The Birthday of our Lady -
Yesterday was the commemoration of Mary’s birthday. The Church has
designated September 8 as her day of birth since the sixth century. This
date is nine months after the day on which we commemorate her
Immaculate Conception. Through tradition and early writings, we realize
the goodness of her parents Saints Joachim and Ann. Mary was reared in a
holy environment. We can see her birth as the dawn of our salvation.
She was dedicated to God and freely chose to do whatever He would ask of
her.
The Anniversary of the Attacks on our Nation - 9/11 is
engraved in history, engraved in the memories of most of us. It seemed
like a triumph of evil. But, it was not. Good always prevails. We should
always be encouraged to pray for good things such as for peace, for
health, for the preservation of life from conception on, for justice,
for freedom and that God’s will be done. Even when God allows evil, good
wins out in the end. Let’s just think about Friday’s feast which is....
The Exaltation of the Cross - This is the
name of Saturday’s feast, September 14. Why associate triumph with an
instrument of torture and agonizing death? We know the answer. Love! The
love of God compelled Him to become human in order to take all of our
sins onto that infamous cross and obliterate them. Jesus triumphed over
sin and death. In Him, we to triumph over sin and death. If we only
accept Him, if we only love Him!
Our Lady of Sorrows - On Saturday,
September 15, we honor Mary under her title Our Lady of Sorrows. Do you
know anyone whose name is Dolores? That name comes from the Latin word
"dolor" meaning pain or sorrow. The Church used to refer to Mary’s
sorrow as "The Seven Dolors of Mary." These sorrows are:
1. The Prophecy of Simeon in the Temple that a sword would pierce Mary’s heart 2. The Flight into Egypt before Herod’s slaughter of male infants in Bethlehem 3. The Loss of the Child Jesus before finding Him in the Temple 4. The Meeting of Jesus and Mary on the Way of the Cross 5. The Crucifixion 6. Jesus' body Struck by a Lance, Taken Down from the Cross 7. The Burial of Jesus
These sorrows accompanied God’s plan for our salvation. So, Mary
accepted all of these pains willingly. She saw this as ultimately God’s
triumph over evil.
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