This is directed firstly to Catholic faithful. A personal reflection on the life of the mother of Jesus. The topic `Mother of Sorrow, full of grace` can be called a paradox because it is a statement that carries two seemly opposing ideas; Sorrow and grace.
How can one be the mother of sorrow and equally be one who is full of grace? Or how can one be full of grace and still experience sorrow? Those who truly understand the gospel of Jesus would not find it difficult to accept the fact that a life of sorrow is not the absence of Grace, and the life of grace is not equally the absence of sorrow.
In fact the more sorrows we endure as Christians go a long way to show the immensity of God`s grace in our life. It is rather an error to preach that sorrow is an indication of God`s absence. Remember that God did not spear his own son from suffering. St. Paul even tells us that our suffering brings about God`s acceptance.
It is against this background that I am going to discuss the credibility of Mary being the Mother of sorrow and the Woman full of Grace. Our people (the Ukwuani people) will say that `it is the tree that has fruit (not just fruit but good fruit) that receives plucking or stoning`
By this, we can say that the one (tree) full of grace (fruits) is the one that bears much sorrow. Nothing good they say comes easy. Mary was privileged to bear the best of all fruits – Jesus, so it is expected that she passes through the most difficult of all moments.
MOTHER OF SORROW: THE SEVEN SORROWS OF MARY
Tradition holds that Mary`s heart was pierced by seven swords of sorrows.
1. Simeon`s prophesy (Luke 3:33-35)
2. Flight into Egypt (Mathew 2:13-18)
3. The three days lost of Jesus
4. Meeting of Jesus on the way to Calvary
5. The Crucifixion
6. Taking down Jesus from the Cross
7. The Burial of Jesus I have deemed it fit to add to the above sorrows
8. The sin of the world against her son`s love
9. Dishonor of her name by those who are called by her son`s name At Fatima on October 13, 1917, during the miracle of the sun, Mary appeared to the children as the mother of sorrows.
FULL OF GRACE: THE DIVINE PRIVILEGES OF MARY
1. Immaculate conception
2. Chosen to be the Mother of God (Luke 1: 26-38)
3. Chosen to be the Mother and Queen of all (John 19:25-27)
4. Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
5. Sinless (Revelation 12:13-16)
6. Mediatrix of all Graces (John 19:25-27) MORAL LESSONS Be careful with prosperity gospels for they have no much biblical basis.
The prosperity in the gospel of Christ Jesus is not material well being but eternal life attained through the cross. St. Paul tells us` to me if I boast of anything else except the cross of Jesus` The Crown of a Christian depends on the cross that he or she endures.
The bigger your cross, the better your crown. We must learn to accept from God both sorrows and Joys. Job said `if we must accept good things from God, should we not also accept the bad. Please feel free to drop your comments and questions. Mary Mother of sorrow, pray for us.