Our Lady of Sorrows, does she make sense?

The *Mother of Sorrows* holds profound spiritual significance that we seek to elucidate. Those who suffer find in her a reflection of divine compassion that becomes unique and true consolation. The image of the Mother with the Son laid upon the cross in her lap is especially powerful because it allows us to approach the mystery of suffering without feeling alone, but with a faith that enables us to believe in a light. This explanation transcends our rational understanding, yet introduces us to the great pascal mystery of Christ’s unjust death, where the instrument of suffering became our salvation, with Mary living through all this alongside her Son.The Gospels point to three moments of suffering experienced by Mary: the prophecy of Simeon, the loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple, and her presence at the Cross. Without delving into exegetical details regarding these scriptural passages, I merely note that they consistently point to Christ’s Passion-Resurrection. This bitter and glorious event intertwines birth and death, defeat and victory, darkness and light, abandonment and encounter within the eternal Christian paradox. Just as it is with us: suffering and hope, fear and faith. Who among us has not lived through such moments, especially in these times, where our only hope is in Christ and the presence of Mary that consoles and teaches us to suffer with faith.Mary is wrapped up in this mystery alongside her Son, where glory and suffering are understood only through the *fiat* of the *Servant of the Lord* who continually repeats it alongside our *cross*. When we turn to Tradition, we find in the liturgy the figure of Mary as the *sheep* that follows the *lamb* destined for the slaughterhouse. This image, as strange as it may seem, indicates that Mary’s suffering is not isolated or closed off within a desolation. Rather, it is a mother filled with communion through her Son, who on the Cross offers his life as a sacrifice of love for humanity’s salvation.This image of Mary as the *Woman of Sorrows* standing beside the *Man of Sorrows* is also pedagogic for us, because it teaches us to find resurrection in the most painful moments of death. Mary’s tears, through faith, become tears of hope on the promised Sunday of Resurrection. This profound hope touches us through the *compassio Virginis*, that is, our participation in the Virgin’s compassion for Christ, who offers us life through his death.The person and mission of Mary in the suffering of Christians are also seen as the woman about to give birth, who cries out in the pangs of childbirth, pierced by the sword of suffering. This powerful image from Mariology takes on significant meaning when we consider the Woman of *Revelation* 12. We can see ourselves as children of the Resurrection through the *spiritual motherhood* bestowed upon us by Christ on the Cross to the beloved disciple, and we immediately grasp the importance of this motherhood.In the Catholic tradition, we also have the devotion to the *7 Sorrows of Mary*, which has gained widespread acceptance in our society. They are: the sword’s prophecy (Luke 2:34-35), flight to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-14), the loss of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:43-50), Jesus’ encounter on the way to the Cross (Luke 23:26-27), Mary’s presence at the Cross (John 19:25-27), the deposition or *Piety* (Matthew 15:42), and Jesus’ burial (John 19:40-42a).Contrary to all doloristic interpretations, we find Mary, the Mother of Jesus, concerned about the future of her Son and the suffering inflicted by those who, acting against them, were unable to understand the supreme good. Jesus’ and Mary’s attitude towards suffering is not one of escape, passivity, retaliation, but of spiritual acceptance and profound transformation. The pedagogy of suffering compels us to take responsibility for evil and place it within the Christian horizon of salvation, where every suffering saves.To deepen your devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows, consult the document by Paul VI: *Marialis Cultus* on the cult of Mary in the liturgical and devotional life of the Church.Deepen your studies: explore Mariology, Marian theology, Marian apparitions, and the Master’s program in Mariology.