Catholic Diocese of Spokane, Washington

From the

Official News Magazine of the Diocese of Spokane

Spirituality:
Nine sorrows of Mary

by Father Michael Savelesky, for the Inland Register

(From the Sept. 30, 2004 edition of the Inland Register)

In no time at all the month of October will spring upon us in all its colorful glory. For those who follow a more secular measure of time, the pinch of cold nights and frosty windshields will be poignant reminders that the bite of winter is just around the corner. For those who are more of a liturgical bent, October represents the mere continuation of Ordinary Time, whose cadence will continue until the end of November. Seasoning the commonness of this time, the Church traditionally has embraced October as the Month of Mary.

Actually, a few days ago we had a sneak preview. In mid-September (Sept. 15, to be exact) the Roman calendar indicated a feast titled Our Lady of Sorrows. The historical development of this feast is rather convoluted. Despite the twists and turns which have given this particular feast its box of time on the Catholic calendar, the liturgical prayer of the day marks in unique fashion seven moments or events in Our Blessed Mother’s life which were real heart-breakers.

Ask most young Catholics today to identify the seven sorrows of Mary and one is likely to draw a blank look. The devotion seems not to be prominent in their consciousness. At least, that spacey stare of the unknown is what I encountered recently in making such an inquiry. After a quick explanation of the generic meaning of the feast and a little coaxing, the blank looks started to evidence a glimmer of Scriptural and liturgical awareness. An actual list started to take shape as Mary’s sorrows assumed recognizable form:

• The flight into Egypt, to save baby Jesus from the wrath of King Herod.
• Simeon’s piercing prophecy at the presentation of the infant Jesus in the temple.
• The search for the lost adolescent Jesus.
• The encounter between Jesus and his Mother during the Way of the Cross.
• The horrifying crucifixion of Jesus.
• The taking down of Jesus from the cross.
• The burial of Jesus.

One very insightful seventh grader from whose memory banks I was pulling these gems surprised me with a burst of enthusiasm and insight. She excitedly advised me that she would add a couple more.

“Why not include Mary’s heartbreak when she learned that Joseph, her betrothed, wanted to dump her” – the student’s phrase – “upon discovering that she was pregnant?”

Seeing my reaction to that recommendation, she quickly and with equal passion added a second: the death of Joseph.

This young lady showed impressive compassion and insight. She may not have known the formal list of the Seven Sorrows, but her additions certainly reflected a heart that was prepared to celebrate the feast.

In a sense, these seven sorrows reflect Mary’s personal Way of the Cross, the cross that she bore uniquely as the mother of the Savior of the world. In each of these moments of grief, her heart must have been pushed to the breaking point. They say that suffering strengthens character, but when is enough enough?!

What mother’s heart would not sicken with panic as she flees the evil hands of madness that threaten the very life of her child? How does a mother’s heart endure the news that the love of her life will occasion her own intense personal suffering? Who has not witnessed the absolute panic on the face of a mother in search of a lost child? How does a mother’s love respond to the bloodied face of the beaten son who is the victim of senseless hatred and violence? How does a mother helplessly watch as her totally innocent son dies on a tree like a common criminal? What dark night of the soul chills the soul of the mother whose dead, bloodied son droops limply from her embracing arms? And what does the by-stander say to a mother who stands in grieving silence at the grave of her own son?

From Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to Michelangelo, Rem-brandt and Gibson, Christians have tried through various artistic media to capture the anguish of the heart of Mary in these moments of intense personal grief. They all have fallen short because no one knows the full bitterness of such sorrow except the very one whose heart it pierces.

In all of the traditional seven sorrows of Mary – and the two insightful additions – Mary stands as an inspiring example of how a person of humble faith should respond to a bad experience. When bad things happen to good people, it is tempting to turn against God. How often have we known people who, having lost a loved one to this or that disease or tragedy, does not want to shake a fist at God? Some pained people refuse to ever pray again. Or how many people, having lost employment or having broken up with a friend or spouse, feels picked on by some Divine Power?

In times of intense personal sorrow and grief we all want answers. Since we live in a world characterized by cause-and-effect we want to blame, curse or get even with whomever or whatever has caused our grief.

Mary’s heart may have sought further understanding of her situation, but never does she blame, curse or seek vindication. In fact, the sense of presence and integrity she evidences in these times of profound sorrow is that of someone whose heart ponders the mystery (painful as it is) and is open to a broader horizon of vision than the pain of the moment. Turning details over and over again in her heart, Mary seeks not answers, but integration. These moments truly test her faith. They would test the faith of any of us – but she finds in God a source of strength. Her trust in Divine Province is without limit.

Bad things happen to all of us. And the more years we live, the longer the list of our grief and sorrow grows. We bear their scars in our hearts. In our immaturity and weak faith, perhaps we are tempted to lash out at God, push aside the caring neighbor, reject the Church and curse anyone who tries to counsel us to the contrary. Tough times are part and parcel of the human experience. Some of them are caused by truly sick people and tragic events. Others merely are the result of chaotic nature. When they happen, it feels like life’s security blanket has been yanked from our clutches and the very foundation of our being is held in question. It hurts!

At such times of intense personal suffering, the Church holds Mary before us as our model. Just as her Son, the Word of God incarnate, embraced the human condition to the full, so, too, she models for us how to look tragedy and hardship in the face and let God’s saving grace and love transform it into goodness and life.

(Father Savelesky is pastor of Assumption Parish in Spokane. His book, Catholics Believe, is available from Harcourt Religion Publishers.) (Download an order form in pdf format to print)

Inland Register archives

Home | Bishop | Communications | Parishes | Catholic Charities

© The Catholic Diocese of Spokane. All Rights Reserved

WEB CONTACT