Our Lady of Sorrows

Sorrow. It’s not a happy word. Most of us would rather do anything than feel sorrow, but it is central to the Paschal Mystery and our Catholic faith. Especially the sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 
 
So why am I talking about sorrow when most people would rather experience anything else? 
 
Well...Our Lady of Sorrows is following me. It’s true. She had been popping up in my life somewhat discreetly the past few months, but recently, it seems like she’s been everywhere. To preface, I have been praying the 7 Prayers of St. Bridget every day for a few months now, but it was only recently that I discovered that St. Bridget passed on the devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows! As Holy Week approached, I resolved to learn more about this title of Our Lady. As I finished up renewing my Marian Consecration (a process of furthering and deepening your relationship with Jesus through Mary) I remembered that there is a special rosary honoring the 7 Sorrows of Mary. On the day of my consecration, I bought myself a 7 Sorrows rosary (which has 7 Mysteries with 7 Hail Marys each) and prayed it for the first time. That same night, I cracked open a book that had been sitting on my bookshelf forever, only to have an Our Lady of Sorrows prayer card fall out of it. Less than a week later, a friend wrote me a letter telling me that his favorite title of Mary was...you guessed it...Our Lady of Sorrows. 
 
This past Holy Week, I felt Our Lady’s presence in a special way. Before, I had never truly pondered her unique role in the Passion. Watching the Passion of the Christ on Good Friday, however, I found myself especially moved by the portrayal of Mary. I felt intense compassion for her as she watched her only son be mocked, scourged, beaten, and killed for our sake. 
 
I’ve recently had to deal with a sad and difficult situation at home, in addition to various other crosses. I felt defeated and overwhelmed. But as I prayed the 7 Sorrows Rosary and reflected on the pains of Our Mother, I realized that Our Lady of Sorrows understands my struggles completely. It was only when Our Lady of Sorrows entered into my heart that I began to truly experience her intercession. After all, Mary procures incredible graces for the souls who are devoted to her as Our Lady of Sorrows. She promises to bring peace to their families, console them in their pains, defend them in their battles against the devil, and protect them at every instant of their lives. 
 
I saw that she has been with me every step of the way, allowing me to share in a small part of her suffering. It has been tragically beautiful to realize that Jesus wants us to unite our crosses not only to his own but to his Mother’s! After all, apart from Our Lord, she was the one who felt the pains of the Passion most acutely. She understands us more than we know and is always waiting for us to unite our sorrows to hers. So fly to her, and she will console you in whatever you are facing--I promise!
 
If you are interested in increasing your devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows, join us via Zoom every Monday and Thursday at 9pm for the 7 Sorrows Rosary: https://virginia.zoom.us/j/679525280
Meeting ID: 679-525-280