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frmartinshomiliesandreflections · 2 years

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15th September >> Fr. Martin’s Gospel Reflections / Homilies on John 19:25-27 for the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows: ‘This is your mother’.

Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

Gospel (Except USA)

John 19:25-27

'Woman, this is your son'.

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son.’ Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’ And from that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home.

Gospel (USA)

John 19:25-27

How that loving mother was pierced with grief and anguish when she saw the sufferings of her Son (Stabat Mater).

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

Reflections (9)

(i) Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

When someone we love is dying, we desperately want to be by their bedside. We want to keep vigil, no matter how long it may take. We sit with them, perhaps in silent prayer, perhaps sharing memories with other family members. According to today’s gospel reading, when Jesus was dying on a Roman cross, Mary was keeping vigil, in the company of some other women and the beloved disciple, who is usually identified as John. Keeping vigil as a loved one is dying is never easy. Watching your son die in agony on a Roman cross at the age of thirty three is literally heart-breaking. When a loved one suffers, we suffer with them. If their suffering is physical, ours will be emotional and mental. Mary at the foot of the cross was indeed Our Lady of Sorrows. No one was closer to Jesus than his mother, Mary, and, therefore, she felt his suffering in a way no one else could. There is a unique bond between a mother and her child. Yet, according today’s gospel reading, from the cross Jesus gave his mother to us as our mother. Like the beloved disciple, we are invited to make a place for her in our home, in our lives. She is our spiritual mother, and just as she was with Jesus in his passion and death, she is with us when we have to travel our own way of the cross. There is an ancient prayer to Mary which begins, ‘At the cross her station keeping, Stood the mournful Mother weeping, Close to Jesus to the last’. Mary is close to us all especially when we find ourselves burdened by some cross or other. With confidence, we can turn to her at such times and ask her, as we do in the Hail Mary, to pray for us now and at the hour of our own death.

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(ii) Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

We tend to suffer when those who are close to us suffer. When children are sick, parents go through agony. Conversely, when parents become ill, their adult children become emotionally involved in their struggles. The sufferings and sorrows of Mary are intertwined with the sufferings and sorrows of her Son. Simeon highlights this intertwining of the life of Mary and the life of her Son in today’s gospel reading. He says of Mary’s son that he is destined to be a sign that is rejected and immediately says of Mary that a sword will pierce her own soul too. Michelangelo’s Pieta is the perfect expression in stone of that intertwining of the suffering and death of Jesus and the sorrows of Mary. Because Mary was so close to Jesus, she suffered when he did. Just as it is said of Christ in the first reading that ‘he offered up prayer and entreaty aloud and in silent tears’, the same could be said of Mary. Mary was faithful to her Son even though it meant sharing in his way of the cross. As disciples of Jesus, we look to Mary to inspire us to be as faithful to Jesus as she was even when that means the way of the cross. Like her we are ready to have a sword piece our own soul when faithfulness to the values of the gospel requires it.

And/Or

(iii) Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

Yesterday we celebrated the feast of the Triumph of the Cross. Today we celebrate the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. The gospels recognize that the sufferings of Jesus impacted on his mother. The suffering of both is brought together very clearly by Simeon in today’s gospel reading, Mary’s child is to be a sign that is rejected and a sword will pierce her own soul too. Just as Jesus’ way of cross began long before he got to Calvary, so too did Mary’s. Luke’s story of the finding of Jesus in the temple when Jesus was only twelve years old highlights the pain of both Mary and Joseph. When they found their son after much searching, Luke has Mary ask the question of Jesus, ‘Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been searching for you anxiously’. Jesus replied, ‘did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’ Luke presents a scene in which Mary experiences the pain of letting her son go to a greater purpose, God’s purpose. Therein lies the sword that Simeon refers to. Throughout Jesus’ life Mary struggled to let him go to God’s great purpose for his life. Her final and most painful experience of letting go was as Golgotha. We too struggle to let people go to what God desires for them, especially when what God desires for them is in conflict with what we want for them. In that struggle we can certainly look to Mary for help, asking her to pray for us and to give us a greater share of her spiritual freedom.

