Homily: Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows (John 19:25-27) “Mary Weeps for Us All”

There is a strong devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows in church life. The Sorrowful mother is a figure that most people can relate to. If we had a compassionate mother when we were young, we can identify Mary with them. If a woman has had sadness in their family life, they can also identify with Mary.

Mary is said to have seven sorrows in her life. Most of these sorrows revolve around the passion of our Lord. There are some that relate to Jesus’ childhood. There is one experience of Mary that a lot of women could identify strongly with in modern times. Right now, there are a lot of families who are migrants. People are being forced to move because of natural disasters, violence and economic necessity.

We remember how Mary and Joseph fled into Egypt after Jesus’ birth in the Gospel of Matthew. King Herad was murdering every male infant in Bethlehem. The holy family fled the violence, and they ended up in a foreign land until Herad died.

We can imagine the struggles that Mary had in Egypt. She did not speak the language. She had to adhere to customs that were not familiar to her. She was thrown in among strangers so it must have been a lonely time. She carried Jesus with her when she fled. How hard it must have been to provide for the needs of the infant Jesus while she was on the move.

Whenever we see a migrant family trying to cross the Mediterranean to the safety of Europe. When we see people huddled in temporary shelters because of wildfires and flooding we can imagine the faces of those affected as the faces of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

Woman throughout the world who are on the move can call out to the Blessed Virgin asking for assistance. We believe that Mary will be sympathetic to these cries for help and add her prayers to those that have already been uttered.

Reflection Questions:

1.    Have I seen people fleeing for their lives on the news? Where were they from?

2.   How would I feel if I had to leave my home in minutes? What would I take with me?

 Dear Parishioners,

           This Sunday is Catechetical Sunday. An important part of evangelization is the education of those interested in receiving the Sacraments of Initiation. People who are searching for a faith community come in all shapes and sizes. In the Catholic Church we always have a period of discernment and preparation. We need people who want to pass on their knowledge to the faith. We are fortunate to have a good number of parishioners who are interested in doing this.

          This Sunday we will bless those who will be catechists this year. This will be at our 9:15 a.m. Mass. Please come and show your support for our teachers. They are needed now more than ever.

          May Our Lady pray for peace in our violent world.

          Fr. Mark