Part 25

What lesson may we draw from this second sorrow of Mary in Egypt? An important one is this, that sufferings and trials, if they come from God, are far better for us than great consolations. To be well convinced of this truth we must be thoroughly imbued with a spirit of faith. Even pious people rebel when they think they suffer without having deserved it. How many, instead of profiting by tribulations, become almost blasphemous in their murmuring against God! We may be sure that the little troubles sent us by God, rightly endured, are better for our spiritual welfare than hours of prayer in which the feeling of consolation has a prominent part; who knows whether this luxury which our souls enjoy is not the object that we look for, without regard to our real good or the glory of God?

We also learn from the flight into Egypt that we must not question the designs of Providence in our sufferings. Would we find it amiss if God had worked miracles so that the Holy Family might at least have comfort? But no, He seemed to afflict them without mercy.

Prayer.

O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.

Fourteenth Day.

The third sorrow that our blessed Mother endured was the loss of the Child Jesus for three days. According to the Law, the Jews living in the neighborhood of the holy city had to make a pilgrimage three times a year, in order to celebrate the great feasts. They had to go on the feast of the Pasch, which was instituted to commemorate the deliverance from the bondage of Egypt; the second feast was that of the weeks, corresponding to our Pentecost, and the third feast was the feast of the tabernacles, where the devout of the nation thanked God for all the mercies shown them during the year. It was at one of these feasts of the Passover, or Pasch, that Jesus, Mary, and Joseph journeyed to Jerusalem. The Pasch must have been a feast of peculiar significance to the members of the Holy Family, for they knew what it really meant to them. There was to come a Pasch at which the principal actor of the feast would be Jesus, Our Lord. He certainly had that last Passover before His mind, and no doubt St. Joseph was also informed of the future. Mary, certainly, could not be ignorant of that great event in the future life of her divine Son.

Prayer.

O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.

Fifteenth Day.

As they journeyed on to Jerusalem, that future Passover of the sorrowful Passion must have been pictured vividly in their minds. They saw the boy of twelve years at their side, and they loved the Saviour of mankind with a sincere, adoring love; more and more did they love their good Jesus, Who was already making a sacrifice of Himself to His heavenly Father. They remained during the days of the feast in the neighborhood of the Temple, fulfilling the duties of their religion; and when the time came for their departure, Mary and Joseph travelled separately, Joseph with the men and Mary with the women. Mary thought that Jesus was with Joseph, and Joseph thought that He was with Mary. They journeyed a whole day without being aware of His absence; but when evening came and they, on inquiry, found that the Child was not with them, they were overwhelmed with grief. They returned to Jerusalem, and for three days sought Him through the city; at length, on the third day, they went to the Temple, and there they found the divine Child, sitting among the doctors, as the Scriptures say, teaching them, and asking them questions.

Prayer.

O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.

Sixteenth Day.

During the days of His sojourn in Jerusalem, what was the occupation of the Lord? He prayed long and fervently in that Temple, in that Holy of holies, in that house which His Father had chosen as His dwelling‐place on earth. Our Lord’s whole occupation was prayer. He prayed for the people of God, that they might acknowledge Him as the Redeemer of mankind. The doctors of the Law were there, picturing to themselves and to their audience the greatness of the coming Messias, from the very Scriptures which described His humiliations and modesty. Did Our Lord set them right by making them explain the discrepancies which they could not help noticing in the prophecies? The modesty of the Lord won all hearts, and so His time passed in the service of God. Mary and Joseph ran with joy to their beloved Son, and the Mother, embracing Him, remonstrated with Him, saying, “Son, why hast Thou done so to us? Behold, Thy father and I have sought Thee, sorrowing.” Then He answered, “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” He then went home to Nazareth with them, there to continue to do the will of His Father.

Prayer.

O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.

Seventeenth Day.

