Mater Dolorosa

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Friday, 15 September 2023 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the occasion of the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, which is very much tied with the celebration the day before of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Just as we remember the glory of the Cross of Our Lord and Saviour yesterday, in everything that He had done for our sake, in submitting most humbly to the will of His heavenly Father and bearing His Cross, therefore today we remember the one person who has always remained firm and committed in following her beloved Son, throughout all of His ministry and works, and even to the foot of the Cross, where He hung, suffering and dying for the salvation of the whole world. Mary, the Mother of Sorrows, had endured the worst that a mother would have to do, in seeing, witnessing and experiencing her own Son’s suffering and death.

In the very well-known art work, called the Pieta, crafted and made by the famous Michaelangelo, we see the figure of the sorrowful Mary, Mother of God, holding in her own hands the dead body of her beloved Son, after His mission had been accomplished and completed, as He gave up His Spirit and died on the Cross, to redeem all of mankind, by offering Himself as the perfect and most worthy sacrifice, an offering of His own Most Precious Body and Blood, to be offered and broken on the Altar of the Cross, as the Lamb of God, as well as our Eternal High Priest. Mary watched everything unfolding before her very own eyes, and we can only begin to imagine the kind of sorrow and heartache that she had to experience as she witnessed the sufferings and the trials faced by her Son.

That is why Mary, as Our Lady of Sorrows, has always been so attentive to all of us, having been entrusted with all of us as her own children, and she has become our own Mother, loving and caring for us, even from her heavenly abode. This is what we have heard in our Gospel passage today from the Gospel of St. John, when just before He gave up His Spirit, the Lord Jesus told St. John, His beloved disciple, to take care of His Mother, and then He also told Mary that St. John there was to be like her own son, which was actually a symbolic entrustment of Mary to all of us, represented by St. John, to be our own loving mother. Mary has always therefore loved us all just as how she has loved her Son throughout all of His life in this world.

Why is that, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is because Mary herself had witnessed what any mothers should not have seen and witnessed, seeing her own Son’s death, and not just any death, but death in the most humiliating, painful and terrible way, and all of those things happened because her Son willingly took upon Himself all the punishments and consequences that were meant for us, to save us all from the sins and wickedness that we have committed, that we do not end up in eternal damnation in hell, by our disobedience, sins and evils. Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, have shown us all the perfect example of obedience, as we heard in our first reading today, from the Epistle to the Hebrews, that He would become for us, the Source of eternal salvation and life.

Each and every one of us, the children of mankind, have been subjected to sin and death by our disobedience against God, through our refusal to obey God, His Law and commandments. And if not for the enduring and persistent love which God has always shown us, we would have been condemned to an eternity of sufferings and pain, an eternal death in hell, in which we are forever separated from God and His love. But that is not what the Lord wanted to happen to us, because He Who had created us with love, and out of love, wants us to be reconciled with Him once again, and to experience the power of His mercy and forgiveness. Otherwise, if He had not done so, and if He has not intervened through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour we would have been cast out into the eternal darkness and hell, to suffer the whole consequences of our sins and evils.

Thus, Mary, who has experienced the sufferings and struggles that her Son had to endure in saving us from the depth of our wickedness and sins, certainly does not want any of us to suffer the destruction that we have been going towards, especially because her Son had suffered so that we may have new life and hope through Him. That is why Mary kept on interceding for us, guiding and helping us on our way, as she does not want us, her beloved children, to be lost to her, and she still wants us to be reunited with her and her Son, Our Lord and Saviour. That is why, Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, had made so many apparitions, appearances meant to help remind us mankind to turn away from our sins and wickedness, a common theme of her apparitions, and that we should embrace the Lord and His merciful love once again.

That is why, the phrase of ‘to Jesus through Mary’ is indeed very popular and appropriate, reminding us how Mary is indeed the very sure path for us to follow in our desire to seek the Lord and the redemption in Him. Her great faith and dedication to God, her commitment to the mission and the path that has been entrusted to her are great examples for all of us to follow in our own lives, so that in everything that we do and say, in our every actions and interactions in life, we will always glorify God, and that we will always be obedient to Him and His Law, His commandments and path, in doing what He has called and entrusted to us to do. Let us all no longer be subjected to the tyranny and dominion of sin, evil and death, after everything that the Lord had done for us.

