Daily Gospel Reflection
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September 15, 2021
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary Magdalene.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved
he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
Then he said to the disciple,
“Behold, your mother.”
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
“It remains only for us to find how even the cross can be borne as a gift.” So read the Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross, the religious order of which I am a member and that founded the University of Notre Dame.
At this moment in John’s Gospel, Mary, weeping and sorrowful at the foot of the cross, has this hopeful vision of her Son’s suffering blurred by her tears. Jesus, ever the compassionate Messiah, consoles her, not only with the gift of his life for our salvation, but with the gift of a new son. It probably seemed as cold comfort, at least until the warm and brilliant light of the resurrection would shine on Easter morning.
Our challenge on this particular feast day is to see our sorrowful mother as worth celebrating, along with the cross. This is the feast of the suffering, the downtrodden, the marginalized, the desperate, searching for consolation where none seems to be possible. If we have a moment today, we would do well to gaze upon a crucifix or stand at the foot of one. Jesus will be there to offer his small consolations, a little light and warmth to dry our tears and to help us glimpse the resurrection.
In this and in Mary’s other sorrows, hope always breaks through, and we, as Christians, celebrate, even amid our sorrows, the gift of the last day when all will be transformed and swallowed up in the victory of the cross.
Prayer
God, grant us the patience to live as Our Lady of Sorrows did, a perfect model of hope at the foot of the cross. Thank you for providing us such a profound example of love and acceptance of your will. We don’t have to bear our daily crosses alone, for you have given us your son, Jesus Christ, and his mother, Mary, to help us find our way. Please bless the Congregation of Holy Cross and all of its lay collaborators, benefactors and friends as we celebrate our patroness today.
Saint of the Day
“There stood by the Cross of Jesus his mother Mary, who knew grief and was a Lady of Sorrows. She is our special patroness, a woman who bore much she could not understand and who stood fast. To her many sons and daughters, whose devotions ought to bring them often to her side, she tells much of this daily cross and its daily hope” (Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross, 8:120).
When deciding on a patron for the Congregation of Holy Cross, founder Blessed Basil Moreau selected Our Lady of Sorrows.
Moreau’s original vision was that the Congregation of Holy Cross, which founded the University, be one community of priests, brothers and sisters living and working together in imitation of the Holy Family. He consecrated the priests to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the sisters to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and the brothers to Saint Joseph. He placed the entire Congregation under the patronage of Our Lady of Sorrows.
Moreau often stressed the importance of conforming one’s entire life to Christ, which Mary models through her seven sorrows:
1. The Prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2: 34-35): Simeon told Mary that her son would be the rise and fall of many people and that a sword would pierce her heart so that many would know her thoughts.
2. The Flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13): Joseph responds to a dream to take Mary and Jesus into Egypt to keep them safe. Today, we pray for the safety and security of all refugees.
3. The loss of the child Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:43-45): Mary and Joseph thought Jesus was in the caravan after leaving Jerusalem. After three days, they found Jesus listening and teaching in the Temple of Jerusalem. Mary said to Jesus, “Why have you done this to us?”
4. Mary meets Jesus on the way to Calvary (Luke 23: 26-32): Jesus, carrying his cross told the women of Jerusalem not to weep for him, but for themselves and their children.
5. Jesus dies on the cross (John 19:25): Mary and John are bonded by the words of Jesus. The Church is born in this moment from suffering and relationship.
6. Mary receives the body of Jesus in her arms (Matthew 27:57-59): Mary receives her inconsolable suffering, the body of her son.
7. The body of Jesus is placed in the tomb (John 19:40-42): Mary and Jesus’ disciples stand together in their loss.
The Holy Cross motto, Ave crux, spes unica—“Hail the cross, our only hope”—invites us to stand at the foot of the cross alongside our sorrowful mother.
Mary is the perfect model of this hope. Even in the midst of her seven sorrows, she never despaired. Her faith endured through this suffering and so she shared in her Son’s victory over death. We believe that her intercession and patronage can help us do the same.
The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows is the biggest feast day for Congregation of Holy Cross priests, brothers, and sisters throughout the world. Each community honors the feast day differently, but members usually come together as a larger community for prayer and celebration.
Our Lady of Sorrows is depicted on campus in a number of ways, including this sculpture in the Cedar Grove cemetery on campus, and in this sculpture from the chapel in Howard Hall, which commemorates those who were killed in World War II.
Our Lady of Sorrows, you stood with hope by Jesus on the cross and are patroness of Holy Cross religious, pray for us!
To learn more, watch this video of Father Nate Wills, C.S.C., describing Our Lady of Sorrows to pilgrims who walked the Notre Dame Trail in celebration of Notre Dame's 175th anniversary.