The Seven Sorrows of Mary

August is the month devoted to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. I had every intention to write several posts about the Blessed Mother at that time but like most of my plans, they fell by the wayside. However, I reread some of my recent entries and Mama Mary does show up fairly often in the background. Her typical modus operandi is to pass by almost undetected, to never demand, only to point out, so I am not surprised.

Now September is upon us. Even as the summer winds down, or at least what passed for it up here, and the earth slows to a rest, it can also be a time of new beginnings. School starts again, parish activities resume (the public praying of the Rosary starts again next week!) and as we head indoors perhaps we are cracking open more serious books.

September is also the month dedicated to the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This year that seems more relevant than ever. Maybe you are feeling overwhelmed by everything. I am somewhat insulated from the stress as I have been at home after being laid off for almost 6 months but the isolation can get to me. As I write this, I am sitting in my favorite coffee shop so I can see and hear real live human beings. If I close my eyes, I can pretend I am a famous author writing outlines for my next bestseller, in a Parisian cafe. But I digress…

I’m more familiar with the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet so I had to do a little research regarding the Seven Sorrows of Mary. The sorrows are as follows; the prophecy of Simeon, the flight into Egypt, the Child Jesus lost in the temple, Mary meets Jesus carrying the cross, Mary at the foot of the cross, Mary receiving the body of Jesus, and Mary witnessing the burial of Jesus. You can read more about the Seven Sorrows by clicking HERE.

The Sorrow that especially resonates with me is the Fifth Sorrow. Mary is at the cross, watching her child suffer. Then Jesus tells John, and by extension, all of us, "Behold your mother.” Mary accepts her mission to become a spiritual mother to everyone at that moment. Mary is also our model as we nurture the divine life in others as their spiritual mother. St. Pope John Paul II wrote in his Letter to Women, that spiritual motherhood has “inestimable value for the development of individuals and the future of society.” It is a beautiful vocation.

There are times when I simply cannot relate to a sinless Virgin Mother with a perfect child, but a woman crying in anguish with swords in her heart, that has been familiar territory.