MATER DOLOROSA
3. Divine and Natural Sorrow.
We cannot realize the intensity of the human and natural suffering of Mary. How then could we have even an approximate idea of Her supernatural sorrow?
Mary suffered on losing Her Son, on seeing Him suffer and die; but She suffered especially because She knew Him to be God. Who has known God as well as Mary? Who has loved God as much as Mary?
Recollect the great love of so many holy souls, of the angels and seraphim. Well, all that is nothing in comparison with the love which Mary bore to Her God. How then, would She feel the offenses, the insults, the tortures to which men submitted Him? If as a Mother She felt the echo of His sufferings in Her heart, what would She not feel as the Mother of God?
People realizing that they have offended God have been known to die of sorrow for their sins. But for a special grace, She would have died of sorrow at the sight of the grievous offenses which the chosen people had afflicted on Christ during His Passion.
Moreover, Mary underwent all these untold sufferings without any spiritual consolation of any kind. The martyrs were able to suffer joyfully whilst embracing the cross. The sight of Jesus crucified used to encourage the ascetics, strengthen the anchorites and harden them in their austerities. But the Crucifix, the sight of Jesus nailed on the cross was precisely Mary's greatest torture. That same One who would be a consoler for others was an executioner for Her. That afflicted Her maternal heart. Hers was not merely physical sufferings. But although Her body did not experience the scourging and nailing, Her sorrow was the more intense, being all internal, pure, spiritual.
Finally, the climax of this suffering came when Our Lady, content not only to be present at the sacrifice of Her Son came to the point of desiring it. Mary had two sons, one innocent, the other a sinner. We ourselves are the latter. If She had decided that the innocent son was to live, She thus had to accept the condemnation of the sinner. If Mary wanted the sinner-son to be saved, She had to agree to the sacrifice of the Other. Which would She choose? As a Mother She had to love us as much as did Jesus, and She had practically reached the point of preferring us to Him; in as much as She knew that such was the Will of God, Who did not spare His own Son. She declared that this was Her will also. And consequently She did not spare Jesus.
There She stood, then, by the foot of the cross, dying of sorrow and yet desiring, even consenting to the death of Jesus, in order that we might be saved. How much love and how much suffering! How great was the price Our Lady had to pay that we might be Her children!
We generally appreciate and love what costs much. Great then must be Our Lady's love for us since it made Her suffer so much. Hence then enough ingratitude, cease making your Mother suffer. Love Her at the cost of any sacrifice, even at the cost of your life.
[Excerpted from 'MARIAN MEDITATIONS' Book by Rev. Dr. Ildefonso R. Villar, Salesian Philippine Province, Nihil Obstat; Imprimatur]
3. Divine and Natural Sorrow.
We cannot realize the intensity of the human and natural suffering of Mary. How then could we have even an approximate idea of Her supernatural sorrow?
Mary suffered on losing Her Son, on seeing Him suffer and die; but She suffered especially because She knew Him to be God. Who has known God as well as Mary? Who has loved God as much as Mary?
Recollect the great love of so many holy souls, of the angels and seraphim. Well, all that is nothing in comparison with the love which Mary bore to Her God. How then, would She feel the offenses, the insults, the tortures to which men submitted Him? If as a Mother She felt the echo of His sufferings in Her heart, what would She not feel as the Mother of God?
People realizing that they have offended God have been known to die of sorrow for their sins. But for a special grace, She would have died of sorrow at the sight of the grievous offenses which the chosen people had afflicted on Christ during His Passion.
Moreover, Mary underwent all these untold sufferings without any spiritual consolation of any kind. The martyrs were able to suffer joyfully whilst embracing the cross. The sight of Jesus crucified used to encourage the ascetics, strengthen the anchorites and harden them in their austerities. But the Crucifix, the sight of Jesus nailed on the cross was precisely Mary's greatest torture. That same One who would be a consoler for others was an executioner for Her. That afflicted Her maternal heart. Hers was not merely physical sufferings. But although Her body did not experience the scourging and nailing, Her sorrow was the more intense, being all internal, pure, spiritual.
Finally, the climax of this suffering came when Our Lady, content not only to be present at the sacrifice of Her Son came to the point of desiring it. Mary had two sons, one innocent, the other a sinner. We ourselves are the latter. If She had decided that the innocent son was to live, She thus had to accept the condemnation of the sinner. If Mary wanted the sinner-son to be saved, She had to agree to the sacrifice of the Other. Which would She choose? As a Mother She had to love us as much as did Jesus, and She had practically reached the point of preferring us to Him; in as much as She knew that such was the Will of God, Who did not spare His own Son. She declared that this was Her will also. And consequently She did not spare Jesus.
There She stood, then, by the foot of the cross, dying of sorrow and yet desiring, even consenting to the death of Jesus, in order that we might be saved. How much love and how much suffering! How great was the price Our Lady had to pay that we might be Her children!
We generally appreciate and love what costs much. Great then must be Our Lady's love for us since it made Her suffer so much. Hence then enough ingratitude, cease making your Mother suffer. Love Her at the cost of any sacrifice, even at the cost of your life.
[Excerpted from 'MARIAN MEDITATIONS' Book by Rev. Dr. Ildefonso R. Villar, Salesian Philippine Province, Nihil Obstat; Imprimatur]
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