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(iv) Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

When someone we love suffers, we suffer along with them. The more we love someone, the more we suffer when they suffer. This is especially true of parents when their children suffer. When a son or daughter is suffering physically or emotionally or mentally, the mother and father is suffering just as much as their child is suffering, and sometimes even more so. You give your heart in love to someone and, invariably, it will be broken. There is no love without suffering. The only way to avoid that kind of suffering is to lock our heart up. The temptation can be to refuse to give our heart to anything or anyone, so that it is kept intact and never gets broken, but to do that is only to be half alive. The only way to live is to love and to accept the suffering that love inevitably brings. This morning we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. She gave her heart to her Son and when her Son’s body was broken, Mary’s heart was broken. Michelangelo’s Pieta captures that very powerfully. Simeon in today’s gospel reading makes that connection between Jesus’ suffering and that of his mother. Jesus is ‘destined to be a sign that is rejected’ and, as for Mary, ‘a sword will pierce your own soul too’. When our own heart breaks because of love we can look to Our Lady of Sorrows as our inspiration and our support.

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(v) Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows is always the day after the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. That wonderful Latin poem, the Stabat Mater, captures the sorrow of Mary very powerfully. It begins, ‘At the cross her station keeping, Stood the mournful Mother weeping, Close to Jesus to the last; Through her heart, his sorrow sharing, All his bitter anguish bearing, Now at length the sword had passed’. The ‘sword’ there is a reference to the sword that Simeon prophesied would pierce her heart, on the occasion of Mary and Joseph bringing the child Jesus into the temple. The most powerful depiction of Mary’s sorrow in marble is the wonderful Pietá by Michelangelo in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. One of the greatest human sorrows is that of a parent who has had to live through the death of his or her son or daughter. There is a particular quality to that sorrow which is unique in the land of sorrows. This was the sorrow that Mary endured at the cross of her Son. The physical agony of Jesus was balanced by the agonizing sorrow of Mary. It is a very dark scene. Yet, the portrayal of that scene in John’s gospel, which we have just heard, has a certain quality of light to it. The dying Jesus entrusts his mother and the beloved disciple to each other’s care. The words addressed to the beloved disciple are addressed to every disciple, to all of us gathered here this morning, ‘This is your mother’. In and through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we have been taken up into a new family, which looks to God as Father, to Jesus as brother, to Mary as mother and to one another as brothers and sisters. From the cross, Jesus bequeaths his mother to us all. In our own times of sorrows we can look towards Mary asking her to pray for us, sinners, now, and also at the hour of our own death.

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(vi) Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

We are all very interdependent. What affects one person can impact on many others. This is especially true within a family. When one family member suffers in some way, every family member is affected. If we are close to someone in love, the pain and struggle of the loved one becomes our pain and struggle. In this morning’s gospel reading, Simeon announces that Mary’s child whom she has just brought into the Temple will become a source of division. Some will accept him and ‘rise’; others will reject him and ‘fall’. His presence will be divisive and those who reject him will bring him much suffering. Mary as the mother of this child cannot escape his dark destiny. A sword will pierce her own soul too. She was the closest human being to Jesus and, inevitably, what happened to him would impact on her. Her sorrow reached its pinnacle as she stood by the cross and watched her son dying a painful death. Perhaps there is no sorrow greater than that of a mother who loses a son or daughter at the prime of their lives. Today’s feast of Mary brings her very close to us. It reminds us that she entered into the depths of human pain and suffering. The greatest saint of all time, the one who was closer to Jesus than any other human being, travelled the way of the cross. Our own relationship with Jesus does not preserve us from life’is cs sorrows and pains, no more than it preserved Mary. Yet we can be assured that as she went on to experience her son as risen Lord and the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost, we too will be sustained by the risen Lord and his Spirit on our own way of the cross.

