Mary, Sorrowful Mother
- Dec 15, 2020
- 2 min read
November 13, 2020
For the first time I understood more clearly the devotion of the Sorrowful Mother - the reality of Mary's pierced heart. Today it was not just some pious Catholic devotion or a beautiful masterpiece by Michelangelo. I ran to her as instinctively as I ran to my natural mother in my suffering.
My brother called and didn't know what to say. How would he? What do you say to your sister who's son just died unexpectedly like this? I told him it was ok and talked about what I knew of what happened, which wasn't much. I cried and he stayed on the phone with love and concern. He was as shocked as the rest of us.
Then he told me something that brought me great comfort. He told me that when he experienced sudden loss of young relatives on my sister-in-laws side of the family, that the Rosary helped him when nothing else did. I didn't even know he knew what the Rosary was. I let him know that I prayed the Rosary every day and that I had already gone to Mother Mary because she knows what it's like to lose a son. We shared the loss of our sons together and I saw the spiritual aspects of what happened.
I began to really reflect on the seven swords that pierced her heart - amazing actually since I couldn't think clearly on anything else.
St. Simeon's Prophecy: that a sword would pierce her own heart
The Flight into Egypt
The Loss of Jesus in the Temple
Meeting Jesus on the Way to Calvary
The Crucifixion & Death of Jesus
The Piercing of the Side of Jesus & His descent from the Cross
The Burial of Jesus
By now condolences, love and prayers were pouring in to our family from everywhere and I was touched, but weirdly removed. I spoke with Mark's father, a few of his aunts and the mother of Mark's 2 month old son, Mark Jr.. All shocked, tearful and broken. When will this nightmare be over? Meanwhile, Jill's words continued to play over and over again that he died - hitting me hard each and every time.
"Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our own death."
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