Sept. 15, 2016: Our Lady of Sorrows (All School Mass)
Sept. 15, 2016: Our Lady of Sorrows (All School Mass)
Those of you who play sports know how many hours you prepare in practice in order to win a game. Many of our football players have spent hours in weightlifting, strength training, and running all summer long just to compete well at the game tomorrow. Have you ever thought about how God prepares each one of us for an important mission? Today we celebrate Blessed Mother’s feast day. In particular, we celebrate the sorrows of her life. It may sound strange, to celebrate sorrows; we are used to celebrating joyful moments. But sorrowful moments are also part of God’s way of preparing us.
From the very beginning, Blessed Mother was being prepared for one thing--to be at the foot of the cross of Calvary and to be given to us as our Mother. Every moment that she faced--both joyful and sorrowful--was preparation for that moment at Calvary. There she was given to us so that she could lead us to her Son.
At the Annunciation (when Blessed Mother learned she would be the mother of Jesus), the Visitation (when her cousin Elizabeth recognized her as the ‘mother of my Lord’), the Nativity (at the Birth of Jesus) and the finding of Jesus in the temple (when Jesus proclaimed that he must be in His father’s house), Blessed Mother grew to understand that her life was to play an important role in the life of Jesus. She celebrated the greatest joys of being a mother and wept over the deepest sorrows, and pondered it all in her heart.
Every moment of our earthly life, too, is a preparation for the moment when we stand at Calvary of our lives with Jesus and Blessed Mother. Such moments may be when we lose someone we love, when we go through a difficult trial, or prolonged illness. Blessed Mother is there with us, to encourage and comfort us. She invites us to stand with her Son at the cross. There underneath the cross is where the drops of grace flow from the pierced side of Jesus and renew us. We will learn at those moments how to invite others and lead them to Her Son on the cross.
Think of the particularly difficult challenge you face now. Can you see it as God’s preparation for you to be with His Son and Blessed Mother at Calvary? Can you see it as a way to grow closer to Jesus?
Those of you who play sports know how many hours you prepare in practice in order to win a game. Many of our football players have spent hours in weightlifting, strength training, and running all summer long just to compete well at the game tomorrow. Have you ever thought about how God prepares each one of us for an important mission? Today we celebrate Blessed Mother’s feast day. In particular, we celebrate the sorrows of her life. It may sound strange, to celebrate sorrows; we are used to celebrating joyful moments. But sorrowful moments are also part of God’s way of preparing us.
From the very beginning, Blessed Mother was being prepared for one thing--to be at the foot of the cross of Calvary and to be given to us as our Mother. Every moment that she faced--both joyful and sorrowful--was preparation for that moment at Calvary. There she was given to us so that she could lead us to her Son.
At the Annunciation (when Blessed Mother learned she would be the mother of Jesus), the Visitation (when her cousin Elizabeth recognized her as the ‘mother of my Lord’), the Nativity (at the Birth of Jesus) and the finding of Jesus in the temple (when Jesus proclaimed that he must be in His father’s house), Blessed Mother grew to understand that her life was to play an important role in the life of Jesus. She celebrated the greatest joys of being a mother and wept over the deepest sorrows, and pondered it all in her heart.
Every moment of our earthly life, too, is a preparation for the moment when we stand at Calvary of our lives with Jesus and Blessed Mother. Such moments may be when we lose someone we love, when we go through a difficult trial, or prolonged illness. Blessed Mother is there with us, to encourage and comfort us. She invites us to stand with her Son at the cross. There underneath the cross is where the drops of grace flow from the pierced side of Jesus and renew us. We will learn at those moments how to invite others and lead them to Her Son on the cross.
Think of the particularly difficult challenge you face now. Can you see it as God’s preparation for you to be with His Son and Blessed Mother at Calvary? Can you see it as a way to grow closer to Jesus?