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(vii) Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

I have a crucifix in my room which I like. It is a small replica of a crucifix in Assisi, the one before which Saint Francis was praying when he heard the Lord call on him to rebuild his church. Initially, Francis understood that call in a very physical, practical way, and he started helping to repair the local churches. He came to see that the Lord was calling him to rebuild his church in a much deeper sense. The church was in need of reform and Francis was to be one of the Lord’s instruments in that reform. Beneath the outstretched arms of Jesus are five figures, on one side is a group of two, a man and a woman, Mary the mother of Jesus and the beloved disciple, traditionally understood as John. This is the same scene that is depicted in words in today’s gospel reading. Today’s feast reminds us that Mary, more than any other human being, shared in the Lord’s passion and death. When a young man dies, no one suffers more than his parents. Yet, the cross of Jesus can never be separated from his resurrection. The same Mary who stood at the foot of the cross in deep sorrow and anguish was also present at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came down upon her and the other disciples. Her sorrow, like that of the other disciples, turned to joy. It is striking that in the crucifix from Assisi, the crucified Jesus is depicted as calm and serene, almost glorious, and Mary and John and the other figures beneath the arms of Jesus appear to be smiling. It is a crucifix that is shot through with the light and joy of Easter. Even this feast of Our Lady of Sorrows is bathed in Easter light. All our sorrows are bathed in Easter light, because the risen Lord is our light in every darkness and our strength in every weakness.

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(viii) Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

Although today is the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, it is not a sorrowful feast. Mary’s sorrow was the consequence of her motherly love for her Son, Jesus. Those we love invariably bring us suffering and sorrow. If we give our heart to someone, sooner or later it will be broken. The only way to keep our heart from being broken is to keep it locked away, not giving it to anyone or anything. However, that would be to live a very impoverished life. Our fundamental call as human beings is to love. Our basic call as followers of the Lord is to love others as he has loved us. The more we love, the more we expose ourselves to sorrow and pain. Jesus was loving in a way that was unique because he fully revealed God’s love. He loved more completely than any other human being ever did or could. That is why his suffering was greater than that of any human being. I mean not so much his physical suffering as his suffering of heart, the suffering which comes from the rejection and betrayal of love. Mary was the human being who was closest to Jesus. Her love for Jesus had a special quality, the quality of a mother’s love. Because of her unique love for Jesus, she shared in Jesus’s suffering in a unique way. It is her love for Jesus that is at the heart of today’s feast. The depth of her sorrow and suffering reflects the depth of her love for the Lord. We can learn from her to stand in love at the foot of other people’s crosses. She also inspires us to remain faithful to Jesus her Son out of love, even if that means we have to travel the way of the cross. Today’s feast also reminds us that we can turn to Mary for help and strength when our love for others, and, in particular, our love for the Lord, brings us sorrow and suffering.

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(ix) Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

There is a hymn associated with today’s feast called in Latin, ‘Stabat Mater’, literally, ‘The mother stood’. The title is taken from the opening verse of the hymn, ‘At the cross her station keeping, Stood the mournful Mother weeping, Close to Jesus to the last’. This memorial of Mary is closely associated with the crucifixion of Jesus, which is why it is celebrated the day after the feast of the exaltation of the cross. There is no greater sorrow for parents than the sorrow brought on by the death of their child. Most of us here this morning will have grieved the death of a parent or both parents, and we accept such grief as part of life. However, the grief of a parent for a deceased son or daughter is of a different order. In today’s gospel reading, Simeon closely associates the coming suffering of Mary’s child and her own suffering. Jesus is destined to be a sign that is rejected and a sword will pierce her own soul too. Because of her unique relationship with Jesus as his mother, what was to happen to him would have a significant impact on her. The opening verse of the Stabat Mater concludes, ‘Close to Jesus to the last’. Mary’s sorrow was the inevitable consequence of her closeness to Jesus in love. Mary shows us our own calling, rooted in our baptism, to remain close to Jesus in love to the end. We are called to be as faithful to him as she was. Our closeness to the Lord, our commitment in love to him, will sometimes take us to the foot of the cross, as it took Mary there. Yet, if we remain faithful to the Lord, we will experience his even greater faithfulness to us, as Mary did when Calvary soon gave way to Easter Sunday and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Fr. Martin Hogan.

