Daily Gospel Reflection
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September 15, 2024
Jesus and his disciples set out
for the villages of Caesarea Philippi.
Along the way he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that I am?”
They said in reply,
“John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others one of the prophets.”
And he asked them,
“But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said to him in reply,
“You are the Christ.”
Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.
He began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.
He spoke this openly.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the gospel will save it.”
Today’s passage from the eighth chapter of St. Mark’s Gospel serves as the pivotal halfway point. Throughout the first eight chapters, the disciples have come, however slowly, to learn who Jesus is. St. Peter can finally declare, “You are the Christ.” Having learned in the first half of the gospel Jesus’ identity, the disciples are to learn in the second half Jesus’ mission—the cross.
This is the pivot: from identity to mission—not just to know Jesus, but to imitate him.
The Congregation of Holy Cross and its schools and parishes today celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lady of Sorrows, the patroness of the congregation. As its founder, Blessed Basil Moreau entrusted the priests, brothers, and sisters of the congregation to the care of Mary, who, of course, knew Jesus but who also shared in his suffering.
Dom Prosper Guéranger, a Benedictine abbot in Solesmes, France, was a contemporary of Blessed Moreau. Gueranger wrote, “Love is what brought [Mary] to the cross, and love is what kept her there.” How beautiful! Her love of Jesus brought her to the cross, and her love for you and me and our salvation kept her there, standing in solidarity with her suffering son.
That same love abides in our hearts – a love that draws us close to God and a love that sustains us as we walk the path of discipleship. The Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross state, “As disciples of Jesus, we stand side by side with all people. Like them, we are burdened by the same struggles and beset by the same weaknesses; like them, we are made new by the same Lord’s love; like them, we hope for a world where justice and love prevail.”
As today’s Gospel reminds us, we are not only to know Jesus but also to take up his cross. May that “same Lord’s love” strengthen us all anew.
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 with 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:
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.
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.
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?”
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.
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.
Mary receives the body of Jesus in her arms (Matthew 27:57-59): Mary receives her inconsolable suffering, the body of her son.
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!
This video shows Father Nate Wills, CSC, describing Our Lady of Sorrows for the pilgrims who walked on the Notre Dame Trail in celebration of Notre Dame's 175th anniversary:
