Seven Things We Can Learn From Our Lady of Sorrows
Our Lady of Sorrows has become a special devotion in my life. The feast day of Our Lady of Sorrows is September 15th, and I wanted to honor her with a blogpost. There's SO much to say about the depth of suffering that Mary endured while living her continual fiat to God's will for her and for her beloved Son. I want to share some things that I've learned from Mary's Seven Sorrows.
1. Prophecy of Simeon
Pictures of Our Lady of Sorrows show the seven swords that pierced her heart over Jesus' lifetime. The first of those swords came from the prophecy of Simeon, who tells Mary that her beloved infant will suffer and that her own heart will be pierced. Despite the fear and sorrow that Mary must have felt in that moment, she leaned into God and trusted.
We've all had moments when circumstances in life inject fear deep into our heart and we have the choice to turn to God or to self-protect and turn to our own "isms" to try and cope. (i.e. food, alcohol, scrolling, etc.) Unfortunately, I seem to be better at choosing the second option. But through Mary's example and God's grace I'm learning to trust God more and turn to Him first, or at least more quickly, when life sends those zingers that hurt my heart.
2. Flight Into Egypt
Mary left everything at a moment's notice after Joseph's dream that sent them fleeing to Egypt to save Jesus from Herod's wrath. I can imagine the fear and the deep loss they felt as The Holy Family left everything they knew and everything familiar. But Mary still trusted and continued to step out in faith, even as her life took an unchosen and unexpected path.
We can turn to her for consolation and to follow her example of having to create a life with less than ideal circumstances. Whether it's a move, a loss, a diagnosis, or some kind of trauma that leaves us in unfamiliar territory trying to piece together and create a "new normal", Mary understands when situations in our own life place us on a journey that we would not have chosen.
3. Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple
Mary's faith and calm in the midst of fear is an amazing example for us. Diligently searching for Jesus and filled with worry, Mary still leans into God. And when she finally finds Jesus, Mary is honest about her feelings without any emotional fit.(I can say with certainty that my reaction would have come with a side of "freak out".) But Mary brings everything to God and "kept all these things in her heart."(See Luke 2:51) That's what she encourages us to do. In hard moments we are meant to pour out all of our big emotions to God so that He can help us to see His perspective so that we can react in patience and love.
4. Meeting Jesus on the Road to Calvary
Mary teaches us to accompany those we love when they carry heavy crosses. Even though we can't take away their suffering, our prayerful presence can be the encouragement and comfort they so desperately need. Feeling as if we suffer alone makes any burden so much heavier. Maybe you can recall a time in your own life when a particular trial was lightened, even a small way, through another person's thoughtful words or a kind gesture? I know that I can. And while their action didn't take away all my pain, it did lessen the weight on my heart and let a little light shine into the darkness I was going through.
5. The Crucifixion
Mary gives us an example of unwavering faith as she stood at the foot of Jesus’ cross and watched her Son’s crucifixion. Mary did not despair, but continued to trust in God through her pain and tears. She held firm to God and His promise that He would never leave us or forsake us even when the circumstances she was facing could have convinced her otherwise.
We are given the gift of Mary's unwavering faith when we cling to God in tragic circumstances of this fallen world. When our lives fall apart, all we feel is darkness and brokenness, and yet we lean into God. Just like Mary.
6. Jesus is Taken Down From the Cross and Laid in Mary's Arms
In the midst of intense loss, Mary's eyes were only on her Son. Mary did not try to bury her pain or distract herself from the pain by railing at the soldiers or the crowd that desired her Son's death. Mary stayed in the moment and allowed herself to feel the deep grief piercing her heart. She continued to lay her heart before God and pour out all of her brokenness for Him to hold.
Mary reminds us that in times of great sadness and grief, it's important to pour our own hearts out to God. We aren't meant to stuff or ignore or rush through our hard feelings.
7. Jesus is Laid in the Tomb
This is my favorite Sorrow, although "favorite" seems like the wrong word to use when talking about Mary's deepest pain and suffering. But it's this Sorrow that gives me the greatest hope to cling to when I'm carrying unresolved brokenness and grief, because Mary never gave up hope as she walked away from the tomb. Despite the way it looked, the story didn't end when the stone was rolled in front of the tomb.
There was more.
There's always more. Even when we don't really believe it. Even when all we see before us is an ocean of brokenness and all we feel is pain and grief. That's not the end of our story. God is still working. He has a plan and His plan is good.
I pray that Mary keeps each and every one of us wrapped in her mantle, especially in times of suffering. Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us!
P.S. I was on a podcast!! It was such a great experience to be a guest on the Mourning Glory Podcast. We had a great conversation about Our Lady of Sorrows! I’m sharing the link here so you can take a listen!:)
https://www.mourningglorypodcast.com/episodes/s5e2ourladyofsorrowswithmichellehamel-9lsp467rr8ezxaa-8ahlm-ewm97-g5r26-3e7yr-mdygw
This is one of my favorite images of OLOS. You can find it on Etsy at Sanctified Souls!
(This post first appeared on Catholicmom.com:)