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tabernacleheart · 4 years

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Pieta; Oleg Supereco,1974

#pieta #this moves me to weeping #oleg supereco #religious art #good friday #holy week #mary #mater dolorosa #jesus christ #this is heartbreakingly beautiful

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judyconda · 2 years

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P I E T A In Christian art, "pieta" - the Italian for "pity" or "mercy" - is a depiction of the dead Christ following the descent from the cross, accompanied either by a sorrowful Virgin/Madonna (sometimes with Saint John), or angels. The image may be a sculpture - most often a marble sculpture or a wood carving - or a painting. The most famous Pieta is the sculpture by Michelangelo, which can be seen in St Peter's Basilica, Rome. The Pieta is not unlike the Lamentation of Christ, taken from the Passion, except it is more reflective, and its most common form is one consisting only of the dead Jesus lying on the lap of the Virgin Mary. Indeed, if Christ and the Virgin are surrounded by too many figures, the work can lose its meditative character, and become a Lamentation. Another important difference between a Pieta and a Lamentation, is that while the latter represents a particular biblical scene from Christ's Passion, the former is a timeless image. The Pieta is one of several representations used in Biblical art to depict a grieving Virgin Mary (the Mater Dolorosa). Another comes from the Stations of the Cross, when the weeping mother meets her son Jesus on the way to his Crucifixion at Calvary. The second is the Stabat Mater (here stands the mother), depicting the Madonna standing beneath the cross, an image often used as part of a large church-crucifix or rood. The intensity of the imagery can vary considerably. Wood-carved Pietas in German Gothic art often emphasise Christ's wounds, and/or the Virgin's grief. However, once the grief becomes too obvious, the work loses its reflective character, and becomes a Lamentation. The Pieta appears to have originated in Germany (where it is known as the Vesperbild) during the mid to late 13th century era of Gothic art (although equally early examples have been found in Spain and in Orthodox churches in Russia). Thereafter it spread to Italy in time for the Early Renaissance. #fairytaletuesday #fairytale #pieta #Spiritique #catholique #catholiques #sacredart #sacredculture #Spiritual #Spirituality #mystical #mystique #MysticArt #mystic #mysticisim #renaissance #renaissanceart #Christianity #romancatholic https://www.instagram.com/p/CchgHBFJRNB/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#fairytaletuesday #fairytale #pieta #spiritique #catholique #catholiques #sacredart #sacredculture #spiritual #spirituality #mystical #mystique #mysticart #mystic #mysticisim #renaissance #renaissanceart #christianity #romancatholic

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romancatholicreflections · 6 years

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15th September >> Fr. Martin's Gospel Reflections / Homilies on John 19:25-27 for Our Lady of Sorrows: ‘ Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother‘.

Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows

Gospel (Europe, Africa, New Zealand, Australia & Canada) John 19:25-27 'Woman, this is your son' Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son.’ Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’ And from that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home.

or Alternative Gospel Luke 2:33-35 'A sword will pierce your soul too' As the child’s father and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected – and a sword will pierce your own soul too – so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.’

Gospel (USA) John 19:25-27 How that loving mother was pierced with grief and anguish when she saw the sufferings of her Son (Stabat Mater). Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. or Alternative Gospel Luke 2:33-35 And you yourself a sword will pierce. Jesus’ father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Reflections (6)

(i) Our Lady of Sorrows

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(ii) Our Lady of Sorrows

And/Or

(iii) Our Lady of Sorrows

And/Or

(iv) Our Lady of Sorrows

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(v) Our Lady of Sorrows

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(vi) Our Lady of Sorrows

We are all very interdependent. What affects one person can impact on many others. This is especially true within a family. When one family member suffers in some way, every family member is affected. If we are close to someone in love, the pain and struggle of the loved one becomes our pain and struggle. In this morning’s gospel reading, Simeon announces that Mary’s child whom she has just brought into the Temple will become a source of division. Some will accept him and ‘rise’; others will reject him and ‘fall’. His presence will be divisive and those who reject him will bring him much suffering. Mary as the mother of this child cannot escape his dark destiny. A sword will pierce her own soul too. She was the closest human being to Jesus and, inevitably, what happened to him would impact on her. Her sorrow reached its pinnacle as she stood of the foot of the cross and watched her son dying a painful death. Perhaps there is no sorrow greater than that of a mother who loses a son or daughter at the prime of their lives. Today’s feast of Mary brings her very close to us. It reminds us that she entered into the depths of human pain and suffering. The greatest saint of all time, the one who was closer to Jesus than any other human being, travelled the way of the cross. Our own relationship with Jesus does not preserve us from life’s sorrows and pains, no more than it preserved Mary. Yet we can be assured that as she went on to experience her son as risen Lord and the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost, we too will be sustained by the risen Lord and his Spirit on our own way of the cross.

