Our Lady of Sorrows, http://www.tribtimes.org
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William Zambrano MD
Sep 14, 2025, 4:16:49 PMSep 14
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(Luk 2:34-35) And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall and for the resurrection of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be contradicted. And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed.
SAINT POPE JOHN PAUL II: "Turn your eyes incessantly to the Blessed Virgin; she, who is the Mother of Sorrows and also the Mother of Consolation, can understand you completely and help you. Looking to her, praying to her, you will obtain that your tedium will become serenity, your anguish change into hope, and your grief into love."
CATHOLIC VOTE: ‘And your heart shall be pierced by a sword’: Why Catholics celebrate Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows
ARCHDIOCES OF SAN FRANCISCO: In times of sorrow, turn to Our Lady
FREEREPUBLIC: Charlie Kirk's widow waves with cross in hand as motorcade escorts his body
OPINION: Sorrow vs. sadness
We need to see to it that we manage to be with joy, the joy of Christ, especially when we encounter the unavoidable suffering in this life. Joy is actually what is proper to us. This is where the distinction between sadness and sorrow can be made.
St. Thomas Aquinas once said that “sadness is a vice caused by a disordered self-love, and this self-love is not a special vice, but the general root of the vices.” We need to distinguish it from sorrow which is a kind of low feeling over the loss of someone or something or over some negative and difficult conditions that we can have. But it’s a low feeling that does not take away the joy of being with Christ.
That is why there can still be joy in suffering, in the cross, if we only know how to be with Christ in those situations. This is when we can be in sorrow but not in sadness. The former still has joy while the latter has lost it. With Christ, and with Our Lady who fully identified herself with her son, we can manage to find meaning and the assurance of redemption, in suffering and all the way to death. We can still manage to have joy.
The challenge for us is how to be with Christ and with Our Lady whenever we encounter difficulties and other negative conditions in our life. Yes, we can find joy in suffering only if we identify ourselves with Christ. With him, suffering becomes an act of selfless love that can take on anything. With him, suffering loses its purely negative and painful character, and assumes the happy salvific character.
We need to process this truth of our faith thoroughly, always asking for God’s grace and training all our powers and faculties to adapt to this reality. That’s why Christ told us clearly that if we want to follow him, we simply have to deny ourselves, carry the cross, and follow him. There’s no other formula, given our wounded human condition.
MY CATHOLIC LIFE: Our Lady of Sorrows
Traditionally, the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows commemorates the seven sorrows in the Heart of Mary as recorded in Scripture:
As we honor the Blessed Mother’s Sorrowful Heart, it’s important to understand that a “sorrowful” heart is not the same as a “sad” heart. Theologically speaking, sadness results from a form of self-pity, or an unhealthy attachment to something that was lost. Sorrow, on the other hand, is one of the Beatitudes, and therefore one of the holiest qualities we can possess. “Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). To “mourn” is to have a sorrowful heart. In this context of the Beatitudes, a heart that mourns is a heart that loves. Mourning, or holy sorrow, results from a heart that witnesses sin and grieves over it. In the Blessed Mother’s case, she witnessed the brutal treatment of her Son, His rejection, suffering, and death. She did not despair as she witnessed this. She did not become angry. She did not succumb to confusion and frustration. She did not withdraw into herself in self-pity. Instead, she reacted with the empathetic love that flows from the holiest of hearts. She felt holy sorrow—not so much because she felt bad for her Son, but because she grieved over the sins that inflicted that suffering, and longed to see those sins redeemed.
"Have ANY Catholic Question? Just ask Ron Smith at: hfmin...@roadrunner.com
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September 15, 2025(Luk 2:34-35) And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall and for the resurrection of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be contradicted. And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed.
SAINT POPE JOHN PAUL II: "Turn your eyes incessantly to the Blessed Virgin; she, who is the Mother of Sorrows and also the Mother of Consolation, can understand you completely and help you. Looking to her, praying to her, you will obtain that your tedium will become serenity, your anguish change into hope, and your grief into love."
