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15th Sep 

Feast of Mother of Sorrows

READ: (Heb 5:7-9; Jn 19:25-27)

REFLECT: Accept and Share the sorrows, Experience God’s Compassion

Dear friends, today we celebrate the feast of Mother of Sorrows which is one of many titles the Catholic Church has giving in venerating the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus. The title makes us understand the unity of the mother to her suffering son, sacrificing himself to give us new life. So Mother Mary remains firm and faithful in spite of all sorrows as she walked along with Jesus in his mission as Redeemer of the human race. The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows grew in popularity in the 12th century, although under various titles. Some writings would place its roots in the eleventh century, especially among the Benedictine monks.

The Missionaries of St. Francis De Sales have special devotion to Mary Mother of Sorrows, because our Patron St. Francis De Sales and our Founder Fr. Peter Marie Mermier had a special devotion and reverence to Mary Mother of Sorrows. All the more, Mary Mother of Sorrows is the Patroness of MSFS Congregation. It was on 2oth July 1835, Fr. Mermier requested Bishop Rey to obtain permission from Rome to bless the scapular of our Lady of Compassion. On 19th April 1843, Fr. Mermier instructed the confreres at Notre Dame de la Gorge to conduct devotions in honor of our Lady of Compassion every Friday.

It is also said that Fr Mermier had personal devotion to Mother of Compassion and had an altar dedicated to her in the chapel of La Feuillette. Every day he used to visit the altar and pray to Mother of Compassion. Fr Mermier considered the devotion to Mother of Compassion as one of the integral expressions of Salesian spirituality. Fr Mermier recalls the fervor with which St Francis de Sales gives insights into the compassionate Mother in the Treatise on the Love of God as she stood at the foot of the Cross on Calvary, the Mount of Lovers. It shows how Mary Mother of Sorrows is important to MSFS Congregation. So based on the liturgy of the word and day, I would like to share with you three points of reflection.

1. Accept sorrows as part of Life

As human beings, reaction to sorrows and suffering, when one is not prepared for or when it’s unreasonable is quite acceptable, because, we are not responsible for unreasonable and unexpected sorrows and sufferings. We tend to react and become quite unhappy and don’t tolerate at times. But Mary our Mother acted on the sorrows and sufferings quite differently i.e., accepting sorrows as part of life just as we accept joys as part of life. Traditionally the Catholic Church presents before us seven sorrows of our Lady. The seven sorrows of our dear mother depict how she accepted sorrows as part of life. There was never a complain, a grumbling, a runaway feel, a despair or distress. Mother Mary accepted sorrows as part of life and fulfilled the plan of God.

Most of the times, we can overcome sorrows and sufferings of life, if we could only accept them as part of life, even if it is not meant or expected to go through. Giving into reactions and becoming sorrowful of the sorrows and sufferings would make us and the situation worse than ever and we lose happiness for no reason at all or we won’t be able to enjoy the pleasures of life that awaits us from God out of His bounty and goodwill. So like Mother Mary if we accept the sorrows and suffering, we will be able to enjoy every minute the blessings and graces of God in store for us.

2. Share in the sorrows of the other

It is said, when you share the joys of others your joy is doubled and when you share in the sorrows of the other, your sorrows too is reduced the double fold. That’s the power of sharing our joys and sorrows. Most of us are happy to share in the joy of the other, but sorrows, we try not to share or keep it to oneself and suffer with it or just ignore. But Mary dear mother shares in the sufferings of the other. Although it was a plan of God that Jesus should suffer, die and rise again, yet we see Mother Mary suffers with Jesus as he undergoes pain and suffering in the divine redemptive act of each one of us. In fact, Mother Mary shares in the sufferings of Jesus very specially at the foot of the cross (Jn 19: 25-27) to fulfill the divine plan of God.

I feel there are another two important episodes in the bible that we can refer to, where Mother Mary shared the sufferings of the suffering humanity; the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth (Lk 1: 39-56) and the feast at wedding at Cana (Jn 2: 1-12). Mother Mary visits Elizabeth during her pregnancy to assist her although Mary too was conceiving. She shares with Elizabeth her cousin, the sorrows in times of her conception of John the Baptist. Secondly at wedding feast at Cana, the wine is run shortage; she feels the shame and suffering of the wedding as hers and so requests Jesus to help them out. We know what happened.

This was the first miracle of Jesus and the tastiest wine they never drank earlier in Cana. She shares in the pains of the other and makes them joyful. So we have a divine mother, who is an example for all of us to share in the sufferings of humanity on earth. Most of us like to be onlookers in the sorrows of the others than the partakers or sharers of suffering humanity. We feel sometimes that I am not able to put up with my own sorrows and why me someone else’s sorrow. Let us realize that whether we share our sorrows to the others or share in their sorrow, there will always be a benefit and blessing from God.

3. Experience the compassion of God:

It is an undeniable fact that Mother Mary experienced sorrows and sufferings in her life from the time of annunciation till death of Jesus on the cross and thereafter feeling the loss of Jesus and she even shared in the sorrows and sufferings of Christ and others in the redemptive plan of God.

The Latin root for the word compassion is from compassio derived from the verb compati, which literally means to suffer with. pati, which means to suffer, and the prefix com means with. The act of suffering with another person brings compassion beyond sympathy into the realm of empathy. However, compassion has a higher and greater meaning. Yes, compassion is more than a mere feeling of sympathy and empathy. If Mother Mary had sorrows, suffered for or suffered with, be for sure that it is by the compassion of God she could endure her sorrows and sufferings.

The words uttered by God through the mouth of Angel at the time of annunciation were a all time echo in the hearts and minds of Mary, “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you,” (Lk 1:28) and “Do not fear Mary, for God has looked kindly upon you,” (Lk 1:30). Yes, the presence of God with Mary and a kind look of God was a source of strength and grace. The compassion of God was always felt by Mary and so Mother Mary was able to overcome the sufferings and sorrows so easily and joyfully. As Pope Francis pointing out to Mary at the foot of the cross shares “Here is the proof of true compassion: to remain standing beneath the Cross. To stand there weeping, yet with the faith she knows that, in her Son, God transfigures pain and suffering and triumphs over death.” Yes God’s accompaniment and compassion was a source of strength to endure the sorrows in the life of Mother Mary. Similarly, if we have faith in the compassion of God in our lives or pray for the compassion of God to fill us, we will be able to overcome our daily sorrows of life. May God grant us this grace.

RESPOND:

Do I accept sorrows and suffering as part of life or only joys as part of life?

Do I share in the suffering of the other like Mary?

Do I feel the compassion of God in life or do I seek the compassion of God to endure sorrows of life?

Let us accept the sufferings as part of life, share in the sorrows of the other and have with the us compassion of God to be empowered to endure the sorrows of life. Amen.

“Love at the foot of the cross, brought that immaculate bride to the supreme sorrows of death. It was only fitting, therefore, that death should afford her, at the last, paramount delights of love.” (St. Francis De Sales, TLG, Bk.7, Chap-14, p. 246)

God Bless you all… Wish you a happy Feast of Mother of Sorrows

Live Jesus!

Fr. Ramesh George  MSFS