Reflection on the Gospel of the Wednesday In The Twenty-Fourth Week In Ordinary Time |
Luke 2:33-35 (Memorial: The Blessed Virgin Mary of Sorrows) |
A short passage, but filled with depth.
Even as I was preparing for this reflection, I came across a article by Fr. Félix López, S.H.M. where he points out that the choice of words St. Luke does with respect to the required purification… He does not say that when the day of “her” purification, but of “their” purification (dies purgationis eorum), had come. Whereby we can understand that the purification is regarding both, Jesus and Mary, both of whom did not require to be purified; Jesus because of his deity and Mary, because she had given virgin birth to Jesus. But in both submitting to the regulations of the their time, they are humbling themselves with openness and fidelity to God through accepting the instructions of the Law, and living in accordance with it.
The other thing which is striking is the mention of Sorrow. Sorrow is the definite companion God gives us, so that we be perfected in its fire. Sorrow is not per se a negative gift from God, but the agent through which we can be purified from all our weaknesses. Discipleship of Jesus is not easy, it is demanding and tears us away from many things that we see as important in our lives. Eventually, when we have walked the path of sorrow, we see that, what has happened is that we are free, no longer held back by those seeming important things. We can now love like Jesus and be like Jesus in conduct and words to others… Mary in this regard is the perfect disciple. She will embrace sorrow, which will help her walk with her son to Calvary, and accept him as her redeeming sacrifice.
Pray then, and ask Jesus to walk with you on the journey that Sorrow takes you through. That he help you to endure, and grow into being like Mary our Mother – his disciple in the truest sense.
