Daily Reflection Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows

Other than Luke’s infancy narrative, the Blessed Mother appears in the gospels surprisingly few times. She is, of course, in Matthew’s infancy narrative but more like an ancillary character. She never says a word there, but that is also true of St. Joseph. But that whole story is focused entirely on St. Joseph. However, with both of them, it is as though things simply happen to them. They don’t exactly play a role except for Joseph’s obedience. The only other time the Blessed Mother is mentioned by name in Matthew is at Jesus’ visit to his home town Nazareth. That is the only time she is spoken of at all in Mark. Also in Matthew, Mary (but spoken of as, “Your mother”) comes with his family seeking to see Jesus in 12:46-47, the passage where Jesus responds to the messenger by asking, “Who is my mother?”

In John, she famously is with Jesus at the wedding feast in Cana where it seems she is the one who persuades him to begin his public ministry (“Do whatever he tells you.”). She is not seen or heard from again in John until at the crucifixion where he tells his Beloved Mother, “Behold your son,” and to the disciple, “Behold your mother,” (thus giving Mary to the Church as our mother). This is the first of two gospel passages we are given as options on this feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. Incidentally, only John’s gospel specifically tells us that Mary was at the cross. But we must indeed ask, where else would she have been?

Even though we know so little of her (virtually all of it from Luke), the Church rightly celebrates the Blessed Mother in a way that it celebrates no other person other than her son. Not John the Baptist, not Peter, not Joseph, not even Abraham or Moses or Elijah. No one. She is at the center of the great mystery of the Incarnation and thus at the very center of our salvation history. She was the very reason that, as John put it, “The Word became flesh.” In many ways she also sacrificed as did her son, although, of course, not in the same fulness for Mary’s great honor is always based on who her only son is. But that sacrifice is reflected in Simeon’s prophecy to her, “And a sword shall pierce your own soul too!” It is also reflected during the finding in the temple, when after three days Mary heard Jesus ask her, “Why did you search for me?” 

When we contemplate Our Lady of Sorrows then, let us be mindful of any moaning and groaning we may have done when things happened to us that we found painful. God will forgive of, of course, but who are we to complain?