Sunday 19 April 2015

Our Lady of Sorrows, Memorial

It is not easy for a mother to care for her sick child. The mother would spend sleepless nights caring for her child and ensuring that her child takes medicine regularly, while praying that her child would recover quickly. It is even more not easy if the child is dying. The mother would be quite distraught, and she would turn to God in prayer, begging Him to heal her child and spare her child from death. Whatever the circumstances may be, a mother would generally make much sacrifices for the health and well-being of her child.

Mother Mary in today's Gospel also made much sacrifices for Jesus. In fact, she made the ultimate sacrifice. She saw her son Jesus dying on the cross. Most other mothers would have avoided being at the crucifixion site, for personal safety and also it would have been too much to bear. But Mother Mary still stayed on, keeping vigil with her son, Jesus, and watched with agony as her son's life slowly ebbed away. The Gospel tells us that Jesus gave Mother Mary to His beloved disciple as his mother, so that Mother Mary would have a place of refuge. In a way, Jesus is giving Mother Mary to each and every one of us, as we are like that beloved disciple.

In the end, Jesus died on that cross. But is this the end? No. We know that Jesus rose again after 3 days. Jesus' death was for the forgiveness of our sins. What was initially a sorrowful scene has turned to great joy as Jesus appeared once again to His disciples. Even then, we could imagine the strength and patience of a mother, our Mother Mary, who despite going through hell and back, still had the fortitude to "treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." May we too have the fortitude to face up to the many dangers, troubles and persecutions which may come our way, taking Mother Mary as our shining example, and always depending on our Lord's help and providence.

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