Monday 15^th September – Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows

Reflection: John 19: 25-27

BEING THERE FOR ONE ANOTHER

“Bear one another’s burden, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). In yesterday’s reflection, we highlighted the fact that our Christian call does not make us immune from life’s difficulties (2 Timothy 3:10-12), rather it guarantees us of God’s abiding presence through the ups and downs of life. Since we are faced with the reality that we all have our share of life’s challenges, what should be our approach to the suffering of our loved ones? “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17).

This is one of the virtues of Our Lady of Sorrows – Mother Mary. We see in today’s gospel reading how she faithfully stood by her son till the end in his excruciating suffering and death on the cross. What horror for a mother to see the painful death of her child, more so an innocent one. Dear brothers and sisters, how much can you really bear for your supposedly loved ones? What is your endurance threshold when situation demands that you share in the suffering or adversity of those around you? Today we see an increase in broken marriages and families as a result of unwillingness of married partners and family members to stand by each other through the odds of life. Prospective husbands and wives are increasingly finding it difficult to accommodate phrases like “for better for worse”, “in sickness and in health” in their marital vows. Many clergy have not really helped matters in this regard as they have expunged these vital phrases from the marital vows. What kind of love but pseudo-love is one that cannot suffer for his avowed lover? A friend in need, they say, is a friend indeed.

Beloved, let us emulate the love and endurance of our Mother Mary by abiding with each other through the thick and thins of life. Our Lord Jesus Christ gave her to us as our Mother (John 19:26-27), let us trust that she will never cease to intercede for us in our hour of need as she never forsook her son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, give me a loving heart and a persevering spirit as you gave to your Mother, Mary; that I may bear with the sufferings of those around me. Amen.

KNOW YOUR FAITH: YOUCAT 51 – If God is all-knowing and all-powerful, why does he not prevent evil?

“God allows evil only so as to make something better result from it” (St. Thomas Aquinas).

Evil in the world is an obscure and painful mystery. Even the Crucified asked his Father, “My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mt 27:46). Much about it is incomprehensible. One thing, though, we know for sure: God is 100 percent good… Christ’s death and Resurrection show us that evil did not have the first word, nor does it have the last. God made absolute good result from the worst evil.

HIDE A TREASURE: “Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfil the law of Christ” Galatians 6:2 RSV-CE

 Readings for Today: Hebrews 5: 7-9; Psalm 31: 2-6, 15-16, 20; John 19: 25-27