The sorrow of this event consisted mainly in the fact that Mary and Joseph had lost, perhaps through their own fault, the Child Jesus. They did not know whether it would be according to divine Providence that He would ever return to them; they thought that perhaps He had gone to the desert, as had St. John. This separation caused Mary terrible agony. It shows us how hard it is to lose Jesus, Our Lord, because He is absolutely necessary to us. By sin we lose Jesus; by love we regain Him, and the danger that we may again lose Him is enough to make us feel very sad. Mary’s great suffering in this separation makes us understand the magnitude of the evil of losing Jesus. But how little do we feel that separation, especially when it is caused by our sins! It is always our own fault when Jesus goes away from us. He would not leave us, only that we force Him from us, and the means we use to conquer God, to make Him capitulate, is sin. To bring Him back again we must be active in our search, regret the evil we have done, and weep tears of real sorrow. Thus we invite our friend Jesus back again into our soul.

Prayer.

O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.

Eighteenth Day.

Let us now consider the fourth sword of sorrow which pierced the heart of Mary. No wonder we venerate in Mary a goodness of heart so great. We have seen how this noble heart has been moved by the contemplation of the future sorrows of her Son; how she was so intimately united with Him, that she suffered for our sake as He did. And we know that Our Lord suffered and died for no other cause than our redemption. In the fourth sorrow we come closer to the Passion. We are transferred to the time when Jesus, after the Last Supper, was apprehended by the cohort, judged by Pilate, and delivered over to the Jews for crucifixion. The cross was laid on His bleeding shoulders, and, crushed under its weight, He painfully makes His way towards Calvary in company, or rather in a procession of curiosity‐ seekers, of friends and of foes; the object of derision to some, of pity to others. On His journey He meets His holy Mother. The cruel soldiers allow the meeting, and a temporary rest. A painful scene takes place between the Mother, and the Son Who is being led to execution.

Prayer.

O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.

Nineteenth Day.

Mary enjoyed the wonderful grace of being intimately united with Our Lord in His sufferings. She was present in spirit when Jesus was in the agony in the Garden of Gethsemani. She knew of the betrayal of Judas; she felt the ingratitude of that apostle, and the pain it gave the good Master. Mary sympathized with Jesus when He was scourged and cruelly treated the night of His Passion. She could count the strokes of the scourges; she saw the soldiers crown Him with thorns and strike Him in the face. She knew that Our Lord was placed before the people that they might look on His miserable condition, and feel compassion for Him; and she heard the voice of Pilate, “Behold the man!” She heard the mob demand His death, not satisfied by the tortures inflicted upon Him. Into the depths of her soul went the cry, “Crucify Him, crucify Him! His blood be upon us, and upon our children.” St. John, the beloved disciple, came at last to the Blessed Virgin, and brought the news of the condemnation of the Lord and of His immediate crucifixion; they went out to meet Him in His painful journey to Calvary.

Prayer.

O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.

Twentieth Day.

We have seen how sufferings of the Lord were communicated to Mary. Mary’s tears are mingled with His. Have we no share in them? Are we not to think of them, and feel them? We have been the cause of Mary’s sufferings, because being sinners we brought about the death of Jesus Christ. Should we not then, when we have recognized this fact, make the contemplation a source of shame, repentance, and sorrow? We have been the cause of this grief to Mary, and certainly we should, at least, have a devotion to her sorrowful heart. How can we do this better than by performing all our daily actions for the greater glory of God? Every day is a step nearer eternity, and every day we should meet Jesus, and work with Him. When we are in doubt and perplexity Jesus approaches us of His own accord, as He did the disciples on their way to Emmaus. What crosses shall we meet on our way each day? We know not. But this we know, that when we meet Jesus, we will meet our cross, for He is bearing His. How many meet the Lord, but turn away from Him when they see Him in such a pitiable condition? They would rather be with Him in His joy than in His sorrow.

Prayer.

O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.

Twenty‐first Day.

