Today,
in the celebration of the feast of our Lady of Sorrows, we hear the
most unspeakable words in the mouth of old Simeon: «And a sword
will pierce your own soul» (Lk 2:35). From its context,
we can assert this declaration does not only concern Jesus Christ's
passion, but his missionary work, that will stir up the division of
the people of Israel, and therefore, a painful grief in Mary's heart.
All along Jesus' public life, the Virgin Mary will experience great
sufferings upon seeing Jesus rebuked and threatened with death by the
city authorities.
As
the rest of Jesus' disciples, Mary has to learn to place her family
relations in a different context altogether. She must also leave her
Son because of the Gospel (cf. Mt 19:29), and have to learn
not to appraise the Christ for his flesh, despite the fact He is
flesh of her flesh. She is to crucify also her flesh (cf. Gal
5:24) to be able to transform herself into the image of Jesus Christ.
But the topmost peak of her suffering, where she lives the cross more
deeply, is Jesus' crucifixion and death.
Also
in her pain, Mary is the model of perseverance of the evangelic
doctrine while sharing Christ's suffering through her patience (cf.
Rule of St. Benedict, Prologue 50). She has done it all her
life, and most than all, while in the Calvary. There she becomes the
prototype and model for all Christians. Because she has been so
closely linked to Christ's death, she is linked afterwards to his
resurrection too (cf. Rm 6:5). In her excruciating pain,
Mary's perseverance to abide by the Father's will, deserved her a new
irradiation in benefit of the Church and of Mankind. Mary precedes us
and helps us to follow Christ in our way of faith. And the Holy
Spirit leads us to share with her this great adventure.
