The Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa today celebrated the Commemoration of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Gospel
John 19: 25-27
Mary the mother of our Lord stood before the cross of her Son.
None of the Evangelists has told us this except John.
The others have related how that at our Lord's Passion the earth quaked, the heaven was overspread with darkness, the sun fled, the thief was taken into paradise after his confession.
John has told us, what the others have not, how that from the cross where He hung, He called to His mother.
He thought it a greater thing to show Him victorious over pain, fulfilling the offices of piety to His mother, than giving the kingdom of heaven and eternal life to the thief.
It was religious duty to give life to the thief,
A much richer work of devotion and love it is for a son to honor his mother with such affection.
Behold, He says, your son; behold your mother.
I have two suggestions on how we might examine ourselves on this day.
John 19: 25-27
Mary the mother of our Lord stood before the cross of her Son.
None of the Evangelists has told us this except John.
The others have related how that at our Lord's Passion the earth quaked, the heaven was overspread with darkness, the sun fled, the thief was taken into paradise after his confession.
John has told us, what the others have not, how that from the cross where He hung, He called to His mother.
He thought it a greater thing to show Him victorious over pain, fulfilling the offices of piety to His mother, than giving the kingdom of heaven and eternal life to the thief.
It was religious duty to give life to the thief,
A much richer work of devotion and love it is for a son to honor his mother with such affection.
Behold, He says, your son; behold your mother.
I have two suggestions on how we might examine ourselves on this day.
- Stand. There is much we cannot do, but we can behold the world’s suffering with the same reverence. Hold the world. Many people turn off the news because they feel powerless. Mary could not change reality, but she stood by his cross.
- Not just duty, but affection. We all have duties, but do we do it out of duty or out of affection.
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