Stabat Mater...

~~~ Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows ~~~

~~~ Hebrews 5:7-9  ~~~ Psalm 101 ~~~ Luke 2:33-35 ~~~ 

Little did Mary know when the angel appeared before her 

that her life would be filled with so much pain and sorrow.

Unlike many of us, when the pain and suffering 

pierced her heart she did not cry out...'Why me?'

The precious words of the Stabat Mater says it all.

At the cross her station keeping,

Stood the mournful Mother weeping,

Close to Jesus to the last.

Through her heart, his sorrow sharing,

All his bitter anguish bearing,

Now at length the sword had passed.

Oh, how sad and sore distressed

Was that Mother highly blessed

Of the sole begotten One!

Christ above in torment hangs,

She beneath beholds the pangs

Of her dying, glorious Son.

Is there one who would not weep,

‘Whelmed in miseries so deep,

Christ’s dear Mother to behold?

We cannot pretend that her pain was not as real

 as any pain we have experienced

Mary was warned that a sword would pierce her heart.

A sword is long...a sword is sharp...

a sword pierces deep into the flesh...

a sword rips apart the skin...

a sword leaves a gaping wound...

a sword releases large amounts of blood...

a sword is capable of causing death.

Mary experienced all of this within her heart.

She carried within her heart all of the pain 

and sorrow inflicted upon her son, Jesus.

Mary remained true, loyal, strong, brave, and steadfast

 to loving her son until his very last breath.

The great sorrows of Mary teach us 

just how much love is able to endure.

Mary could have fled or gone into hiding in fear of her own life,

but we have no evidence in support of that theory.

O sweet Mother! font of love,

Touch my spirit from above,

Make my heart with yours accord.

Make me feel as you have felt;

Make my soul to glow and melt

With the love of Christ, my Lord.

Holy Mother, pierce me through,

In my heart each wound renew

Of my Savior crucified.

Let me share with you his pain,

Who for all our sins was slain,

Who for me in torments died.

Let me mingle tears with you,

Mourning him who mourned for me,

All the days that I may live.

By the cross with you to stay,

There with you to weep and pray,

Is all I ask of you to give.

Virgin of all virgins blest!

Listen to my fond request:

Let me share your grief divine.

Let me to my latest breath,

In my body bear the death

Of that dying Son of yours.

I invite you to pray the Stabat Mater today.

Let each verse fall upon your heart as if you were beside Mary.

Draw the strength you need from her

to make your own personal sorrowful journey.

We are Blessed to have the most caring, 

loving, and compassionate mother by our side.

Our Lady of Sorrows,

pray for us.

~~~Peace~~~

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~~~