In times of sorrow, turn to Our Lady
By Aaron Lambert
Sorrow is among the most uncomfortable of human emotions. It is also one of the chief emotions that defines what it is to be human. While most people do everything in their power to avoid sorrow at all costs, the reality is sorrow is an unavoidable part of the human experience. Sorrow is especially prevalent in today’s world and comes in many forms; depths of despair continue to rise, and whether one is experiencing grief, mental health struggles or a general loss of purpose, it is a difficult emotion to navigate through.
We need not fear sorrow, however; for Christ Himself plumbed the depths of human sorrow through His suffering on the cross. More than that, though, the Lord also granted that the Blessed Virgin Mary experience the sorrow of the cross such that she could be near to all who suffer and experience sorrow in a very tangible way.
September is an occasion to reflect more deeply on our response to suffering as we look to Mary’s example. The Church traditionally dedicates the month of September to Our Lady of Sorrows, a title given to Mary that recalls the deep sorrows she felt as she witnessed the passion and death of her Son, not only as His mother, but also as a co-redemptrix. The Church commemorates the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows each year on Sept. 15. The date jumped around the calendar over the centuries, but eventually found its modern date in 1913, when Pope Pius X moved it to Sept. 15, the day after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
Devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows dates all the way back to the 12th century and finds its roots in the prophecy of Simeon in the Gospel of Luke, when he tells Mary of the child Jesus: “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against, and a sword will pierce through your own soul also, that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed” (Lk 2:34-35). It originated with the Servite order, whose principal devotion was standing under the cross in imitation of Mary and prayerfully entering into her sorrows.
Traditional depictions of Our Lady of Sorrows show a sorrowful Mary with seven swords piercing her heart. Each sword represents one of the seven sorrows of Mary: The prophecy of Simeon, the flight into Egypt, the loss of the child Jesus for three days, Mary meeting Jesus on his way to Calvary, the crucifixion and death of Jesus, the body of Jesus being taken from the cross and the burial of Jesus.
Each of these seven moments from Mary’s life traverses the depths of human sorrow. Mary experienced intense grief and fear in her divinely appointed role as the mother of Jesus, but she never succumbed to the darkness. She united her Immaculate Heart to her Son’s Sacred Heart and constantly sought the strength to endure from God the Father. She suffered alongside her Son in a way that only a loving mother could and stood faithfully at the foot of the cross as Jesus died in the ultimate act of love.
Just like Our Lady of Sorrows, we too can stand at the foot of the cross with Jesus amid our own suffering and through the sufferings of others. Just as Mary’s presence was all Jesus needed while He did the hard work of salvation, so it is with us. No matter what sorrows life brings, Jesus knows them intimately, and through Him, Mary does too. By praying with the seven sorrows of Mary and allowing ourselves to enter more deeply into them, Our Lady of Sorrows can be a steadfast companion and comfort through the swords that pierce our own souls.
Many churches have been named in honor of Our Lady of Sorrows, including San Francisco’s own Mission Dolores Basilica on 16th St. and Dolores St., and by way of nickname, the old mission church of San Francisco de Asís, which is also the oldest surviving building in the city. Perhaps it’s a coincidence that a church named for Our Lady of Sorrows is one of the last remaining remnants from the founding of San Francisco, or perhaps it’s part of the Lord’s divine design. Whatever the case, during the month of September, and especially on Sept. 15, may we heed the words of Pope St. John Paul II as we seek Our Lady of Sorrows’ intercession and presence through the sorrows of our lives: “Turn your eyes incessantly to the Blessed Virgin; she, who is the Mother of Sorrows and also the Mother of Consolation, can understand you completely and help you. Looking to her, praying to her, you will obtain that your tedium will become serenity, your anguish change into hope, and your grief into love.”
Aaron Lambert is a writer from Denver.