The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

(A picture from my files)

It was a busy day for me as well as a quiet day... I wanted to write a posting about today's feast of Our Lady of Sorrows and was thinking of what I could possibly write for this to be effective as a meditation or an outreach. I could write about how Our Lady suffered or about the suffering and pain that goes on in our world but then most of us already know about all this. Suffering can be such a personal thing, some people speak of their suffering constantly while others suffer in silence.
As I was debating whether or not to continue writing this post, I received an email from a very good friend of mine who I know has fairly recently suffered both physically as well as emotionally and I would like to dedicate this posting to her...you know who you are!

Her email says,
'To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.'
When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better.
Concentrate on this sentence... 'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.'

I think it came just on time for me to use it as a reflection on this feast.

These are three very powerful sentences...in the first I think that it is how we act that matters, it is a call for action and how we go about it. I ask myself in what areas do I need to change if I want something different but this change needs to be done with a leap of Faith and Trust knowing that if I left it up to Him, He will show me the way but I need to be awake and aware at all times and be ready to accept, act or wait even if it means I have to suffer. It could be a change, an opportunity, a challenge.
In the second sentence we may feel that when things go wrong we are being punished, that we do not deserve this and many times we ask ourselves, 'Why me?' If we lose a job or a loved one, when our plans are changed, when it seems as if everything is going wrong, very often while thinking we know what is good for us or that our situation won't change, God may have other plans. What may feel as unfair may indeed be a blessing in disguise.
The last sentence I think is the most important and if we concentrate on it, it gives us strength.
God loves us so much, He will always help us, He gives us the strength to bear our troubles...my favourite quote is from Matthew 6:26, it has given me strength on many occasions...
Look at the birds in the sky. They don't plant or harvest or gather food into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. You are more valuable than they are, aren't you?
Whenever we find ourselves in difficult situations, when we feel lonely, when we seem to be at a dead end, that is when God lifts us up. That is when He is carrying us. We may not know when or how or even why but He always does.
For anyone suffering in any way, this posting may not be the answer but reading the three sentences and concentrating on how they connect with Action, Acceptance and Trust, I hope it will be uplifting.
Seeing how Our Lady suffered along with Jesus when she was there (action), how she accepted and trusted, we realise that when we suffer we gain, just as Jesus obtained eternal salvation for us when He suffered and died and then rose again. Indeed when God takes something from our grasp He is not punishing us but opening our hands to receive something better. Our suffering be it physical, spiritual or in any other way, is in preparation of a gift beyond our expections, beyond our dreams. I hope this thought is uplifting. I close with some thoughts in a poem/prayer.

To You Oh Mother

I turn my eyes

I feel your pain

In your lap He lies...

Mother most merciful

So full of love,

My pain I offer

To you above.

Bless us and as you

Take our grief,

Please give us hope

and sweet relief.

Sweet Mother Most beautiful,

Our Lady most kind,

Thank you for the comfort

That in you we find.

D. Scerri ©