The Mother of Sorrows - Reflections on the Blessed Mother and Sorrow Over Sin

 The Mother of Sorrows - Reflections on the Blessed Mother

"Simeon saith unto Mary, 'A sword shall pierce through thy own soul also. [St. Lk. 2:35] That is, the Passion of the Lord, which was a fall unto many, and in which the secrets of many hearts were revealed since their sentiments respecting the Lord were extorted from them, without doubt, made His own Mother exceeding sorrowful, heavily struck with human bereavement." 

- St. Augustine, Exposition on the Psalms, Ps. 105

Traditional Christians have now passed the triumphal and glorious Easter Sunday after the penitential season of Lent. For many of us, during Lent, we gave up certain habits, foods, leisure, and comforts, to devote ourselves especially to the spiritual life in preparation for Easter Sunday. This time of heightened penitence and devotion (marked formally by Ash Wednesday) leads many to consult different devotional practices and works to adjust and refocus their mind on the spiritual life. One of those many devotions is the stations of the cross. This devotional practice is often accompanied by singing a form of the 13th-century hymn called the "Stabat Mater Dolorosa." 

This hymn is a reflection on the sorrow of Mary at the foot of Calvary, which is prophesied by Saint Simeon in Luke chapter 2 (quoted above) and seen in the gospel of John when it records the moment where Mary "had that sword pierce through her own soul" ... "Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother" - St. Jn. 19:25

Here, being moved greatly by this hymn, I wanted to draw applications that can be made for us in our own spiritual life as we reflect on the sorrow of Mary. I will quote two main sections from the Hymn and then offer application: 

At the cross her station keeping, stood the mournful mother weeping, close to Jesus to the last. 

Through her heart, his sorrow sharing, all his bitter anguish bearing, Lo! the piercing sword had passed.

Oh, how sad and sore distressed was that mother highly blessed, of the sole-begotten One!

Christ above in torment hangs, she beneath beholds the pangs of her dying glorious Son.

Is there one who would not weep, whelmed in miseries so deep, Christ’s dear Mother to behold?

Can the human heart refrain from partaking in her pain, in that Mother’s pain untold?

...

O thou Mother! fount of love! Touch my spirit from above, make my heart with thine accord:

Make me feel as thou hast felt; make my soul to glow and melt with the love of Christ my Lord.

...

Let me mingle tears with thee, mourning Him who mourned for me, all the days that I may live:

By the Cross with thee to stay, there with thee to weep and pray, is all I ask of thee to give.

― 

An immature habit among some Christians is often falling into a sense of shame over their sin, but not shame for offending God, dishonoring our baptismal vows, or staining the name by which we've been called. This kind of shame is not from faith working by love, for even atheists experience this kind of shame over their own evil. We must realize this is not true contrition or sorrow for sin. 

When we sin, we participate in the very thing for which our Lord was slain, the very thing that rested upon the visage of our savior. We in a manner of speaking, spit into his face and decry the name above all names for the sake of the filthiest of thoughts, the most defiling actions, and the most degrading speech. 

When we recall our sin, our mind should be brought to the foot of Calvary, through the eyes of Mary, and we should behold what our sin "has done" to Jesus. Mary not only cried for her Son because He was suffering death, but because she saw her Lord crucified for the sins of the world, and witnessed the greatest shame and ignominy to be bestowed upon God. 

Real sorrow for sin (an essential part of true repentance) involves acknowledging what it really is, and what it really did. We should have that "shame for offending God, dishonoring our baptismal vows, and staining the name by which we've been called." No better image can allow us to bear true contrition than the eyes of Mary and her sorrow. Can we be at her station? Can we ask that God might bring us to the foot of the cross to, as the Prayer Book says, "...acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness?" Can we ask that God might make our hearts accord with the Blessed Mother and share such sorrow over what sin, and for us, our very own sin, has done to Jesus? 

St. Paul urges that the faithful imitate him in his virtue as he imitates Christ (1 Cor 11:1). Ought we not follow the example of all the saints when they imitate the virtue of Christ? Did Mary not provide an exemplar and beam of light amidst the darkness of Calvary? Is this not what we should have in our own life, i.e., utter sorrow for what has happened to the Lord? Of course, in our own context, this will be slightly different than St. Mary, but the substance of what ought to be imitated is there, how it is applied to our sin is different. 

As David sang concerning the angels: "Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure." (Ps. 103:20-21 ) We too can sing concerning the Blessed Mother and ask that God would grant us to "mingle our tears with hers" and "give us her very heart." Can we sorrow and have our own sword, as it were, pierce our very hearts when we confess our sin and behold what it did to Jesus? 

CONCLUSION

As can be seen, I have mixed three themes (1) sorrow for the death of Jesus (2) our sin, and (3) imitating in a manner, the example of St. Mary as things we should strive for. This is intentional. It is not possible that one theme can be imagined in the Christian life, and the other not annexed to it. All (i.e., sorrow for the death of Christ, sorrow over sin, imitating the life of the saints) are inseparably tied to the reality of our salvation. These all are joined as cross and nail in salvation history. 

If one really has a heart with true faith, hope, and charity then they will yearn for, and experience in conviction, a truer and more potent sorrow over the death of Christ, their sin, and a life that imitates the sorrows of the Blessed Mother. This in turn will drive them to confession and amendment to lead a sober, godly, and holy life. In a word, reflecting upon the Blessed Mother will lead one to live a holy life. 

I wish I could articulate my thoughts more eloquently, and there is much I want to say, but I feel this is sufficient for the scope of this article. 

I pray that this brief read was beneficial to your soul. If it was, consider sharing this and sending feedback! May our God and Father bless all those who read this for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.