Today's feast – Our Lady of Sorrows – celebrates the "spiritual – white – martyrdom" of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary watched her son live a life of contradiction – that was prophesied by Simeon (as we read in the gospel passage), as she and Joseph presented Jesus in the temple when he was a baby. Simeon also prophesied how Mary would enter into that pain and suffering and contradiction – especially in her son's Passion and death on a cross - as only a loving mother could!
By the 14th century her sorrows were fixed at seven: the presentation of Jesus in the temple; the flight into Egypt; Jesus' being lost in Jerusalem; the encounter with Jesus on the way to Calvary; the Crucifixion; the taking of the body down from the cross, and Jesus' burial.
Martyrdom comes with being willing to empty one's life and will entirely for that of another – and actually going through with it – as God wills, and as he helps with grace. Sometimes this means by the shedding of blood (red martyrdom); sometimes it is without the shedding of physical blood – but rather "spiritual blood" which is no less real – (white martyrdom). Mary is Queen of All Martyrs – both red and white!
May she intercede for us today so that we might live the life of contradiction that we are called to live as members of Christ Jesus – her son, our brother! May we endure to the end – with the grace and strength that the Holy Spirit gives to those who love God no matter what color martyrdom is offered to us to live out!
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