HOMILY FOR THE MEMORIAL OF OUR LADY OF SORROWS
HOMILY THEME: “THE MOST SORROWFUL MOTHER”
BY: Fr Livinus Igbodekwe.
HOMILY: (JN 19:25-27)
It is in time of hardship, trial, suffering and even death that one knows who is his or her true friend. Friends abound at parties and feasts but diminish in the face of a sword. Jesus had made so many disciples who found His ministry so promising but when His ministry led to a cross many compromised. Some others followed from afar, someone like Peter. Yet few remained at the foot of the cross. A man, John and few women who had loved their Lord to the end. We may easily suppose what an affliction it was to these poor women to see Him thus abused, especially to the Blessed Virgin. Now was fulfilled Simeon’s word, A sword shall pierce through thy own soul, Luke 2:35. His torments were her tortures she was upon the rack, while He was upon the cross and her heart bled with His wounds and the reproaches wherewith they reproached Him fell on those that attended Him. We may justly admire the power of divine grace in supporting these women, especially the Virgin Mary, under this heavy trial. We do not find His mother wringing her hands, or tearing her hair, or rending her clothes, or making an outcry but, with a wonderful composure, standing by the cross, and her friends with her. Surely she and they were strengthened by a divine power to this degree of patience and surely the Virgin Mary had a fuller expectation of His resurrection than the rest had, which supported her thus. We know not what we can bear till we are tried, and then we know who has said, My grace is sufficient for thee (2 Cor 12:9). He tenderly provides for His mother at His death. It is probable that Joseph, her husband, was long since dead, and that her son Jesus had supported her, and her relation to Him had been her maintenance and now that He was dying what would become of her? He saw her standing by, and knew her cares and griefs and He saw John standing not far off, and so He settled a new relation between His beloved mother and His beloved disciple for He said to her, “Woman, behold thy son, for whom henceforward thou must have a motherly affection ” and to him, “Behold thy mother, to whom thou must pay a filial duty.” And so from that hour, that hour never to be forgotten, that disciple took her to his own home. Friends, fidelity makes us share the Mother of Christ. To have her and call her mother is a privilege. Others were far away from the cross and as a result were far from His mother but John. May we like John take the Sorrowful Mother to our home. Amen!!!
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