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Our Lady of Sorrowsand
Archbishop Romero, prophet of justice and peace, you stood in solidarity with the poor and oppressed even unto your own death. May we be inspired by your example to work each day against sin and the structures of sin that create injustice and oppress the poor. Pray for us that we will be strong in this journey.
At the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, the prophet Simeon foretold that a sword would pierce the heart of Mary. With the title of Our Lady of Sorrows, we recall that all was not joy and peace for Mary; she watched her own Son arrested on a trumped up charge, unjustly condemned after a farce of a trial, and tragically executed by crucifixion. When His Body was taken down from the Cross and placed in her arms, the tears ran down her cheeks and washed the blood from His face; surely it must have felt as though a sword had run through her own blessed heart.
Traditionally, we recall "seven sorrows of Mary": the prophecy of Simeon, the flight into Egypt, the three-day separation from Jesus, and four incidents along the Via Dolorosa (Mary meets Jesus on the way to the crucifixion, the crucifixion, the taking down of his body, the burial).
Today there are many swords that pierce the heart of Mary. Injustice, oppression, violence, murder -- sins and structures of sin against justice and peace. We know that within our hearts lie the seeds of the problems the world faces; if we are going to go forward in the work of justice and peace, we must begin first with an examination of our own lives -- how do our sins of omission and commission create structures of injustice and oppression -- how do we willingly participate in the social sins of this age -- what must be redeemed in our own lives by the Blood of the Cross that we may be in solidarity with those our society has pushed to the edge and further, into the abyss.
This week we consider how we can declare peace in the War on the Poor, how we can resign our
commissions in the Army of Injustice. We go to Our Lady of Sorrows, knowing that she has
walked this journey before us, asking for her intercession as we commence or continue our
journeys.
12th Sunday of Ordinary Time Sunday, June 21
Memorial of Sts Thomas More and John Fisher Monday, June 22
Vigil of the Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist Tuesday, June 23
Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist June 24
The Army of Babylon Approaches, Thursday of the 12th week of Ordinary Time, June 25
Jerusalem is Destroyed Friday of the 12th week of Ordinary Time, June 26
Memorial of St. Cyril of Jerusalem (June 27)
13th Sunday in Ordinary Time (June 28)
Our Lady of Sorrows Page at Justpeace