Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. ~ John 19:25-27
Standing by the Cross of Jesus . . .
Today’s Gospel for the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows brings us right to the cross. There we see Mary grieving as her son suffers a slow and torturous death. We see her grappling with unthinkable anguish of heart and mind. But notice, she was not alone. She was with her “sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene” and, of course, the disciple John (John 19:25-26).
Mary’s sorrow cut to the deepest, most private part of her heart. Still, she welcomed these friends and family members into her pain. And she shared their pain too. Together they struggled to trust God in the face of their grief. Together they brought what comfort they could to one another. Mary’s open generosity on her darkest of days reveals to us the mercy of having other people standing with us in our sorrow. With them, we can give and receive comfort, consolation, and protection.
None of us are strangers to sorrow, but Our Lady teaches us that even—maybe especially—in our deepest sadness, we need one another. God designed us to share our lives with one another, and those relationships can sustain us and help us navigate our most challenging times.
Sorrow is complex, and each person faces grief differently. But another caring human being can make a world of difference in helping us know that we are loved and that we don’t have to travel this path alone. Fr. Henri Nouwen put it this way: “The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, . . . that is the friend who cares.”
We all need that kind of friend. We can all be that type of friend. And Mary herself is that ultimate friend for us. In her presence, we can pour out everything that is on our hearts. Her comfort and intercession can be a source of great consolation. She has walked this path of sorrow before us with deep faith and grace, and she will stand beside us and teach us to do the same.
“Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us!”
From The Word Among Us
