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Commingling of Love and Suffering
Jesus’ father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this
child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to
be a sign that will be contradicted and you yourself a sword will
pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” Luke
2:33–35
It is no liturgical coincidence that the day after we celebrate the
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, we honor Our Lady of
Sorrows. This close liturgical connection highlights the
inseparable union between Christ’s Passion and His Mother’s
compassion.
The passage above is one of the two optional Gospel readings for
today. The other is taken from the foot of the Cross: “Standing by
the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary
the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene” (John 19:25). In both
passages, we are invited to gaze with reverent love upon the
overflowing charity found in the Blessed Mother’s Immaculate Heart.
Though she experienced countless moments of profound joy, today we
contemplate the holy sorrow she endured as she accompanied her
divine Son.
From the first moment of her Immaculate Conception, the Blessed
Mother’s heart was full of grace. She was preserved from the stain
of Original Sin and remained sinless throughout her life by freely
obeying every prompting of the Holy Spirit who overshadowed
her. For this reason, her Immaculate Heart is unique—no other
motherly heart has ever loved so purely, and no other heart has
ever suffered so deeply.
It is easy to imagine that pure love would exempt a soul from
suffering. But all we need to do is look upon the Son of God to
know that this is not so. Suffering, sorrow, and the perfection of
love are not opposed; they are perfectly united in every holy soul
conformed to Christ, as exemplified in His Mother.
When we contemplate the Exaltation of the Cross, we behold Jesus
crucified—naked, humiliated, and in excruciating agony. Yet that
suffering held no power over Him. He conquered it by embracing it,
enduring it, and transforming it into the very foundation of Divine
Mercy.
Likewise, as the Mother of God stood before the exalted Cross of
her Son and beheld Him in His final agony, her heart was pierced by
the sword that Simeon prophesied on the day of Jesus’ Presentation
in the Temple. In that moment, sorrow and love became one. How
could she feel otherwise? Had she not loved her Son so deeply, she
would not have suffered so profoundly. It was precisely because her
love was so pure that her sorrow was so great.
There is much to learn from the Sorrowful Heart of the Immaculate
Virgin Mary. From her we learn that holy love enables us to suffer
with others. This is the essence of the word compassion—to suffer
with. When we witness the sins of others—for which Christ
suffered—or when we ourselves experience rejection, betrayal, or
injustice, we are faced with a choice. We can turn inward in
bitterness and self-pity, or we can imitate the Blessed Mother and
choose holy compassion, loving even in the midst of pain,
rejection, and abuse.
Why did our Blessed Mother choose this holy sorrow, this loving
compassion? Because love expressed in this way draws sinners back
to God. Her compassion, united with Christ’s, became a silent yet
powerful invitation for all souls to repent, to believe, and to be
healed.
Reflect today on the sorrow within your own heart. It is easy to be
saddened by loss, hardship, or trials. But sadness is not the same
as holy sorrow. Does suffering lead you to compassion and empathy,
or does it turn into self-pity? As we ponder the sorrows of our
Blessed Mother, pray for the grace to imitate her holy compassion.
Embrace your trials with love, and allow mercy to flow from your
wounded heart. The Blessed Virgin perfectly exemplifies this sacred
charity, and through her intercession and example, we are called to
do the same.
Our Lady of Sorrows, you stood by your divine Son in His joys
and in His sufferings. You felt what He felt, loved with His love,
and had compassion for all. Please pray for me, that as I gaze upon
the exalted triumph of your Son’s Cross, I may never look away, but
look with love, uniting my own crosses with His. Sorrowful Heart of
Mary, pray for us. Jesus, I trust in You.
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