Her Pierced Heart

~~~  Our Lady of Sorrows ~~~
~~~ 1 Corinthians 11:17-26, 33 ~~~ Psalm 40 ~~~
~~~ John 19:25-27 or Luke 2:33-35 ~~~

Every mother knows their life will be punctuated with
joys and sorrows; Mary was no different.
As a mother you pray that the joys will be
greater than the sorrows.

The greatest sorrow for any mother is to survive
the death of one of her children.
In the Blessed Mother's case, her only child.
Mary was warned in the temple by Simeon
when Jesus was just an infant.

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

The language here is so brutally descriptive...a sword will pierce.
This sword which literally pierced the side of Jesus
would pierce the heart of his mother.
A mother can not separate herself from her child's suffering.
A mother would gladly change places with her child
 to spare him/her such pain and suffering.
Mary was not allowed to make such an exchange with her son.

Try to imagine the tears Mary must have cried as she
and Joseph carried their young son from the temple that solemn day.

For thirty-three years even the joy she experienced
was clouded by the words of the prophets.

Until the day comes when she finds herself
standing in the crowded street as her son passes by.
He is bloody and barely able to carry the heavy cross.

The Roman guards taunt him, call him names.
They strike his body with their leather whips;
her heart is over flowing with sorrow.

Each time you find yourself struck with sorrow turn to Our Lady.
She can give you comfort. She understands.
 She has had her heart helplessly pierced right before her face. 

Turn to Our Lady in times of sorrow she
can bring you peace.

She watched as her son, Jesus, surrendered his body
 without resistance until the last drop of blood
 flowed forth from his body.

She watched knowing that she would have to go
on living without her beloved Son.

She knew the great sorrow of accepting
 what she could not change.

Come to her in pray when you are facing sorrow.
She will give you the grace to move forward as she did.
She believed in her Son.
She believed in his message.
She believed he was sent by God
 to redeem the world.
She lived in the unfolding of the prophecy.
She lived with the piercing sword of sorrow
 deep within her heart.
We never need to be alone in times of sorrow, she is there with us.
May Our Lady of Sorrow, bless you with comfort.

~~~Peace~~~