Let us all remind ourselves and one another of the great and ever enduring love which God has for us, and how His blessed Mother, Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, who is also our loving mother, have always loved us and watched over us. Let us all appreciate just how fortunate we are to have been beloved in such a manner, and we should always ever be thankful for all the blessings and love, the grace that we have received from God and His most generous mercy. May the Lord, and His blessed mother, Our Lady of Sorrows, continue to help us in our journey of faith towards the Throne of God’s love and mercy. May God bless us all in our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 15 September 2023 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 19 : 25-27

At that time, near the cross of Jesus stood His mother, His mother’s sister Mary, who was the wife of Cleophas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw the mother, and the disciple whom He loved, He said to the mother, “Woman, this is your son.”

Then He said to the disciple, “This is your mother.” And from that moment the disciple took her to his own home.

Alternative reading

Luke 2 : 33-35

At that time, the father and mother of Jesus wondered at what was said about the Child. Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary, His mother, “Know this : your Son is a Sign; a Sign established for the falling and rising of many in Israel, a Sign of contradiction; and a sword will pierce your own soul, so that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed.”

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Friday, 15 September 2023 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 30 : 2-3a, 3bc-4, 5-6, 15-16, 20

In You, o YHVH, I take refuge, may I never be disgraced; deliver me in Your justice. Give heed to my plea, and make haste to rescue me.

Be a Rock of refuge for me, a Fortress for my safety. For You are my Rock and my Stronghold, lead me for Your Name’s sake.

Free me from the snare that they have set for me. Indeed You are my Protector. Into Your hands I commend my spirit; You have redeemed me, o YHVH, faithful God.

But I put my trust in You, o YHVH, I said : “You are my God.” My days are in Your hand. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, from those after my skin.

How great is the goodness which You have stored for those who fear You, which You show, for all to see, to those who take refuge in You!

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Friday, 15 September 2023 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Hebrews 5 : 7-9

Christ, in the days of His mortal life, offered His sacrifice with tears and cries. He prayed to Him, Who could save Him from death, and He was heard, because of His humble submission. Although He was Son, He learnt, through suffering, what obedience was, and, once made perfect, He became the Source of eternal salvation, for those who obey Him.

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Saturday, 15 September 2018 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day, the day after we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation and the Triumph of the Holy Cross, we commemorate the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. On this day we remember the sorrow, anguish and pain which Mary, the Mother of God and Our Lord Jesus Christ experienced, when she saw her beloved Son suffering the pain of the crucifixion.

We can just imagine the greatness of the sorrow and anguish she experienced as a mother, who had to see her own Son suffering, and dying on the Cross. This is especially coming from a mother who is exceptionally loving towards her Son, having been the one who raised Him up and protected Him throughout life, and who journeyed with Him throughout the years of His ministry among the people of God.

She saw how her Son obediently followed the will of God, His Father, in taking up humbly, all the sins of mankind, as what He has been sent into the world for, and by taking all of those sins upon Himself, He let Himself be humbled, be humiliated and stripped off completely of any glory, privileges, and even basic human dignity, as He was tortured and spat upon by the people and those who have condemned Him to death.

This is what the prophet Simeon had spoken, in one of our two possible Gospel passages today, when he spoke to Mary, about the heart of Mary that would be pierced by a sword, to show the extent of pain and anguish she would suffer, in seeing her own Son suffering to such an extent. The sorrow which Mary felt must indeed have been very great. And yet, she remained true to her commitment to God, and in her love for her Son.

Most importantly, Mary has seen the suffering that her Son suffered, the sufferings that were intended for each one of us sinners. And this is why, we have seen many Marian apparitions throughout many centuries, especially at times when we mankind are undergoing periods of troubles, wickedness and evil. Mary appeared to us, as a loving mother who is concerned with our actions and our sins, our lack of faith and our apparent path towards damnation.

Why is that so? That is because, as we heard in the Gospel passage today taken from the account of the crucifixion by St. John, we heard how the Lord Jesus entrusted His mother Mary to the disciple He loved, that is St. John himself, and then also entrusted St. John to Mary, His mother, that she might be his mother and that he might be like her own son. In this way, the Lord has actually entrusted her to all of us mankind, to be our mother, and vice versa, that all of us have been entrusted to her as her own children.

