SORROW INTO JOY
Today,
we celebrate the memorial of Mary, Our Lady, Mother of Sorrows. This
celebration seems ironic. Why would you celebrate when you are
sorrowful? The Gospel today is a picture of Mary with John and the other
women standing at the foot of the cross in Calvary. Why would Mary and
John celebrate at the cross? Because we know the Calvary event did not
end in tragedy.
In today’s celebration, Mary shows us the secret on how to turn our
sorrows into joys. When Simeon told her, “A sword will pierce through
your own soul also, so that thoughts of many hearts may be revealed”
(Luke 2:35), Mary pondered and prayed. When the boy Jesus was lost, Mary
kept it all in her heart. She prayed.
Mary was always praying. And because of this prayerful attitude, she
had an extraordinary peace, converting her sorrows into joy. In prayer,
even if you have problems, even if you are struggling, you will gain a
certain joy despite the sorrows. When Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth,
she prayed by joyfully singing the “Magnificat.”
We, Filipinos, express our joy through music. We manage to sing even if
we have problems. Fr. Horacio dela Costa, a Jesuit priest-historian,
identified music as one of the Filipino treasures.
As we honor Mary today as the Mother of Sorrows, let us be one with her
in realizing that our life is like a song. Sure, there may be days when
we feel down, sad and sorrowful. And yet we hope that the next day,
things will get better.
When you pray, you will find a certain unexplainable joy in life.
When you pray, you will find meaning in your suffering.
When you pray, you will see things fall into their proper perspective.
Mary, our Mother, Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us. Fr. Wen Amit, OCD
---------- REFLECTION QUESTION ----------
Recall your past sorrowful experiences. What turned them around that gave you hope and joy?
Our Lady of Sorrows, please intercede for me when I go through some sorrowful experiences in my life. Pray for me. Amen.
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