Homily Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows (2020) “Our Lady Weeps”
Homily Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows (2020) “Our Lady Weeps”
Whenever we have a major feast on the church calendar that concerns some aspect of the life of Jesus, we usually have a companion feast that reflects the experience of Blessed Virgin Mary. Yesterday we celebrated the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. Today, we commemorate the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.
The title, “Our Lady of Sorrows” is one of the many that the Blessed Virgin Mary carries. There are said to be seven sorrows Mary had that the faithful can meditate on. The last five have to do with the Passion of Christ starting with the moment Mary met Jesus on the road to calvary to the time she helped lay Jesus in his tomb.
The two sorrows that Mary experienced earlier in Jesus’ live might also provoke some fruitful reflection. The first of these sorrows is said to revolve around the experience of the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt. This story is related in the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus, Mary and Joseph fled the wrath of tyrannical King Harrod. How terrifying it must have been for Mary when she and her family ran for their lives into Egypt to live as refugees.
How many refugees are living around the world in squalid camps and makeshift dwellings. I was just watching a piece on the news this evening about the refugee camps in Northern Syria. COVID 19 is breaking out there which adds to the misery. We also could reflect on the people on the west coast who are being displaced from their homes because of wildfires and those who will be asked to evacuate in the face of Hurricane Sally.
The other sorrow of Mary concerns how she lost Jesus when he was twelve in Jerusalem. How many parents are missing a child in our world today? Children are kidnapped and trafficked or separated from parents because of armed conflict. How much parents agonize in such situations!
Mary understands and she is empathetic to all parents who are hurting because of death and loss.
Reflection Questions:
- Do I know someone who has had to flee their home in order to feel safe? Have I had that experience?
- Should a Catholic sympathize with refugees? Is an economic refugee a real refugee?
Dear Parishioners,
CARA, (The Center for Applied Research) recently did a survey of young Catholics to ask about their religious practice in light of the pandemic. We are all might be wondering about religious practice right now and whether things will be different after there is some sense of normalcy.
The bad news is that 36% of young Catholics have said they will be less likely to return to Mass after the epidemic is over. The good news is that 21% of young Catholics have said that their faith has been strengthened because of the events of the last six months. 71% said their faith is unchanged. Only 8% say their faith has weakened.
Many young Catholics have watched online religious services during the pandemic and many also say their prayer life is more active. What does all this mean?
We believe that faith questions become more prevalent in times of difficulty. If there is one positive that comes out of all we have been through, maybe it will be some religious awakening.
May Our Lady and all the Angels and Saints watch over you today.
Fr. Mark