A Mother's Hold
(on the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows)
Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.
Do you still remember when you were a little child, and you hurt yourself you cant help but cry. And your mother came rushing to you asking you where does it hurts. Then she will blow or maybe kiss the part that hurts and suddenly you felt its gone and you will return playing again. For me this is the mystery of a mother’s hold, a mother’s touch, it’s a magic in a make believe world of a child. But now that we are old do we still believe that a mother’s hold and touch would make all our pain and other afflictions go away?
When I was in college, while facilitating a prayer session among members of my organization, I heard this beautiful story of about a mother and her daugther. The story was told that there was this girl, who was born minus one ear. Growing up shy, withdrawn and often hurt because of her defect. Her mother always felt her pain, more than everybody else. On the girl’s 18th birthday, she was brought by her mother to for an ear transplant operation which turned out to be successful. This changed her whole life, she become free and outgoing. And then she met the man of her dreams. The night before her wedding, her mother held on her, and she embraced her mother so tight - and the girl found out for the first time that her mother no longer had one ear. It turned out that the ear transplanted on her was that her mother whom she often hurt, shouted at and take for granted all these years.
Today we celebrate the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. I think it’s a continuation of the yesterday’s celebration, the triumph of the Cross. In our gospel today, we hear Jesus entrusting and giving His own mother to His beloved disciple. Mary at the foot of the cross seeing her only son dying, suffering on the cross. She does not cease to be the Mother of Jesus. The life of Mary is intertwined with that of her son, His joys, sorrows and glory are also hers. Can you imagine the sorrow and the pain of Mary. It was a sword piercing her heart. In my 30-day retreat, I was there and to witness and even feel with Mary her pain and sorrow while seeing her son crucified, shamed and mocked. However, the most touching scene in my prayer that captured everything how Mary felt during that time was the Pieta. The picture of Mary cradling the lifeless body of her son taken down from the cross. Mary helplessly crying and confused, everything was a part of the “yes” she gave the angel in the annunciation? But then, she continued to believe, trust God and leave everything to Him.
Our Lady of Sorrows reminds us that standing by with Jesus when he bears our sins on the cross, and His mother suffering with Him until the end. Jesus gave us His mother to be our mother also. Mary willingly shared in the suffering of Jesus, she accepted the mysterious design of God’s will. Our mother always felt our pain, more than everybody else. We too have our crosses and trials, and sometimes it almost crushes us to the ground and wanting to run away form it. Sometimes we cant stand it anymore and wanted to give up. We all have experiences of pain, and personally experiencing those things makes me wonder, there are times I am tempted to say "Ayoko na... I give up." I remembered what a friend priest told me when he was in the same shoes where I am now: “You know when Jesus was crucified, all disciples fled and abandoned Him, all except one – John. Why did John did not abandoned Jesus? According to that priest, John too, wanted to run wanted to run away. But the blessed Mother held on him so could not run away… And with a smile he advised me “stay close to the Blessed Mother, and you will not abandoned Jesus.” because our mother always feel our pain, more than everybody else. For Christ gave us His mother to be our mother also. When we are down, afflicted with so much pain, problems and issues, Mary our mother is there for us. When the endless process put us in desolation, just look at our Mother and compare the anguish and pain she received, our pain was nothing. But Our Mother kept on believing on God’s mysterious will, and even trusted God until the end. And that is the magic of a mother's hold, Mary our Mother always holds us close to her Son and leads us to path going to the Father.
When I was in college, while facilitating a prayer session among members of my organization, I heard this beautiful story of about a mother and her daugther. The story was told that there was this girl, who was born minus one ear. Growing up shy, withdrawn and often hurt because of her defect. Her mother always felt her pain, more than everybody else. On the girl’s 18th birthday, she was brought by her mother to for an ear transplant operation which turned out to be successful. This changed her whole life, she become free and outgoing. And then she met the man of her dreams. The night before her wedding, her mother held on her, and she embraced her mother so tight - and the girl found out for the first time that her mother no longer had one ear. It turned out that the ear transplanted on her was that her mother whom she often hurt, shouted at and take for granted all these years.
Today we celebrate the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. I think it’s a continuation of the yesterday’s celebration, the triumph of the Cross. In our gospel today, we hear Jesus entrusting and giving His own mother to His beloved disciple. Mary at the foot of the cross seeing her only son dying, suffering on the cross. She does not cease to be the Mother of Jesus. The life of Mary is intertwined with that of her son, His joys, sorrows and glory are also hers. Can you imagine the sorrow and the pain of Mary. It was a sword piercing her heart. In my 30-day retreat, I was there and to witness and even feel with Mary her pain and sorrow while seeing her son crucified, shamed and mocked. However, the most touching scene in my prayer that captured everything how Mary felt during that time was the Pieta. The picture of Mary cradling the lifeless body of her son taken down from the cross. Mary helplessly crying and confused, everything was a part of the “yes” she gave the angel in the annunciation? But then, she continued to believe, trust God and leave everything to Him.
Our Lady of Sorrows reminds us that standing by with Jesus when he bears our sins on the cross, and His mother suffering with Him until the end. Jesus gave us His mother to be our mother also. Mary willingly shared in the suffering of Jesus, she accepted the mysterious design of God’s will. Our mother always felt our pain, more than everybody else. We too have our crosses and trials, and sometimes it almost crushes us to the ground and wanting to run away form it. Sometimes we cant stand it anymore and wanted to give up. We all have experiences of pain, and personally experiencing those things makes me wonder, there are times I am tempted to say "Ayoko na... I give up." I remembered what a friend priest told me when he was in the same shoes where I am now: “You know when Jesus was crucified, all disciples fled and abandoned Him, all except one – John. Why did John did not abandoned Jesus? According to that priest, John too, wanted to run wanted to run away. But the blessed Mother held on him so could not run away… And with a smile he advised me “stay close to the Blessed Mother, and you will not abandoned Jesus.” because our mother always feel our pain, more than everybody else. For Christ gave us His mother to be our mother also. When we are down, afflicted with so much pain, problems and issues, Mary our mother is there for us. When the endless process put us in desolation, just look at our Mother and compare the anguish and pain she received, our pain was nothing. But Our Mother kept on believing on God’s mysterious will, and even trusted God until the end. And that is the magic of a mother's hold, Mary our Mother always holds us close to her Son and leads us to path going to the Father.
Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.
posted by r a i m e n d o z a at 3:49 PM
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