The Seven Sorrows of Our Blessed Mother
Introduction
For the Society of St. Pius X, these two feast days of the Sorrows of Our Lady have become first-class feast days. The reason for this is principally because she is one of our patronesses. And secondly, because she is the principal patroness of our sisters and our oblates.
The Role of the Society of St. Pius X
The Society of St. Pius X is a priestly society. Our entire focus is the priesthood, the mass, etc. And as such, the imperative is for the priests to be other Christs, truly other Christs, not just offering the sacrifice on the altar, but to be the sacrifice on the altar. But if that is what we call the priests to do and to be, we ask the sisters to be the Blessed Virgin standing at the foot of the cross.
The Blessed Virgin's Suffering
While the priest does the labor of Christ, she does the labor of the Blessed Virgin. So because of that, it's altogether fitting that we take upon ourselves the celebration of the Seven Sorrows of our Blessed Mother to consider a little bit more what it means for us that she suffered the way she did.
Why We Celebrate Her Sorrows
Why do we celebrate her suffering the way we do? Why do we praise her for that suffering? Well, the reason is quite simple, because through that, we have the most excellent example of what it is our lives should be. She gave her life for her son, but not in the same way that he gave his life for us.
The Blessed Virgin as Co-Redemptrix
Christ is the Redeemer. Christ is the one who saves our souls, gives us grace, salvation, etc., but he does so in union with his mother. She has united herself to him, and so therefore she is a part of that same sacrifice. And so by what she suffered, she is now also the mediatrix of all graces.
The Importance of Devotion to Our Blessed Mother
More than that, she is also the last gift he ever gave to us. When he gave her to us in the form of saying, "John, woman, behold thy mother. Woman, behold thy son." He gave her to us. So she's his last inheritance upon us. We must have absolute loving devotion to our Blessed Mother.
The Sacred Heart of Mary
Her sacred and immaculate heart is truly one of the most beautiful things that we can have a devotion to. Her sorrows are one of the most poignant examples of what it is we should strive to be and how we should strive to repay her considering all the pain and suffering that we have caused.
Our Role in Christ's Suffering
We are the ones who made it necessary for Christ to make this tremendous sacrifice that she had to witness and suffer in such a brutal way. So therefore, we must learn to love the sacrifice that she gave. More than that, we have to start paying it back.
The Need for Conversion and Repentance
What does it mean to say we're sorry to our mother if we don't actually try to amend the error that caused her the pain in the first place? We can't take away the sins we've committed, but at the very least, we can start to overcome the temptations that we fall prey to so often.
Uniting Our Will to Hers
In order for us to do this, we must start trying to unite our will to that of hers. She makes it clear to us what she wants of us. And a stronger devotion to her will only help us become more powerfully hers.
The Devotion of the Daily Rosary
Each and every one of us should be practicing that devotion. Not because it's a cure-all for all of our ills, but because it is the way that we will finally honor our Blessed Mother.
Examples of Her Sorrows: La Salette
She gave us two specific examples. When she appeared at La Salette in France, she was found weeping on a rock. She mentions the two sins that most grievously afflicted her heart at that moment: the blasphemies uttered against our Lord's holy name and the violation of Sundays and Holy Days.
The Holy Name of Jesus
The use of the name of our Holy Savior has been abused beyond recognition. And how do we respond? Well, because we've become so accustomed to it, we don't pay it any heed.
Making Reparation
We should try to break our bad habit of using His name carelessly. And if we hear friends or family using it, we have a responsibility to correct them. At the very least, we can make a silent act of reparation.
Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation
The second sin is the violation of Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. Back in the 1860s, almost everybody practiced Catholicism. Now we're talking about a world where even 70 plus percent of Catholics do not practice on Sundays.
The Crisis of Indifference
The religious indifferentism of our day has provoked a crisis of people who actually care enough to attend Mass. The Sunday obligation is something very specific. This day is consecrated to the service of our Lord.
Our Participation in the Holy Mass
We must make sure that we are binding ourselves to her closer every time, that we are soothing her wounded heart with our participation in the loving sacrifice of her Son.
Conclusion: Serving Our Blessed Mother
Let us learn to live at the service of our Blessed Mother because by serving her, we inevitably serve Him. And by serving Him, He will guide us through a life of sacrifice and into the eternal Mass of Heaven.