Fr. Martin Hogan, Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin, D03 AO62, Ireland.

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Parish Website: www.stjohnsclontarf.ie Please join us via our webcam.

Twitter: @SJtBClontarfRC.

Facebook: St John the Baptist RC Parish, Clontarf.

Tumblr: Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin.

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fr-martin-gospel-reflections · 3 years

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15th September - ‘Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother’, Reflection on today’s gospel reading (Jn 19:25-27)

15th September, Our Lady of Sorrows

The image of the sorrowing Mary has been immortalized in stone by Michelangelo’s Pieta. The word ‘Pieta’ in Italian means ‘compassion’ in English. The English word ‘compassion’ suggests ‘suffering with’. Mary suffered with her Son, and her suffering with her Son was never more intense than when she stood by the cross and received his broken body after he was taking down from the cross. The beautiful Latin hymn, ‘Stabat Mater’ begins, ‘At the cross her station keeping, Stood the mournful Mother weeping, Close to Jesus to the last’. There is no sorrow like the sorrow of a parent, of a mother, for her deceased son or daughter. There are no words that can ease such suffering. To love is to suffer and there is a sense in which it is true to say that the more we love the greater the suffering. Jesus was the most loving person who ever lived; he was God’s love in human form. Because his love was great, his suffering was great. In the words of today’s first reading, ‘he offered up prayer and entreaty, aloud and in silent tears’ to God. Mary’s deep love for Jesus meant that the suffering of Jesus impacted upon her in a unique way. Although there is no mention of it in the gospels, the risen Lord must have appeared to his mother. She is there with the other disciples praying in preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Easter transformed her sorrow to joy. The risen Lord continues to shine his glorious light upon all of our sorrows, so that we have hope even in darkest sorrow. As Paul says in one of his letters, we do not grieve as people who have no hope.

Twitter: @SJtBClontarf RC

Facebook: @SJtBClontarf

Tumbler: St-John-the-baptist-Clontarf-Rd

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wakingeve · 5 years

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When the wood of the cross was splintered She was left behind His broken body they gave her It was not yet her time . . And so she kissed his wounds She swaddled him once more And she laid him in a tomb . . In the darkness she wept Three days her heart groaned But not for her own She grieved because the world was once more without light A light she’d travailed to bring forth that holy night . . Three days she mourned She mourned for the souls who’d be born into the darkness of those nights She wept for the Daughters of Jerusalem Three days she prayed She prayed for the world, ABBA, quickly, bring back Our Light . . She is a mother who ponders She is a mother who waits She is a mother who intercedes for us while we weep . . Hail Mary, Full of Grace the Lord is with thee . . Blessed are you among women Blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus . . Holy Mary Pray for us Now And at the hour of our death . . #holysaturday #ponderitlikeMary #wakingeve #virginmary #motherofgod #avemaria #virginmother #catholic #pieta #notredame #ourmother #queenofpeace #belovedmother #arkofthenewcovenant #prayforus #hailmary https://www.instagram.com/wakingeve/p/Bwf77CkHT1r/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=lu2xwcaf7a0f

#holysaturday #ponderitlikemary #wakingeve #virginmary #motherofgod #avemaria #virginmother #catholic #pieta #notredame #ourmother #queenofpeace #belovedmother #arkofthenewcovenant #prayforus #hailmary

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katerinaartartist · 5 years

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Good Friday to all my friends who celebrate Easter 💐🌺🌷I will be celebrating Easter with my family next Sunday for the Greek Orthodox Easter :) want to wish you and your families a happy blessed Easter 🌸🌺💐 this is a drawing I did back in 2012 of Weeping Mary with the body of her son Jesus in her arms after the Crucifixion. Inspired by Michelangelo's Pieta 🌸🌺🌷💐 #michelangelo #pencilartwork #pencilartist #pencildrawing #pencilart #pencilartwork #katerinaart #easter #goodfriday https://www.instagram.com/p/Bwcbc57FJGI/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1rc49yaf7mvz2

#michelangelo #pencilartwork #pencilartist #pencildrawing #pencilart #katerinaart #easter #goodfriday

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pamphletstoinspire · 5 years

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THE FIVE HOLY WOUNDS OF JESUS

THE FIVE HOLY WOUNDS

The Five Holy Wounds or The Five Sacred Wounds refer to the five piercing wounds that Jesus suffered during His crucifixion. Two of the wounds were through either His hands or His wrists, where nails were inserted to fix Jesus to the cross beam of the cross on which He was crucified. Two were through the feet where the nail (s) passed through both to the vertical beam. The final wound was in the side of Jesus’ chest when His body was pierced by the Holy Lance in order to be sure that He was dead.

