The Sorrows of Mary

Yesterday we celebrate the Triumph of the Cross and today, September 15 we honor Mary, “Our Lady of Sorrows.” Mary stood at the bottom of the cross as her son was dying and suffered along with him. I can only imagine the sorrow she felt and I know that anyone who has watched a child suffer and even die would know how Mary felt in those final hours of Jesus’ life. Her faith sustained her through it all and she knew that he would be reunited with her for all of eternity.

In “Take Me Home Too” I discovered that “dolors” is an old word for sorrows so today (Sept. 15) is the name-day of those named Delores. “Today we remember the seven dolors of Mary: 1. Hearing the prophecy of Simeon that a ‘sword of sorrow’ would open her heart.’
@. Fleeing into Egypt with her family to escape King Herod’s plot to murder her baby.
3. Losing the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple in Jerusalem.
4. Seeing Jesus carry his cross.
5. Witnessing the death of Jesus, when the sun wen dark and the earth itself shook with sorrow.
6. Receiving Jesus’ dead body in her arms.
7. Burying the body of Jesus in the earth.” (1)
These sorrows could be the sorrows of each of us who follow Jesus. We are called to open our hearts to Jesus and live our faith according to the gospel. Sometimes that means losing what we love the most with the faith that Jesus is with us and will carry us through our sorrow. That may mean giving witness to and suffering like Mary the Mother of Jesus. We need to remember that in the suffering there is certain hope of resurrection as we embrace and then bury those we love who have died.

One of the flowers that is abundant in September is the gladiola, which derives its name from the Latin word for sword, gladius, if you look closely the flower has sword shaped leaves. So if you have gladiolas in your garden or access through a friend, floral shop or farmer’s market use the flowers next to your cross today just as you may have used basil or herbs yesterday. To do this is remembering Simeon’s words to Mary that a
“sword of sorrow” would open her heart.