Our Lady of Sorrows

Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows

Heavenly Father, as we recall the memorial today, of Our Lady of Sorrows, may we present our sorrows to you for the times when we have been defective or have offended you or one another, so that we may be worthy to celebrate the Sacrament of the Eucharist at your altar with the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Mother.  I confess...

Heavenly Father,

Your words today remind us of the two great gifts, the first being the Eucharist which allows us to relive the Lord's supper.  It is the great mystery of your love revealed in the most special way through your beloved Son.  St. Paul encourages to keep the celebration as a priority, and we will try to do so fervently and in gratitude for the great gift.  

The second gift you have given us is the gift of the Blessed Mother who stood there at the foot of the Holy Cross.  

Many of us could relate in a small way with her sorrow.  But on the third day, you turn her sorrow into joy when you raised your Son, Christ our Lord from the dead.  She shows us how to remain firm despite everything that may transgress and to continue to trust in your providence.  Maintaining joy and hope is difficult but you show us how to do that through the Blessed Virgin Mary.  

Loving God, as we stand with the Blessed Mother at the foot of the cross, and recall the mystery of your son's passion, increase within us the graces of hope and faith.  Your son entrusted his mother to the beloved disciple, which means that he gives us a loving guardian.  May we look to this guardian as the source of hope and to know that we can never fully exhaust from her, knowledge and understanding of the concepts of hope and trust in you.

Loving God, you always find a way to reverse our misfortunes.  Moreover, in times of distress, they are only trials that allow us to grow in the virtue of hope.  Because there would be no need for an increase in hope, if it were not for the sorrows that we experience.  And without the sorrows, there would be no need to rely and trust upon your providence.  When there is no one else that we can rely upon, or even on ourselves, we know that we can always look to you and approach you in prayer and the Sacraments.  And to do so like the a blessed mother, confident that you will turn our mourning and sorrow into joy, and lead us from darkness into light.  

Thank you for showing us this truth, and thank you for providing the Blessed Mother as our guardian and the source of hope.  Through Christ our Lord.  Amen.