Our Lady of Sorrows is one of the more prominent titles of our Lady. The other associated titles are Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows, and Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows.
All these titles obviously refer to the profound moments of sorrow and grief in the life of Mary.
Among the devotions to Our Lady of Sorrows is the meditation and reflection of the Seven Sorrows of Mary.
The following are the Seven Sorrows of Mary:
1. The Prophecy of Simeon. (Luke 2:34-35)
2. The Flight into Egypt. (Matthew 2:13)
3. The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple. (Luke 2:43-45)
4. Mary Meets Jesus on the Way to Calvary (Stations of the Cross)
5. Jesus Dies on the Cross. (John 19:25)
6. Mary Receives the Body of Jesus in her Arms. (Matthew 27:57-59)
7. The Body of Jesus Is Placed in the Tomb. (John 19:40-42)
It
goes without saying that even the Mother of Jesus was not spared of any
suffering and sorrows. Yet Mary's sufferings and sorrows are intimately
united with with the sufferings and sorrows of Jesus as we can see the
the Seven Sorrows of Mary.
Mary's
sufferings and sorrows also made her united with us in our own
sufferings and sorrows in life. At least we can imagine how she felt
when people say her: Oh, so you are the the mother of that Jesus!
God did not save Mary from sorrow and suffering, just as He did not save Jesus from death.
But
as we heard in the 1st reading, Jesus submitted humbly to God who saved
Him out of death, likewise Mary also submitted humbly to God even
though the sword of sorrow pierced her heart.
Mary believed that God will save her out of her sorrow and suffering. May we united ourselves with Mary and believe likewise.