The world is a mystery. Life, death, time, good, evil and miseries, are mysteries to us. The crucifix is the solution of them all. It is a consoling contemplation when we are in trouble. When we have sinned it brings tears of repentance to our eyes, and gives us the hope of salvation; it is a source of love; it is a light in darkness; it is a solemn exhortation without words. O blessed cross, cause of the fifth sorrow to Mary! help us to have a joy in the cross in this life, that we may be led by it to a happy eternity. The way of the cross is now ended; the summit of Mount Calvary is reached about midday. The city of David is close by and the crown of glory of this city is now to be taken away. But the life of Christ is to crown it by its end, making it a still holier city than it ever has been. The soldiers tear the garments off the body of Jesus, and prepare for the execution by nailing Him to the cross. Mary hears the strokes of the hammer as the nails are driven through His hands and feet into the wood. Every stroke is a dreadful wound inflicted on her sorrowing heart; who should feel it more than this Mother witnessing the execution of her Son?

Prayer.

O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.

Twenty‐second Day.

The first hour of the three during which the Lord hung on the cross was passed in silent endurance; in prayer, in offering the sacrifice of His life for all mankind. Then darkness begins to gather. Mary approaches the cross, and stands near the suffering Saviour. The executioners mock Him, they cast lots for His garments; their cruel words and their coarse jokes fall on Mary’s ears and fill her soul with pain. Mary was to see and feel everything, as well as the Lord. The whole hour passed, and Jesus was silent; the second hour began its martyrdom and we hear the voice of Christ, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” a prayer which soothed the heart of Mary, for it was the voice of mercy. The third hour Jesus began to grow weaker; the loss of blood produced a great thirst, and He cried out, “I thirst.” And Mary knew that Jesus thirsted for souls; and that she could help this thirst by her prayers. Thus during those three hours Mary stood beneath the cross; it was the fifth sword of sorrow that pierced her soul.

Prayer.

O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.

Twenty‐third Day.

At this time Mary became our Mother, for Jesus recommended us to her in the person of St. John; it was His last will and testament; it was the end of thirty years’ communication between Mother and Son. Mary, like Jesus, had at heart the salvation of mankind, and now she feels authorized to have an interest in all humanity. She takes all under her protection; new sources of inexhaustible love were opened in her heart. Our Lord gave her the grace to love humankind as He loved them. Another circumstance to be considered in the sword of sorrow which Mary endured beneath the cross was her silence. She did not faint, nor cry out in despair. She was perfectly resigned to the will of God. What God demanded of her she performed without a murmur, and so she stood at her sorrowful post, determined to do His holy will as she had done it all her life; the more God asked of her, the more she was willing to give.

Prayer.

O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.

Twenty‐fourth Day.

There is a great lesson in this sorrow of Mary: that we must learn how to bear our crosses in this life. We must not throw them away; we must not come down from Calvary until we are crucified, and then we and the cross are inseparable. Calvary is a place where much impatience is manifested; many go up well enough, and carry their cross with perseverance, but when it comes to lie down on that cross, and be nailed to it, they go away again, forgetting their duty, though it was duty that brought them that far; they are only half‐crucified souls. We do not rob them of the merit of what they have done, but they might have done more. They have lost their courage because they did not observe the silence that Jesus preserved in His crucifixion; they were too much distracted; silence is the atmosphere of the cross. We shall contemplate two individuals on Calvary: Jesus and Mary. They teach us how to die. Jesus would certainly have spared His Mother the scenes of His sufferings unless it were good for her to witness them. She is to be with Jesus in His hour of death; she is also to be with us in our last hour. Then we too will thirst, and our soul will yearn for strength, which we will draw from the last sacraments and from Mary’s presence.

Prayer.

O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.

Twenty‐fifth Day.

