Sorrow

This world is clearly enduring a great period of sorrow right now. The circumstances under which we live could cause anyone to question whether we will survive all these trials. If we truly believe in Jesus Christ and what He accomplished through His death on the cross, the answer is “Yes.” The crucifixion of Jesus on the cross at Calvary took away all the sins of the world, past, present and future, which means He knew the tragedies we would be experiencing today. The agony Jesus suffered in the garden at Gethsemane was so painful that He sweated blood. The pain of His passion was so excruciating no human being could have survived it, and so we owe our lives (present and eternal) to Jesus. He was the only one who could save us from the sins we have committed and will commit.

Praise the Lord that we have been forgiven for our sins. If not for our faith in Jesus Christ, life in this world would appear completely hopeless. Not only do we have the promise of eternal life given to us through our Savior, however, but we have the example and intercession of His mother Mary, who is also our mother. More than any other human being, she may be the one who can relate to and empathize most with the sorrows plaguing this world at this time.

“Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” —Luke 2:34–35

The prophet Simeon spoke these words to Mary at the presentation of Jesus when He was an infant. Her sorrow would be so great that she would feel a sword pierce her heart. What must have gone through her mind on hearing those words? The amount of trust she held in God had to continue her whole life. The commitment she made to doing His will exemplifies the kind of trust we need to strive for in our relationship with Him.

We are undergoing undeniable hardships that may appear unbearable, but there is always hope. Our Father in heaven holds all of us in the palm of His hand and He sees our faith. He will not allow this faith to fail. On this day when we celebrate the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, let us pray to have the same faith she had in our Lord–that amidst all our sorrows, we may receive the grace to accept them and to be made stronger people because of them.