THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE
"Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things... Love never fails" (1 Cor 13)
The church on this
day honors Our Lady of Sorrows. By the 14th century the seven sorrows of Mary
are: the presentation of Jesus in the Temple; the flight into Egypt, Jesus
being lost in Jerusalem, the meeting of Mary and Jesus on the way to Calvary,
the crucifixion; the taking down of Jesus' body from the cross and his burial.
All this for the gift of love!
At the beginning of
Jesus' life, when He was presented in the temple, Simeon had predicted that
Mary would suffer greatly - a sword will pierce through [her] own soul (LK 2:
33-35.) Many have called Mary a martyr in spirit. Bernard of Clairvaux said:
Jesus "died in body through a love
greater than anyone had known. She [Mary] died in spirit through a love unlike
any other since his." Mary did not despair in her sorrow and loss,
since her faith and hope were sustained by her trust in God our Father and love
she had for her Son.
St. Paul's great
hymn to love describes that same generous self-giving. Love is not focused on
oneself but on the beloved, and nothing is too small or too great to do for the
other. This love is what we celebrate as we look with awe on Mary, the mother
of Jesus and us all. She was willing to heed God's word brought to her by
Gabriel and, at the risk of losing her betrothed husband Joseph, to become the
mother of God's Son. Mary let go of her cherished Son so that He could bring
hope, peace, and healing to multitudes, and today as we reflect on the
scriptures, we see her standing at the foot of the cross. The sword had reached
the center of her heart-for she was willing to take on the responsibility of
mothering His disciples. "Love bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things... Love never fails" (1 Cor 13.)
Let us ask our
mother Mary to strengthen our hearts to love Jesus Christ and all His people.