Sep 15 2020 Reflection
Tuesday 15 September 2020
First Reading: 1 COR 12:12-14, 27-31A
Responsorial Psalm:
We are his people: the sheep of his flock.
PS 10:1B-2, 3, 4, 5
Gospel Reading: JN 19:25-27
Today’s Note: Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
Gospel Reading:
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary Magdalene.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved
he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
Then he said to the disciple,
“Behold, your mother.”
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
Reflection:
Behold, your mother. (John 19:27)
Television shows and movies love to portray characters who experience great challenges and tragedies but who find a way to keep going and reach goals that seemed unimaginable. Stories like these can be very inspiring.
Today’s feast of Our Lady of Sorrows can connect with us in the same way. As a young woman, Mary agreed to be mother to the Son of God. From the moment she accepted this mission, she endured great hardship and sorrow but succeeded in fulfilling all that God had planned for her to do.
It’s hard to imagine how painful her experience must have been, especially as she watched her only son endure torture and the agony of crucifixion. After his death and resurrection, no one would have blamed her if she had decided to go back home to her relatives to rest and heal her wounded soul. But she didn’t do that. Instead, she stayed with the disciples. She was there when the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles at Pentecost, and she became a vital part of the new Church the Spirit brought to life.
Mary’s role after Jesus’ resurrection reflects Paul’s words in today’s first reading: “All the parts of the body, though many, are one body” (1 Corinthians 12:12). Each of us is an integral part of the body of Christ. We all have gifts and talents that build up the Church. But like Mary, we also experience times of pain, doubt, and suffering. Reflecting on Mary’s reaction to her sufferings can encourage us to stay close to the Lord through them all.
Mary encountered many sorrows, but she never stopped caring for the people around her, the people who would one day make up the Church.
Today, as we meditate on Mary as Our Lady of Sorrows, we can also honor her for continuing to say yes to God despite the difficulties she faced—and the difficulties that were still awaiting her. We can also make a commitment to imitate Mary while undergoing our own sufferings and continue to care for the people around us.
“Holy Mary, Mother of God, accompany me in my sufferings and help me be more like you.”
