Evening Devotions: Saturday in Passion Week

The Passion of the Blessed Virgin, Continued.

Jesus was crucified in his body and soul; in his body on the cross and in his soul in the heart of his holy Mother. Mary was crucified spiritually and corporally; spiritually in her soul, corporally in the flesh of her divine Son. Love imprinted on her heart all the wounds that the scourge had inflicted on his body. Those that were not mortal to the Son were so to the Mother. The lance that opened the side of Jesus after he was dead pierced the living heart of Mary. Never has a mother loved or suffered as the Mother of Jesus did.

Oh, daughter of Zion, to whom shall I compare thee? Thy grief is without example. Only the sorrows of thy divine Son are comparable to thine. Only his surpass thine. He is the King of martyrs, thou art the Queen! He is the Man Of Sorrows and thou art the Mother of sorrows!

II.

Christian soul, go with Mary to Calvary. Take part in her affliction. Mingle your tears with hers and consider the excess of her grief. She stood by the cross of Jesus. What strength! What virtue! What constancy! While there pray to be received among the number of her children. Imitate her patience to render yourself worthy of such a mother. To receive this honor you must, like her, stand by the cross. Kneel at the foot of the cross and there wait daily. It is only here that she receives those who are presented to her by her divine Son as the children of her adoption.

Do not renew her sorrows or augment her afflictions. When you sin mortally you crucify her Son anew in your heart. You deprive him of a life more dear to him than the one he lost on the cross. Oh this death is most painful and bitter to him and afflicts the heart of his holy Mother who cannot bear to see the fruits of all he suffered made useless by the guilt of those for whom he suffered. She consented to the corporal death of her Son, but not to his spiritual death in the souls of men. The first gave them life, the second gives them death. She did not complain of the Jews although they were wicked and criminal, but she has reason to complain of Christians who are faithless to Jesus who redeemed them and to her who suffered with him for their salvation.

III.

Suffer, then, with patience and submission like hers, all that may afflict your body or soul. Be constant in tribulation. Continue beside the cross in your desolation. Do not murmur against the order of God's providence however severe it may appear to you, but draw near to Jesus crucified and hear him say from his throne of suffering, "Son, behold thy mother. Mother, behold thy son." Do you not desire to belong to the family of Jesus Christ? Become, then, a child of Mary and you will be a member thereof.

Resolution: In honor of the Virgin’s sorrows I will abstain today from a food I particularly enjoy and give a donation to a local food pantry or I will abstain from some recreational activity or television program and spend the time reading about our Lady’s sorrows.

Prayer: Oh, most holy and afflicted Virgin, oh, Queen of martyrs, oh, Mother of sorrows, impress on my heart the wounds of thy Son! Obtain for me grace to love his cross and courage to take part in his sufferings. Pierce my heart with the sword of grief that pierced thy own. Let me drink of the same bitter chalice that thou didst. Above all, I beg thee to assist at the hour of my death as thou didst at that of thy divine Son. Receive my soul into thy hands and return it to him who gave it.