We can never understand the crucifixion unless we study it under Mary’s guidance, because she is part of it and it cannot be represented without her. Oh, let us have a filial pity for her in her sorrows; let us feel a sympathy for her, especially as she stands beneath the cross. Let us pray to this sorrowful Mother, and imitate her in the very important lesson there taught: that is, to pray for the poor departing souls. Every moment, throughout the world, several souls pass from this life; it is their last opportunity to make their peace with God. Let us have the devotion, which is so charitable, to pray for the departing souls and recommend them to the mercy of God. If our prayers may be effective for a special grace in their regard, why should we not pray with fervor and for the love of God? Send Mary to them; she is continually saving souls. We also should be zealous to save them by frequently praying to God for this intention.

Prayer.

O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.

Twenty‐sixth Day.

The sixth sorrow in the life of the Blessed Virgin was the taking down of Our Lord from the cross. We read in the Scriptures, “They shall look upon Him Whom they have pierced.” Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus boldly, as is said, went to Pilate, and demanded the body of Christ, that they might give Him a decent burial. They drew the nails from the wounds of the hands and feet of Our Lord, and respectfully took Him down from the cross and placed Him in the arms of Mary. With great respect did these men and their servants approach the cross and handle the body. Who can describe their feelings during the pious work in which they were engaged? It was like the respect and adoration we show to the Blessed Sacrament. Each instrument of the Passion, still moist with the blood of Jesus, was laid near the sorrowful Mother, who kissed them and preserved them. Who had a better right to them? They were the first and holiest relics which the Church venerated. Now the body has been lowered far enough, that St. John may let His head rest on his shoulder. Mary knelt, and stretching out her arms she received the precious weight of His body on her breast. At last she held Him again, Whom as an Infant she had fondled in her arms! O Mary, now thou lookest upon the beautiful but disfigured face of thy Jesus!

Prayer.

O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.

Twenty‐seventh Day.

We must admire in Mary her wonderful steadfastness in her terrible sorrows. She might have allowed herself to be so overwhelmed with grief and despair that she would break out into shrieks and lamentations to relieve her heart; but she was a silent, kind, sweet sufferer. The saints have always loved the Passion of Our Lord, and have become familiar with it. Mary was familiar with it; she had suffered just this very torture, long before receiving the body of her beloved Son in her arms after the crucifixion. She knew it was the will of God, and that was the only thing she regarded. She was resigned to its operations. We too must think of the Passion of Our Lord, and meditate upon it until we grow as familiar with it, and love it, as did the saints. Why should we do so? Because we have sinned, and by sin have caused all these sufferings to Our Lord and to His blessed Mother, Mary. She was innocent of the sufferings of her Son; she had never committed a fault. We, who are guilty of sin, ought to do penance, ought to suffer, and be resigned to both.

Prayer.

O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.

Twenty‐eighth Day.

The burial of Our Lord was the source of the seventh sorrow of Mary. When the tomb had been prepared, the sheets spread out, and the ointments placed, Joseph, Nicodemus, John, Magdalen, and Mary, the Mother, in the depth of the night wended their way slowly from the height of Calvary, to the burial place of Joseph, which was just outside the walls of the city. Everything at the burial proceeded with great care and caution and in silence, the scene lit up by the dim light of a solitary torch. There lay the body, pale in death; the eyes closed, the lips set. All bent down in adoration before that adorable body. Joseph, then, with the help of the others, rolled the stone to the mouth of the tomb, and silently went to the city. Mary and John again visited the place of crucifixion, and gathered up the nails and crown of thorns; they also, that Friday night, went into the city of Jerusalem. The guard of soldiers sent by Pilate were already at the tomb, and sealed the stone so that the least interference might be detected.

Prayer.

O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.

Twenty‐ninth Day.

