Let us contemplate the sorrows of our Mother, Mary, in the light of the Passion of Jesus. According to tradition, the 7 sorrows of Mother Mary are:-
- A prophecy of Simeon “A sword will pierce your heart”.
- The flight into Egypt.
- The loss of Jesus at the Temple in Jerusalem.
- The meeting of Jesus and Mary on the way to Calvary.
- The Crucifixion of Jesus
- Taking down of the Body of Jesus from the Cross and placing in the arms of Mary.
- Burial of Jesus in the Tomb
Let us take the first 3 sorrows above – When Prophet Simeon prophesied to Mary “A sword will pierce your heart”, Mary pondered this and understood that there was much more to come. She had already experienced the hazards of the journey with St. Joseph to Bethlehem. Again at the short notice, there was another journey – the flight into Egypt. The Fear and Anxiety of both these journeys was to do with the protection of Jesus – the priceless and precious son of God – who was entrusted to them. This fear and anxiety came up again for them when they found that Jesus was missing while returning from Jerusalem – such a great relief to find Him in the Temple. One could say that a sword of fear and anxiety pierced Mary’s heart.
While contemplating sorrows No. 4 to No. 7, let our hearts be moved by the other sorrows of Mother Mary. Her sorrows began in a small way and reached a crescendo at the foot of the Cross.
During His ministry, Jesus moved from place to place, healing, delivering, preaching the Kingdom of God; confronting and challenging those in authority. Mother Mary would never know where. He was still her Child. During such times, the longing to see her Son, would be like a gentle squeezing of her Heart.
Never sure of where Jesus was or what had become of Him, on the night Jesus was arrested, Mother Mary’s heart thumped with a sense of impending danger that was so palpable. She knew, without being told that this was Simeon’s prophecy coming true.
The bible does not tell us where Mary went, but her panic and fear was similar to losing Jesus in Jerusalem. —- heart pumping double hard, running hither and thither seeking news about Jesus, till she reached the Practorium. Apart from John she did not find any of the apostles there. Standing outside hearing Jesus scream as He was scourged 40 times, Mary’s heart crushed with pain. Hours later, Jesus was brought out with a Cross on His shoulder. Their eyes met, and A SWORD PIERCED MARY’S HEART!
From then on Mother Mary bled inside as this Sword was being twisted from moment to moment. Mary watched Her Son fall to the ground THREE TIMES because of the pain of the scourging and the weight of the cross. But Mary could not nor would not be allowed to go near Jesus her Son. If she did, she would know the weight of the Cross and how deep the thorns had pierced His Head. A sword would pierce her heart again. She felt every bit of His pain.
The Sword piercing Mother Mary’s heart took a hard twist as she saw Jesus stripped naked and laid on the Cross. One hand was pulled and held on the cross beam and the first nail was hammered repeatedly to pierce through His hand, into the wood of the Cross. Jesus’ entire body curled with pain. The Sword twisted again and again in Mary’s heart as the brutality continued with the other hand and both His feet. With the sound of the hammer still ringing in her ears, Mary saw the Cross with Jesus nailed on it, being lifted off the ground and dropped into a hole in the ground, jerking Jesus’ Body in excruciating pain. It was enough to jerk Mother Mary’s body with a shudder.
When all others had abandoned Jesus, along with ONE APOSTLE who accompanied Jesus fearlessly, Mary stood at the foot of the Cross her heart breaking as she watched Her son HUNG ON THREE NAILS FOR THREE HOURS, with taunts and abuses of the jeering crowd around her.
After 3 hours, Mother Mary heard her son say “It is finished”. And uttering a loud cry gave up His Spirit. Not satisfied with all the brutality, one soldier came and pierced Jesus’ side with a lance and pulled it out; immediately there came out Blood and Water. It was the final stab to Mary’s Heart.
Removing Jesus from the standing Cross would have mangled His Hands and Feet. imagine Mary’s tears, anguish, desolation and a heart squeezed with pain as she watched the lengthy process. Finally her son lay on her bosom till He was moved to the tomb and the stone of the entrance rolled in place.
Mary’s Heart like every heart, tiny and small, deep within held a lot. Scripture tells us of the many details Mary held in her heart. Her heart was filled with joy as she held the Child who was the Son of God. Her heart was filled with fear and anxiety when He was lost in Jerusalem. Mary’s heart was soaked and wrung with pain at the foot of the Cross. But her heart was never closed. There was space for more.
Maybe when we cry in our trials and adversities, we wonder if any one values the tears we shed. Yes, our blessed Mother and Jesus value our tears. Every tear we shed, every sorrow we carry in our heart, every challenge we battle with, every pain and anxiety we experience, Mother Mary will intercede with Her Son because our tears are connected with her Son Jesus, just as Her Sorrows were connected to Jesus, She continues to be the Mother of God and our Mother, calling us to Prayer and Repentance of our sins that nailed her Son to the Cross.
– J. Rodrigues