His mother stood by the cross
OUR MOTHER OF SORROWS
Principal Patroness of our Passionist Congregation
Feast: September 15
His mother stood by the cross
The martyrdom of the Virgin
is set forth both in the prophecy of Simeon and in the actual story of our
Lord’s passion. The holy old man said of the infant Jesus:
He has been established as a sign which will be contradicted. He went
on to say to Mary: And your own heart will be pierced by a sword.
Truly, O blessed Mother, a sword has pierced your heart. For only by passing
through your heart could the sword enter the flesh of your Son. Indeed,
after your Jesus – who belongs to everyone, but is especially yours – gave up
his life, the cruel spear, which was not withheld from his lifeless body, tore
open his side. Clearly it did not touch his soul and could not harm
him, but it did pierce your heart. For surely his soul was no longer
there, but yours could not be torn away. Thus the violence of sorrow
has cut through your heart, and we rightly call you more than martyr, since the
effect of compassion in you has gone beyond the endurance of physical suffering.
Or were those words, Woman, behold your Son,
not more than a word to you, truly piercing your heart, cutting through to the
division between soul and spirit? What an exchange! John is given to you
in place of Jesus, the servant in place of the Lord, the disciple in place of
the master; the son of Zebedee replaces the Son of God, a mere man replaces God
himself. How could these words not pierce your most loving heart, when the mere
remembrance of them breaks ours, heart
s of iron and stone though they are!
Do not be surprised, brothers, that Mary is said to be a martyr in spirit. Let
him be surprised who does not remember the words of Paul, that one of the
greatest crimes of the Gentiles was that they were without love. That was
far from the heart of Mary; let it be far from her servants.
Perhaps someone will say: “Had she not known before that he would not die?”
Undoubtedly. “Did she not expect him
to rise again at once?” Surely. “ And still
she grieved over her crucified Son?” Intensely.
Who are you and what is the source of your wisdom that you are more surprised at
the compassion of Mary than at the passion of Mary’s Son? For if he could
die in body, could she not die with him in spirit? He died in body
through a love greater than anyone had known.
She died in spirit through a love unlike any other since his.
Reading from Liturgy of the Hours Office of Readings: A sermon of St Bernard
Pray.................The Liturgy of the Hours
Read more.......Seven Dolors of Our Lady
