Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
Alternate Proper for the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows[i]
(includes Optional Sequence – Stabat Mater)
Readings for the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows[ii]
(note: the Gospel for this Memorial is from the Proper)
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[iii]
Reading 1: 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
Brothers and sisters:
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.
But I shall show you a still more excellent way.
If I speak in human and angelic tongues
but do not have love,
I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.
And if I have the gift of prophecy
and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge;
if I have all faith so as to move mountains,
but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give away everything I own,
and if I hand my body over so that I may boast
but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, love is not pompous,
it is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing;
if tongues, they will cease;
if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.
For we know partially and we prophesy partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child,
think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
At present I know partially;
then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on 1 Cor 12:31-13:13
St. Paul shifts his focus from the diversity of the different functions within the Body of Christ (which is the Church) to the gifts common to those enlightened by Christ. First among these gifts is love which informs all reason, directing the Christian to the love of Christ.
“In speaking of love, Paul is led by spontaneous association to mention faith and hope as well. They are already a well-known triad (cf 1 Thessalonians 1:3), three interrelated features of Christian life, more fundamental than any particular charism. The greatest . . . is love: love is operative even within the other members of the triad, so that it has a certain primacy among them. Or, if the perspective is temporal, love will remain (cf "never fails,") even when faith has yielded to sight and hope to possession.”[iv]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 33:2-3, 4-5, 12 and 22
R. (12) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
For upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 33:2-3, 4-5, 12 and 22
Psalm 33 is a hymn of praise in which God as creator is celebrated. In this selection the just are invited to share the Lord’s salvation and are promised his protection. The psalm rejoices in the active help God gives to his chosen people.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel:
First Option: John 19:25-27
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 19:25-27
Here is Jesus’ last address to his mother. Although the address sounds unnecessarily formal ("Woman, behold, your son.") this would have been considered a polite address in biblical times. The reference, “Woman”, is possibly to Genesis 3:15 which describes the mother of the Messiah as the “woman” whose offspring conquers the devil (CCC 726, 2618)[v]. The Lord, nearing the end of his life commends the care of his mother to the disciple whom he loved. It is presumed this is done because Jesus has no brothers of sisters. In this instance, while it can be assumed that this disciple is St. John, the author, this tender consignment of the care of the Lord’s mother is seen as iconic, that is she is given into the care of all of the disciples whom Jesus loves. Seeing her Son dying upon the cross is one of the seven sorrows the Blessed Mother endured in faith.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OR
Second Option: Luke 2:33-35
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."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 2:33-35
In this passage we hear Simeon’s prediction. Simeon is a man, we are told earlier, who “was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel”. He was told by the Holy Spirit that he would not pass away until he had seen the Messiah. He has declared that this promise has been fulfilled and then turns to Mary and makes the prediction about the nature of Christ’s ministry and the nature of the sorrow she will endure, “and you yourself a sword will pierce” The sword indicates that Mary will have a share in her Son’s sufferings; hers will be an unspeakable pain which pierces her soul. Our Lord suffered on the cross for our sins, and it is those sins which forge the sword of Mary’s pain.[vi]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
How often have we all encountered individuals who have had tremendous pain in their lives and as a consequence, first blamed God for their sorrows, and then denied him out of their desolation of spirit? Indeed, have we not all had situations in our lives in which circumstances of health or events have conspired to force us to question God’s motives? At such times, the Lord, in his infinite wisdom and mercy, has left us with examples of faith to strengthen us and assure us that his strength can flow in us if we but put our trust in him.
Of course the archetype of this strength is our Holy Mother, Mary. We especially see her virtue as we celebrate the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows in which we recall the “sword of sorrow” which pierced her heart. Not only once was this sword unsheathed to stab viciously at the Virgin Queen of Heaven, but seven such strikes are measured. Significantly, in Hebrew numerology, this number “7” is the perfect number. It signifies completeness, hence, when we think of the seven sorrows of Mother Mary, we seek to understand her complete faith in the face of perfect sorrow; accepted with perfect grace, responded to with perfect love of God and His Only Son.
Any parent can appreciate the acute pain the Virgin Mother suffered as the “dolours” unfold.
•at the prophecy of Simeon;
•at the flight into Egypt;
•having lost the Holy Child at Jerusalem;
•meeting Jesus on his way to Calvary;
•standing at the foot of the Cross;
•Jesus being taken from the Cross;
•at the burial of Christ.
Consider how her anxiety must have increased as each event was amplified in the next; culminating in the worst fear of any parent, the humiliation and cruel death of her child, carried out in front of her. In her powerlessness we can only imagine the despair she felt; yet not for herself, as we would and not even for her son, but for those who condemned themselves by rejecting their own salvation.
Today, as we recall the sword of Simeon and its painful impact on Holy Mary, let us ask her to intercede for us to her Son, that we might be given a share of her spirit of holiness and so be able to overcome our sorrows which pale in significance when measured against hers.
Pax
[i] The picture today is “The Seven Sorrows of the Virgin” by Albrecht Dürer, 1496
[ii] ALTRE
[iii] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[iv] NAB footnote on 1 Corinthians 13:13
[v] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. pp. 198
[vi] The Navarre Bible, Gospels and Acts, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, pp.363
Alternate Proper for the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows[i]
(includes Optional Sequence – Stabat Mater)
Readings for the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows[ii]
(note: the Gospel for this Memorial is from the Proper)
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[iii]
Reading 1: 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
Brothers and sisters:
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.
