Thursday, April 20, 2017

Our Lady of Sorrows



From a sermon by Saint Bernard, abbot
               The martyrdom of the Virgin is set forth both in the prophecy of Simeon and in the actual story of our Lord’s passion.  The holy man said of the infant Jesus:  He has been established as a sign which will be contradicted.  He went on to say to Mary:  And your own heart will be pierced by a sword.
               Truly, O blessed Mother, a sword has pierced your heart.  For only by passing through your heart could the sword enter the flesh of your Son. Indeed after your Jesus--who belongs to everyone, but is especially yours—gave up his life, the cruel spear, which was not withheld from his lifeless body tore open his side.   Thus the violence of sorrow has cut through your heart, and we rightly call you more than martyr since the effect of compassion in you has gone beyond the endurance of physical suffering. 
               Or were those words:  Woman, behold your Son, not more than a sword to you, truly piercing your heart, cutting through to the division between soul and spirit?  What an exchange!  John is given to you in place of Jesus, the servant in place of the Lord, the disciple in place of the master; the son of Zebedee replaces the Son of God, a mere man replaces God himself.  How could these words not pierce your most loving heart, when the mere remembrance of them breaks ours, hearts of stone and iron though they are!
               Do not be surprised brothers, that Mary is said to be a martyr in spirit.  Let him be surprised who does not remember he words of Paul, that one the greatest crimes of the Gentiles was that they were without love.  That was far from the heart of Mary; let it be far from her servants.
               Perhaps someone will say:  “Had she not known before that he would die?”  Undoubtedly.  “Did she not expect him to rise again at once?”  Surely.  “And still she grieved over her crucified Son?”  Intensely.  Who are you and what is the source of your wisdom that you are more surprised at the compassion of Mary than at the passion of Mary’s Son?  For if he could die in body, could she not die with him in spirit?  He died in body through a love greater than anyone had known.   She died in spirit through a love unlike any other since his.

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