You can imagine the kind of sorrow that Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows has experienced, when she saw all the sins that we continue to commit in our lives, all the actions lacking in faith and in all the vile deeds and wicked words we uttered, even among us all who have been considered as members of God’s Church, as baptised Christians. Many of us have not lived in accordance with what God has called us all to be, and our attention, heart and mind have not yet been centred on God.

Unless something is done, many of us, through our sins, are on our way to eternal damnation, because of all the good things and deeds which we have been told to do, and which are indeed our obligations as Christians, and yet which we have failed to do. Many of us have sought not true satisfaction in God, but rather the entertainment and the merrymaking ways of the world, seeking to satisfy the pleasures and desires of our flesh and bodies, and in how we ignore the plight of those who are crying out for justice and for our help.

In this context, how can Mary then stay silent in the midst of all these things that happened? How we mankind treated one another with contempt, with hatred, with jealousy, with ignorance of the sanctity of human life, when we cause suffering upon others, and even loss of life, just so that we might get what we wanted and satisfy our greed and pride? That was why Mary made her appearance at Fatima in Portugal, during the height of the First World War, calling for the conversion of mankind, and for them to turn away from their sinful ways.

She knows that if nothing was done for them, and they continued to walk down the path of sin, then what lies in the end will surely be the pain and eternal suffering in hell, when because of their sins, there would be those who encounter downfall into that state of eternal despair and rejection by God. As a mother, she cannot bear to see us suffer in the same manner as that of her Son, and therefore, she continues to pray for us, to guide us to the right path, to follow her Son, and find our way to salvation in Him.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, as those whom the Mother of God herself has considered as her own children, are we then so insolent and ungrateful, so as to make our dear mother even more saddened by our actions and wicked deeds? If we truly love God, we will also love His mother, and vice versa, and how do we love God and His mother Mary? It is by genuine conversion of heart and renewed commitment to live and serve the Lord at all times.

Let us all repent from all of our wicked ways and turn away from all the sins which we have committed in life thus far. Let us all have faith in God, and let us all grow to love Him more and more, and draw ever closer to Him, with each and every passing moments. May the Lord bless us all, and may He continue to guide us all through life. O Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us sinners always, that we will no longer add more sorrows to your grieving heart, through our conversion of hearts. Amen.

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Saturday, 15 September 2018 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 19 : 25-27

At that time, near the cross of Jesus stood His mother, His mother’s sister Mary, who was the wife of Cleophas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw the mother, and the disciple whom He loved, He said to the mother, “Woman, this is your son.”

Then He said to the disciple, “This is your mother.” And from that moment the disciple took her to his own home.

Alternative reading

Luke 2 : 33-35

At that time, the father and mother of Jesus wondered at what was said about the Child. Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary, His mother, “Know this : your Son is a Sign; a Sign established for the falling and rising of many in Israel, a Sign of contradiction; and a sword will pierce your own soul, so that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed.”

by

Saturday, 15 September 2018 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 30 : 2-3a, 3bc-4, 5-6, 15-16, 20

In You, o YHVH, I take refuge, may I never be disgraced; deliver me in Your justice. Give heed to my plea, and make haste to rescue me.

Be a Rock of refuge for me, a Fortress for my safety. For You are my Rock and my Stronghold, lead me for Your Name’s sake.

Free me from the snare that they have set for me. Indeed You are my Protector. Into Your hands I commend my spirit; You have redeemed me, o YHVH, faithful God.

But I put my trust in You, o YHVH, I said : “You are my God.” My days are in Your hand. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, from those after my skin.

How great is the goodness which You have stored for those who fear You, which You show, for all to see, to those who take refuge in You!

by

Saturday, 15 September 2018 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Hebrews 5 : 7-9

Christ, in the days of His mortal life, offered His sacrifice with tears and cries. He prayed to Him, Who could save Him from death, and He was heard, because of His humble submission. Although He was Son, He learnt, through suffering, what obedience was, and, once made perfect, He became the Source of eternal salvation, for those who obey Him.