Church marks the Seven Sorrows of Mary on September 15
The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, observed on September 15, recalls seven moments of suffering in the life of the Virgin Mary, from Simeon's prophecy to the burial of Jesus
The Church marks the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows on September 15. Not all Catholics are familiar with the devotion, which reveals a particular aspect of the spiritual life. Mary is presented as the perfect model of Christian prayer, a prayer marked by mystical union with Christ and conformity to the will of God.
According to The Catholic Herald, the Seven Sorrows of Mary teach that suffering is not necessarily a sign of distance from God. The word compassion literally means "to suffer with another." Mary's sorrows come from her love for Christ. As the Passion of her Son draws nearer, her suffering grows, the anguish of a mother whose heart is so united to her Son's that what wounds him wounds her too. In Mary, extraordinary suffering becomes a sign of an exceptional closeness to God.
The seven sorrows of Mary
The first sorrow is the prophecy of Simeon, who warns of the suffering and the contradiction that will mark her Son's mission. Mary understands that the happiness of her home in Nazareth will not last and that an immense loss lies ahead. The second, the flight into Egypt, forces the family to leave home knowing that mortal danger lies in wait.
The third sorrow is the loss of Jesus for three days. The anguish Mary and Joseph feel is the fear every parent knows. The fourth comes when Mary meets Jesus on the way to Calvary and sees her son beaten and humiliated, her heart breaking at the sight of Love itself suffering.
The fifth sorrow is the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Her grief cannot be described; her heart is crucified alongside her Son's. The sixth comes when the body of Jesus is taken down from the cross, a contrast between the tenderness with which she wrapped him at his birth and the lifeless body she now receives. The seventh is the burial of Jesus, when she must say goodbye to her son and give his body to the tomb.
Lessons for the faithful
The memorial is an occasion to learn from the heart of the Blessed Virgin. Devotion to the Seven Sorrows should not be limited to September 15, since the tradition of the Church offers ways of meditating on these mysteries throughout the year, such as the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows. Mary, who knows suffering intimately, wants to help each person carry their cross. Her greatness lies not in the absence of suffering but in her ability to remain turned toward God even in the midst of pain. The memorial recalls that closeness to God does not mean the absence of suffering, and that in this earthly life it is often the opposite.
