Honoring Our Lady of Sorrows: Teaching Compassion Through Mary's Seven Sorrows

As the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows approaches on September 15th, it's a beautiful time to reflect on the profound sorrows that pierced the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This ancient devotion, dating back to the 14th century, invites us to unite our own sufferings with those of our Heavenly Mother, and to learn from her example of unwavering faith and compassion.

The seven sorrows of Mary are: the prophecy of Simeon, the flight into Egypt, the loss of the child Jesus in the temple, the meeting of Jesus and Mary on the way to Calvary, the crucifixion, the taking down of the body of Jesus from the cross, and the burial of Jesus. Each of these moments reveals the depth of Mary's maternal love and the immensity of her pain as she witnessed the suffering of her divine Son.

St. John Paul II said "Turn your eyes incessantly to the Blessed Virgin; she, who is the Mother of Sorrows and also the Mother of Consolation, can understand you completely and help you. Looking to her, praying to her, you will obtain that your tedium will become serenity, your anguish change into hope, and your grief into love."

In the midst of her anguish, Mary's heart remained steadfast in trust and surrender to God's will. Her example can help us teach our children that even in the darkest moments, we can find the strength to persevere and to offer our pain as a sacrifice of love.

Our Lady of Sorrows is a great way to encourage children to cultivate the virtues of empathy, compassion, and resilience. We can remind them that we are held in the depths of her maternal heart and that she is a companion in our sufferings interceding on our behalf.

One way to honor the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows is to pray the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows, a powerful meditation that can help us to grow in our understanding of the mystery of human suffering and the transformative power of grace. For children who may struggle to follow along finding or creating a coloring page where the beads can be colored progressively or go on a walk and choose stones or sticks to represent each of the beads and place them in a special location as you pray.
Alternatively, families could chose a special task that brings love and mercy to someone in need (bring a meal to a mother recently having given birth, bring flowers to an elderly neighbor and so on). Many Catholic churches and communities offer special Masses, processions, and other devotional practices that can help families commemorate this feast.

This feast day is also a great opportunity to learn about how other cultures celebrate. For instance, the Peruvian custom of the "Procession of the Sorrows," where the faithful carry statues of the Blessed Mother through the streets, accompanied by traditional music and prayers. In Slovakia pilgrims flock to a miraculous statue of Our Lady of Sorrows in Šaštín. And in the Philippines there are candlelit processions. These rich expressions of faith and devotion remind us that the sorrows of Mary are not just a historical event, but a living reality that continues to touch the hearts of believers around the world.

As we prepare to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, let us ask the Blessed Mother to teach us how to embrace our own sufferings with courage and grace, and to use them as a means of growing in compassion and love for others. May her example inspire us to become more like her, and to bring the healing balm of her maternal love to a world in need.