Our Lady of Sorrows and the Triumph of the Cross

The celebrations of Our Lady of Sorrows and the Exaltation, or Triumph, of the Holy Cross fall closely together on the liturgical calendar because of Our Lady’s closeness to the Passion of Our Lord and Her example of how She shared in His cross and so likewise now shares in His glory. The entire month of September is dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows and it is important that we keep close to Her so that we might one day attain the same glory that She and Her Son share, keeping in mind that this is only possible through the cross.

As She stood by the cross of Jesus, Mary was filled with a sorrow that pierced Her soul, fulfilling the prophecy of Simeon at Jesus’s presentation. And yet, She remained steadfast and unwavering during Her Son’s last hours. She could have only received this strength from the Holy Spirit, trusting that this tremendous trial, this cross, would be used for good and the glory of God and staying close to Him through it all. She was made a martyr without dying because of the great pain watching one’s own child die causes. The memory of this stayed with Her throughout the rest of Her life, as St. Alphonsus Liguori tells us. He says that the Blessed Mother told St. Bridget that even after Jesus’s Resurrection and Ascension, the memory of His Passion remained “deeply impressed and ever recent in Her tender heart.” The cross that She carried during Her Son’s Passion remained a cross throughout Her life. I would imagine that it is hard to forget seeing your child die so horrifically. However, Mary remained close to God in prayer and bore this cross with grace and at the end of Her life, She was rewarded for Her sacrifice and perseverance by claiming Her seat in heaven next to Her Son and being crowned Queen of heaven and earth.

It is hard to accept suffering at the moment that it is happening. We often want to rebel and be rid of it so that we can be “at peace”, which is often just our own human definition of peace and not real peace. But if we look at things from the perspective of eternity, as Mary learned to do from a young age, we can see that suffering and bearing our crosses are things meant to help us attain a higher level of glory in heaven. This is possible for us because of the triumph of Jesus’s cross, which was the instrument of peace and of our salvation. Mary trusted in this plan and that Her Son would triumph, and through Her intercession we can also learn to trust that our own crosses will lead to our triumph and glory in heaven.