It is Harder to Watch the Pains of Those We Love.

Homily for September 15, 2017

There is nothing as painful as a mother watching her child; her only child die. Nothing! Even though she may have other children, seeing the baby she carried in her womb go through pain and then dying is something no woman can withstand.

A woman suffers great pains during pregnancy and at childbirth, her pains are even more heightened but the moment she is given her baby, all her pains suddenly disappear. She is consoled that her pains were not wasted. But then, should anything happen to that child, it is as if her pains become double. It is a pain no one can really describe. In fact, some women never recover from the loss of their children.

In the case of the Blessed Virgin Mary, this was her only son. As we celebrated the feast of the exaltation of the cross yesterday, the church reasons it that there is need to reflect on the sorrow of his Mother today because as we often read in the Stations of the Cross: “It is harder to watch the pains of those we love than to bear our own pains.”

As a mother, imagine watching your innocent son being flogged, brutally beaten by heartless soldiers, imagine looking at his flesh torn apart by sharp spikes and metal whips, imagine your boy being spat upon, laughed at, insulted, and then given a heavy cross to carry, imagine him being hung upon this cross in great pain and agony. Hmmmmmmmmmm.

The question in Mary’s mind must have been: “Why?... Why me?... Why?” If you have seen the movie Passion of Christ, notice how Mary came to clean the blood splashed on the floor when the soldiers were beating the hell out of him. Notice how Mary looked at Jesus while he was carrying the cross. Indeed, the church in her wisdom calls Mary, Co-Redemptrix meaning just as Jesus suffered for the redemption of the world, Mary played a key role in that suffering; she too carried a cross.

In that state of helplessness, there was nothing Mary could do for her only son Jesus other than to stand and watch him and Jesus knowing he was going to leave Mary behind decided to entrust her to the care of John the Beloved disciple. “Woman, behold your son.” In entrusting Mary to the care of John, Jesus also entrusted every one of us to the care of Mary. “Son, behold your Mother.” This is the reason why we don’t joke with Mary, the reason why we Catholics don’t mind been accused of over-doing things when it comes to Mary.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, your mother knew what it meant to cry, may she intercede on my behalf whenever tears flood my eyes. Amen.

*Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Our Lady of Sorrows. Bible Study:  Hebrews 5:7-9 and John 19:25-27.)*

Fr. Abu.