Our Blessed Mother is not alien to the feeling of loss. She knows sorrow, she understands pain, she is familiar to tragedy. That is why she is able to embrace all the sorrowing faithful and, with her own, lifts our tears to her Son.
Today, September 15, is the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. Just as Saint Bernard the Abbot proclaims, her deep faith did not necessarily mean she would not feel the pain caused by the loss of a loved one. In her sorrowful heart, we find dignity amid sadness, resilience amid frailty, and the affirmation of humanity without prejudice to hope in Divine mercy and salvation. This feast beckons us, therefore, to take consolation in the fact that we are not alone in our loneliness, that we are not abandoned in our bereavement. In this time of pandemic, may each of us be God’s reassuring presence to others. Pax et bonum!
Photo credit: MATER DOLOROSA, Pedro de Mena (ca. 1674-1685), from The Met Museum