CATHOLIC VOTE: ‘And your heart shall be pierced by a sword’: Why Catholics celebrate Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows
ARCHDIOCES OF SAN FRANCISCO: In times of sorrow, turn to Our Lady
FREEREPUBLIC: Charlie Kirk's widow waves with cross in hand as motorcade escorts his body
OPINION: Sorrow vs. sadness
We need to see to it that we manage to be with joy, the joy of Christ, especially when we encounter the unavoidable suffering in this life. Joy is actually what is proper to us. This is where the distinction between sadness and sorrow can be made.
St. Thomas Aquinas once said that “sadness is a vice caused by a disordered self-love, and this self-love is not a special vice, but the general root of the vices.” We need to distinguish it from sorrow which is a kind of low feeling over the loss of someone or something or over some negative and difficult conditions that we can have. But it’s a low feeling that does not take away the joy of being with Christ.
That is why there can still be joy in suffering, in the cross, if we only know how to be with Christ in those situations. This is when we can be in sorrow but not in sadness. The former still has joy while the latter has lost it. With Christ, and with Our Lady who fully identified herself with her son, we can manage to find meaning and the assurance of redemption, in suffering and all the way to death. We can still manage to have joy.
The challenge for us is how to be with Christ and with Our Lady whenever we encounter difficulties and other negative conditions in our life. Yes, we can find joy in suffering only if we identify ourselves with Christ. With him, suffering becomes an act of selfless love that can take on anything. With him, suffering loses its purely negative and painful character, and assumes the happy salvific character.
We need to process this truth of our faith thoroughly, always asking for God’s grace and training all our powers and faculties to adapt to this reality. That’s why Christ told us clearly that if we want to follow him, we simply have to deny ourselves, carry the cross, and follow him. There’s no other formula, given our wounded human condition.
MY CATHOLIC LIFE: Our Lady of Sorrows
Traditionally, the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows commemorates the seven sorrows in the Heart of Mary as recorded in Scripture:
- The prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:33–35)
- The flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13–15)
- Loss of the Child Jesus for three days (Luke 2:41–50)
- Mary meets Jesus on His way to Calvary (Luke 23:27–31; John 19:17)
- Crucifixion and Death of Jesus (John 19:25–30)
- The body of Jesus being taken from the Cross (Luke 23:50–54; John 19:31–37)
- The burial of Jesus (Isaiah 53:8–9; Luke 23:50–56; John 19:38–42; Mark 15:40–47)
As we honor the Blessed Mother’s Sorrowful Heart, it’s important to understand that a “sorrowful” heart is not the same as a “sad” heart. Theologically speaking, sadness results from a form of self-pity, or an unhealthy attachment to something that was lost. Sorrow, on the other hand, is one of the Beatitudes, and therefore one of the holiest qualities we can possess. “Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). To “mourn” is to have a sorrowful heart. In this context of the Beatitudes, a heart that mourns is a heart that loves. Mourning, or holy sorrow, results from a heart that witnesses sin and grieves over it. In the Blessed Mother’s case, she witnessed the brutal treatment of her Son, His rejection, suffering, and death. She did not despair as she witnessed this. She did not become angry. She did not succumb to confusion and frustration. She did not withdraw into herself in self-pity. Instead, she reacted with the empathetic love that flows from the holiest of hearts. She felt holy sorrow—not so much because she felt bad for her Son, but because she grieved over the sins that inflicted that suffering, and longed to see those sins redeemed.
Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 3- "On Exile or Pilgrimage"
6. Detachment is excellent; but her mother is exile. Having become an exile for the Lord's sake, we should have no ties at all lest we seem to be roving in order to gratify our passions.Prayer request? Send an email to: PrayerR...@aol.com
"Have ANY Catholic Question? Just ask Ron Smith at: hfmin...@roadrunner.com
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