September is traditionally devoted to Mary as Our Lady of Sorrows!
Though Mary was without sin, she was not immune to its effects, namely suffering and sorrow. When she and Joseph presented the infant Jesus in the Temple, Simeon prophesied that her Son would be a sign of contradiction and that her heart would be pierced (Lk. 2:34-35), revealing that she would share intimately in His sufferings. The sight of her Son’s agony on the Cross indeed pierced Mary’s heart, as it would the heart of any mother. But at the foot of the Cross, Mary also became the mother of all of us when Jesus entrusted her to His disciple John’s care: “Behold, your mother” (Jn. 19:27). Mary’s title of Our Lady of Sorrows shows that she is close to her children when they suffer. We can learn through her example to unite our sufferings to those of her Son for our good and the good of others.
This month, and always, let us turn to Our Lady of Sorrows in all our needs, pains, and sadness, trusting that she understands us and will give us the strength to bear our sufferings well. Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us!
