A sword will pierce your own soul too
1 Timothy 3:14-16
John 19:25-27
The memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows is appropriately placed right after the feast of the Triumph of the Cross, because practically all the sorrows of Mary relate to the sufferings of her Son and his salvific work. The tears of Mary mix with the blood of Christ to bring us salvation. Her sorrows on account of her son began long before he attained the age of reason. They continued through his life and climaxed on Calvary. But they continue even in her glorified state because of the unrepentant souls steeped in sin and gliding into perdition.
There are two alternative gospel passages proposed for this day, describing two key moments of Mary sorrows. The account from John 19:25-27 recounts the scene of the cross. It is introduced with a caption: "Christ above in torments hangs; she beneath beholds the pangs of her dying glorious Son." The alternative gospel is the episode of the circumcision of Jesus when the old man told Mary: "you see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected - and a sword will pierce your own soul too..." The first reading alludes to the fact that besides to the documented moments of Jesus' sufferings - and consequent sorrow for Mary - there are many others we may not know about. The letter to the Hebrews states: "during his life on earth, Christ offered up prayers and entreaty, aloud and in silent tears..." How many silent tears of Mary do we know nothing about!
How did she feel when she and Joseph were told to free the land because the king sought to kill her child? When she learnt that many other innocent children had been massacred on account of her own? When Jesus taught in Nazareth and the people of her village wanted to try to throw him off the cliff at the end of the village? When she heard of the innumerable confrontations and plots of the Pharisees and Scribes against her son. There were also the post-resurrection sorrows of Mary when the persecution of the Church broke out and followers including the apostles began to be martyred.
We know that Mary is now assumed into heaven, and she is past the sufferings of this world. Yet like any other good mother she cannot remain unaffected by the plight of her children who suffer and who, through their own mistakes, fail to attain the salvation which her son procured for them. The question for us to ask ourselves is whether we have contributed and still contribute to the sorrows of Mary. And the challenge and petition we make through her intercession is that we may learn to bring her joy in place of sorrow, through our conversion and return to the life of grace.
