BY BEING TOGETHER, NOT IN SUFFERING ALONE

September 15, 2025 – Monday, Memorial of the Our Lady of Sorrow

Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091525.cfm)

Having a wisdom tooth growing can completely destroy your day. Having a headache can affect your daily activities. When pain becomes unbearable, it affects our daily routine and activities, our work and studies, even our relationships.

Who would really want to be in pain? As much as possible, we avoid pain. The medical science developed pain relievers to take away gradually or instantly the aches and pains we feel in our body. Anesthesiologists are there to assist patients who will undergo surgery through the use of anesthesia.

Yet, no remedy can be given to a heart that is bruised, abused, betrayed or humiliated. No doctor can inject anesthesia to a deep emotional pain. It can even linger and worsen with time. Emotional pain can also be unbearable and life-threatening when it is faced alone.

On this memorial of Mary, the Our Lady of Sorrows, we are reminded that pain in itself is part of life. No one can escape pain. All of us will meet pain in different degrees and aspects of life.

However, this celebration reminds us of the wonder and comfort in facing and enduring pain when we are with others.

Remember the prophecy of the old Simeon as told to us in the Gospel of Luke. When the baby Jesus was brought by the couple, Joseph and Mary to the Temple, Simeon had caught sight of Light, the salvation of the world. However, this child will be responsible for the rise and fall of many in Israel. This means that the humble, the poor and those marginalized by the society will rise into the heart of God. Yet, he will be the fall of the powerful, the self-righteous and the corrupt.

Hence, the infant will be a contradiction, a counter-culture. The child will bring change and transformation to all that can be painful to those who seek comfort and power, titles and riches.

Being a contradiction to the world, the child himself will undergo a terrible pain of betrayal, of dying and death. With this, no amount of pain reliever or anesthesia can aid. The same amount of pain was also given to the mother of the child, to Mary.

Simeon prophesied, “you yourself a sword will pierce.” Mary’s heart will be pierced with so much sorrow and pain. Every blow to Jesus, Mary also endured. Every insult to her Son, Mary also suffered. Every agony of Jesus, Mary also agonized.

However, despite all these gruesome and painful events in the life of Mary, she did not hide. Mary did not escape into dreams and denial. Mary bravely confronted pain by being with her Son, by journeying with him until his last breath.

Unlike the men disciples of Jesus who hid and ran away from pain, Mary bravely faced that sword piercing her heart. She suffered in silence along with her Son.

Yet, what made Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows to have the courage?It was love that sustained Mary. It was her deep concern and affection to the person whom she loved that moved her to be with Jesus and to also suffer with him. To the suffering Son on the cross, the presence of her mother was the best comfort he had. The presence of Mary was more powerful than any pain reliever and any amount of anesthesia to the dying Son.

Although, Mary’s presence did not take away the pain, but her presence made Jesus to be more resolved that there is hope in humanity.Mary’s presence on the cross is a testament to God that humanity can show so much concern and love to a suffering person. That’s why pain is never the end, suffering is never the last thing in life. The glory of the resurrection of Jesus tells us of that freedom from pain and promise of joy.

We can attain that, by being together, not suffering alone. It is in allowing others to suffer with us or by allowing ourselves to suffer with others. We realize then, to live life will bring pain in us, but it will also bear fruit joy because of being with our friends and loved ones.

On this feast of Mary, we are also called to be an instrument like Mary, to give comfort to those who are suffering and in pain in many ways, physically, spiritually or emotionally. Let our presence be an assurance of friendship, of love and concern to those who are in terrible pain this moment. For those who are in pain also, never retreat, deny or hide the pain or escape from pain, but allow others to journey with you. Allow those who love you to hold you and to embrace you. They may not take away the pain you are feeling, but let their presence, friendship and love be your source of comfort and confidence in your painful moments. Hinaut pa.