What was particularly sorrowful, in this seventh affliction, was the great sense of desertion that Mary felt, as if left by God; her good and adorable Son gone from her sight and buried. The days of the Passion, the death and the burial, must have so exhausted the life of the good Virgin that now she was near giving up the spirit. Every suffering that she had to endure seemed to culminate in this supreme moment. It is the last sword of Simeon’s prophecy. No one can describe the sufferings of Mary, and no one can describe the sanctity with which she bore up in all these trials. But, O Simeon, thou didst assert that having seen the Lord, thou wert now ready to leave this world. But this last sorrow did not announce the end to Mary; she was to suffer on for years. There seems to be nothing human or frail in Mary’s sufferings. Her character grows upon us, in nobility most exalted, and in patience never wavering. Man shows his feebleness at some time, but Mary seemed to grow stronger, purer, and more beautiful.

Prayer.

O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.

Thirtieth Day.

What lessons are we to learn from this seventh sorrow of Mary, the culmination of all her troubles and trials? One is that we should love God and be faithful to Him, with a more unselfish attachment. Mary left the tomb in which Our Lord was hidden from her sight without a murmur, resigned to the will of God. She might have persuaded herself that she should remain there, but God desired it otherwise, and she departed from the place which held her all. It is hard, but true, that God’s will must be done in everything. Another lesson from the contemplation of the sorrow caused by the separation from Our Lord was the bitterness of the separation. Oh, how bitter it is to be away from Jesus! Is there anything to make up for that loss? Terrible is the darkness of the hour when Christ is absent. It is a hell upon earth. And thus we have made a history of the life of Mary, and have followed her through her wearisome pain, until now we leave her ripe for heaven. The time has come in which God will call her to an eternity of honor and glory.

Prayer.

O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.

Exercise in Honor of the Sorrowful Heart of Mary.

_V._ Incline unto my aid, O God.

_R._ O Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be to the Father, etc.

1. O most sorrowful Mary, I compassionate the grief of thy tender heart at the prophecy of the holy old man Simeon. O beloved Mother, through that afflicted heart obtain for me the virtue of humility and the gift of the holy fear of God.

Hail Mary.

2. O most sorrowful Mary, I compassionate those afflictions which thy most sensitive heart endured during the flight into Egypt and the dwelling there. O beloved Mother, by thy deeply troubled heart obtain for me the virtue of liberality, especially towards the poor, and the true gift of piety.

Hail Mary.

3. O most sorrowful Mary, I compassionate that intense distress which thy anxious heart experienced in the loss of thy dearest Jesus. O beloved Mother, by that deeply troubled heart obtain for me the virtue of chastity and the gift of knowledge.

Hail Mary.

4. O most sorrowful Mary, I compassionate the consternation which thy maternal heart experienced when thou didst meet Jesus bearing His cross. O beloved Mother, by that deeply troubled heart obtain for me the virtue of patience and the gift of fortitude.

Hail Mary.

5. O most sorrowful Mary, I compassionate that martyrdom which thy generous heart endured in witnessing the last agony of Jesus. O beloved Mother, by that martyred heart obtain for me the virtue of temperance and the gift of counsel.

Hail Mary.

6. O most sorrowful Mary, I compassionate that wound which thy mournful heart endured from the lance which tore the side of Jesus and wounded His most loving Heart. O beloved Mother, by thy pierced heart obtain for me the virtue of fraternal charity and the gift of understanding.

Hail Mary.

7. O most sorrowful Mary, I compassionate the convulsion which thy most loving heart experienced at the burial of Jesus. O beloved Mother, by this extreme grief of thy sacred heart obtain for me the virtue of diligence and the gift of wisdom.

Hail Mary.

_V._ Pray for us, O most sorrowful Virgin.

_R._ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

_Let Us Pray._

Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, that the Blessed Virgin Mary, Thy Mother, may intercede for us with Thy clemency, now and at the hour of our death, who at the hour of Thy Passion was pierced in her most holy soul by the sword of sorrow; grant this, O Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world, Who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth, world without end. Amen.

A perpetual indulgence of three hundred days, applicable to the dead, to all Christians every time they shall recite the above exercise in honor of the sorrowful heart of the most holy Virgin.

Rosary or Chaplet of the Seven Dolors.

Act Of Contrition.