September 15: Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

September 15 is marked as the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows on the Catholic Calendar

The purpose of this feast is to remind us the faithful of the spiritual martyrdom of the Mother of God and her compassion for the sufferings of her Divine Son, Jesus. The seven great events of sorrow in her life were;

1. Prophecy of Simeon (Lk 2:25-40)
2. The Flight into Egypt (Matt 2:13-18)
3. The Three Days Loss of Jesus (Lk 2:41-52)
4. Meeting Jesus on the Way to Calvary (4th Station of the Cross)
5. Mary at the Foot of the Cross (Jn 19:25-27)
6. Jesus Taken Down from the Cross (Jn 19 :38-40) and
7. The Burial of Jesus (Mk 15:42-46)

There was between Jesus and His Mother all that union and interchange of kinship and tender love between a fond mum and her child. Also, the intense love with which she loved Him as Her God so that we may truly say there never could be love between a human soul and God greater than the love between Jesus and Mary.

To what or whom shall we compare, and to what or whom shall we liken the sorrows and sufferings of this Virgin daughter of Zion? Indeed, her heart was filled with the reproaches and the revilings of those who upbraided, scoffed at and blasphemed Her Son as She stood beneath His Calvary of shame. “Come, all who pass by the way, look and see whether there is suffering like my suffering” (Lamentations 1:12)

It is a Catholic Tradition to say one Our Father and ten Hail Mary on this feast. So do not forget to pray a short prayer today and ask Her to turn all your sorrow into joy, because she softens all evil hearts turned into Her care on this special day. This feast became popular in the 12th century but under various titles of Mary. She is also known as Mater Dolorosa.