Jn19:25-27
Traditionally, the Church identifies seven great sorrows of the Blessed Mother, namely: (a) the Prophecy of Simeon, (b) the flight into Egypt, (c) Jesus being lost in Jerusalem, (d) the meeting of Mary and Jesus on the way to Calvary, )e) the Crucifixion, (f) the taking down of Jesus’ body from the Cross, and (g) Jesus’ burial. The devotion to the Lady of Sorrows goes back to the Middle Ages. It was promoted by the Servite Order and was approved officially by Pope Pius VII in 1815. Devotees use special prayer beads to meditate on the sorrows of Mary. The beads are divided into seven sections. Each section has an image depicting the sorrow which is followed by seven beads. On each bead devotees pray the “Hail Mary”. Like the mysteries of the rosary, the sorrows of Mary are to be prayed meditatively.
The sorrows of our Lady are memories of her great love, courage, fidelity and steadfastness. She accompanied Jesus in his moments of pain, rejection, betrayal and abandonment. During the darkest hours in Calvary, Mary stood at the foot of the cross while most of the disciples fled in fear. My own mother used to say that the pain of a child often is experienced by the mother twice as much. One could only imagine how painful it was for the Blessed Mother to watch her Son hung on the cross and die a shameful and agonizing death. She couldn’t do anything to save him, but she remained and endured all in order to let her Son know how much she loved him.
By meditating on the sorrows of the Blessed Mother, we are reminded of the supreme value of suffering with another person. Shared grief is half the sorrow, old people would say. The Blessed Mother teaches us that standing with another person in times of extreme danger and great difficulty is an expression of compassion and solidarity, and in that simple act, one provides support and comfort to the suffering other. At the foot of the Cross, Mary did not say a word, but her presence was worth a thousand words of love and affection for Jesus.