But I shall show you a still more excellent way.
If I speak in human and angelic tongues
but do not have love,
I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.
And if I have the gift of prophecy
and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge;
if I have all faith so as to move mountains,
but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give away everything I own,
and if I hand my body over so that I may boast
but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, love is not pompous,
it is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing;
if tongues, they will cease;
if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.
For we know partially and we prophesy partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child,
think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
At present I know partially;
then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on 1 Cor 12:31-13:13
St. Paul shifts his focus from the diversity of the different functions within the Body of Christ (which is the Church) to the gifts common to those enlightened by Christ. First among these gifts is love which informs all reason, directing the Christian to the love of Christ.
“In speaking of love, Paul is led by spontaneous association to mention faith and hope as well. They are already a well-known triad (cf 1 Thessalonians 1:3), three interrelated features of Christian life, more fundamental than any particular charism. The greatest . . . is love: love is operative even within the other members of the triad, so that it has a certain primacy among them. Or, if the perspective is temporal, love will remain (cf "never fails,") even when faith has yielded to sight and hope to possession.”[iv]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 33:2-3, 4-5, 12 and 22
R. (12) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
For upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 33:2-3, 4-5, 12 and 22
Psalm 33 is a hymn of praise in which God as creator is celebrated. In this selection the just are invited to share the Lord’s salvation and are promised his protection. The psalm rejoices in the active help God gives to his chosen people.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel:
First Option: John 19:25-27
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 19:25-27
Here is Jesus’ last address to his mother. Although the address sounds unnecessarily formal ("Woman, behold, your son.") this would have been considered a polite address in biblical times. The reference, “Woman”, is possibly to Genesis 3:15 which describes the mother of the Messiah as the “woman” whose offspring conquers the devil (CCC 726, 2618)[v]. The Lord, nearing the end of his life commends the care of his mother to the disciple whom he loved. It is presumed this is done because Jesus has no brothers of sisters. In this instance, while it can be assumed that this disciple is St. John, the author, this tender consignment of the care of the Lord’s mother is seen as iconic, that is she is given into the care of all of the disciples whom Jesus loves. Seeing her Son dying upon the cross is one of the seven sorrows the Blessed Mother endured in faith.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OR
Second Option: Luke 2:33-35
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."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 2:33-35
In this passage we hear Simeon’s prediction. Simeon is a man, we are told earlier, who “was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel”. He was told by the Holy Spirit that he would not pass away until he had seen the Messiah. He has declared that this promise has been fulfilled and then turns to Mary and makes the prediction about the nature of Christ’s ministry and the nature of the sorrow she will endure, “and you yourself a sword will pierce” The sword indicates that Mary will have a share in her Son’s sufferings; hers will be an unspeakable pain which pierces her soul. Our Lord suffered on the cross for our sins, and it is those sins which forge the sword of Mary’s pain.[vi]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
How often have we all encountered individuals who have had tremendous pain in their lives and as a consequence, first blamed God for their sorrows, and then denied him out of their desolation of spirit? Indeed, have we not all had situations in our lives in which circumstances of health or events have conspired to force us to question God’s motives? At such times, the Lord, in his infinite wisdom and mercy, has left us with examples of faith to strengthen us and assure us that his strength can flow in us if we but put our trust in him.
Of course the archetype of this strength is our Holy Mother, Mary. We especially see her virtue as we celebrate the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows in which we recall the “sword of sorrow” which pierced her heart. Not only once was this sword unsheathed to stab viciously at the Virgin Queen of Heaven, but seven such strikes are measured. Significantly, in Hebrew numerology, this number “7” is the perfect number. It signifies completeness, hence, when we think of the seven sorrows of Mother Mary, we seek to understand her complete faith in the face of perfect sorrow; accepted with perfect grace, responded to with perfect love of God and His Only Son.
Any parent can appreciate the acute pain the Virgin Mother suffered as the “dolours” unfold.
•at the prophecy of Simeon;
•at the flight into Egypt;
•having lost the Holy Child at Jerusalem;
•meeting Jesus on his way to Calvary;
•standing at the foot of the Cross;
•Jesus being taken from the Cross;
•at the burial of Christ.
Consider how her anxiety must have increased as each event was amplified in the next; culminating in the worst fear of any parent, the humiliation and cruel death of her child, carried out in front of her. In her powerlessness we can only imagine the despair she felt; yet not for herself, as we would and not even for her son, but for those who condemned themselves by rejecting their own salvation.
Today, as we recall the sword of Simeon and its painful impact on Holy Mary, let us ask her to intercede for us to her Son, that we might be given a share of her spirit of holiness and so be able to overcome our sorrows which pale in significance when measured against hers.
Pax
[i] The picture today is “The Seven Sorrows of the Virgin” by Albrecht Dürer, 1496
[ii] ALTRE
[iii] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[iv] NAB footnote on 1 Corinthians 13:13
[v] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. pp. 198
[vi] The Navarre Bible, Gospels and Acts, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, pp.363
No comments:
Post a Comment