Mary full grace…
+For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

7)The Burial of Jesus (Isaiah 53:8; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42; Mark 15:40-47)

+Hail Mary full grace…
+For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

In honor of Our Lady of Sorrows, today we can offer up some little sacrifice without complaining. We can also look up each of the seven sorrows of Mary in the Bible, meditate on it , and thank her for Her great love for us.

Peace in Christ,
Father Vincent Vuong Nguyen