These wounds are not explicitly mentioned in any of the canonical Gospels until the Resurrection, although John the Evangelist states that no bones were broken. In the course of His Passion, Jesus suffered other wounds as well, such those from the Crown of Thorns and from the Flagellation. When consecrating an altar a number of Christian churches anoint it in five places, indicative of the Five Holy Wounds.

The Crusades brought a renewed enthusiasm for religious devotion, especially for the Passion of Christ. St. Bernard of Clairvaux and St. Francis of Assisi in the 12th and 13 centuries encouraged devotions and practices in honor of The Five Wounds of the Passion of Jesus. In the 14th century, the holy mystic St. Gertrude of Helfta had a vision that Christ sustained 5,466 wounds during His Passion. St. Bridget of Sweden popularized a custom to recite 15 Pater Nosters each day for one year in memory of the Sacred Wounds. There was a special Mass of the Five Wounds, known as the Golden Mass, which medieval tradition claimed was composed by St. John the Evangelist and revealed to Boniface II (532) in a vision. The Holy Wounds have often been used as a symbol of Christianity. Participants in the Crusades would often wear the Jerusalem Cross , an emblem representing the Holy Wounds. The "Five Wounds" was the emblem of the "Pilgrimage of Grace", a Northern English rebellion in response to Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries. Persons who have exhibited the Holy Wounds on their own bodies are called stigmatics, and are believed to enter into the Passion of Christ.

Because of His Holy Wounds and His Sacred, Precious Blood that was spilled, we now have the opportunity to see The Face of God. Each Mass is a Representation of His Sacrifice and in addition we have a devotion available to us, that helps us to meditate more concretely on His Sufferings: devotion to His Five Sacred Wounds. Private revelation to St. Bridget of Sweden indicated that all of the Wounds of our Lord suffered added up to 5,480. She began to pray 15 prayers each day in honor of each of these wounds. This prayer can be found on the website: brizek.com/prayer/pieta.htm or in the Blue Pieta Prayer book (which also includes the promises Jesus made for those who say these prayers for one year). The book may be found at your local religious store.

Prayer in honor of The Five Wounds

ACT OF CONTRITION

As I kneel before Thee on the cross, most loving Saviour of my soul, my conscience reproaches me with having nailed Thee to that cross with these hands of mine, as often as I have fallen into mortal sin, wearing Thee with my base ingratitude. My God, my chief and perfect good, worthy of all my love, because Thou hast loaded me with blessings; I cannot now undo my misdeeds, as I would most willingly; but I loathe them, grieving sincerely for having offended Thee, Who art infinite goodness. And now, kneeling at Thy feet, I try, at lest, to compassionate Thee, to give Thee thanks, to ask Thee pardon and contrition; wherefore with my heart and lips, I say:

To the Wound of the Left Foot

Holy wound of the left foot of my Jesus, I adore Thee; I compassionate Thee, O Jesus, for the most bitter pain which Thou didst suffer. I thank Thee for the love whereby Thou labored to overtake me on the way to ruin, and didst bleed amid the thorns and brambles of my sins. I offer to the Eternal Father the pain and love of Thy most holy humanity, in atonement for my sins, all of which I detest with sincere and bitter contrition.

Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be, then: Holy Mother, pierce me through, In my heart each wound renew of my Saviour crucified.

To the Wound of the Right Foot

Holy wound of the right foot of my Jesus, I adore Thee; I compassionate Thee, O Jesus, for the most bitter pain which Thou didst suffer. I thank Thee for that love which pierced Thee with such torture and shedding of blood, in order to punish my wanderings and the guilty pleasures I have granted to my unbridled passions. I offer the Eternal Father all the pain and love of Thy most holy humanity, and I pray Thee for grace to weep over my sins with hot tears, and to enable me to persevere in the good which I have begun, without ever swerving again from my obedience to the divine commands.

Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be, then: Holy Mother, pierce me through, in my heart each wound renew of my Saviour crucified. To the Wound of the Left Hand

Holy wound of the left hand of my Jesus, I adore Thee; I compassionate Thee, O Jesus, for the most bitter pain which Thou didst suffer. I thank Thee for having in Thy love spared me the scourges and eternal damnation which my sins have merited. I offer to the Eternal Father the pain and love of Thy most holy humanity: and I pray Thee to teach me how to turn to good account my span of life, and bring forth in it worthy fruits of penance, and to disarm the justice of God, which I have provoked.

Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be, then: Holy Mother, pierce me through, in my heart each wound renew of my Saviour crucified...

To the Wound of the Right Hand

Holy wound of the right hand of my Jesus, I adore Thee; I compassionate Thee, O Jesus, for the most bitter pain which Thou didst suffer. I thank Thee for Thy graces lavished on me with such love, in spite of all my most perverse obstinacy. I offer to the Eternal Father all the pain and love of Thy most holy humanity; and I pray Thee to change my heart and its affections, and make me do all my actions in accordance with the will of God.

Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be: then, Holy Mother, pierce me through, in my heart each wound renew of my Saviour crucified...

To the Wound of the Sacred Side

Holy wound in the side of my Jesus, I adore Thee; I compassionate Thee, O Jesus, for the cruel insult Thou didst suffer. I thank Thee, my Jesus, for the love which suffered Thy side and Heart to be pierced, so that the last drops of blood and water might issue forth, making my redemption to overflow. I offer to the Eternal Father this outrage, and the love of Thy most holy humanity, that my soul may enter once for all into the most loving Heart, eager and ready to receive the greatest sinners, and never more depart.

Recite one Our Father, one Hair Mary, and one Glory Be: then, Holy Mother, pierce me through, in my heart each wound renew of my Saviour crucified...

Chaplet of the Five Wounds

This chaplet, approved by the Holy See on 11 August 1823 (coincidentally, the anniversary of St. Clare of Assisi’s death), consists of five groups of five beads -- each group representing one of the Five Wounds. The first group of beads honors the Wound on His left foot; the second, the Wound on His right foot; the third, the Wound on His left Hand; the fourth, the wound on His right Hand; and the fifth, the Wound in His Side. Sometimes a medal will be attached depicting Our Lord’s Wounds on one side, and His Sorrowful Mother on the other.

While meditating on the appropriate Wound at each group, one Gloria is said on each bead, and between the groups, and Ave is said in honor of Mary’s sorrows.

Footnote:

Note that the number of wounds was so great because the flagellum (picture at right) used by the Romans had from three to twelve "tails," each tail embedded repeatedly with bone, iron, or glass intended to rip flesh. With a 12-tail flagellum, 40 strokes would give one 480 wounds if each tail only caused one wound with each stroke. In reality, though, each "tail" would cause many, many times more wounds per stroke, depending on how much bone or iron, etc., was embedded in each strap. In addition to the wounds caused by the scourge, there were the wounds caused by each thorn in the crown of thorns.

For copy of pamphlet click below:

https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/a84285_13b9018f68fe679a15d0899cb7603525.pdf

From: www.pamphletstoinspire.com

#five holy wounds of Jesus

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hzaidan · 5 years

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William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Pieta 01 Works, RELIGIOUS ART - Paintings from the Bible by the Old Masters, 5f

William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Pieta 01 Works, RELIGIOUS ART – Paintings from the Bible by the Old Masters, 5f

William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1825 – 1905 Pieta, c. 1876 Oil on canvas 230 x 148 cm, (90½” x 58¼”) Dallas Museum of Fine Arts (Dallas, Texas, United States)

The Pietà, 1876, provides a very unique depiction of this most famous of imagery. The weeping Mary cloaked in a robe of black is mourning the death of her son whom she holds to her chest. The dead body of Jesus limply hangs in her arms while…

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#Ancient #Art #Biography #Fine Art #footnotes #History #mythology #Paintings #religion #Religious Art #William-Adolphe Bouguereau #Zaidan

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carmelitesaet · 7 years

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"Our Mother of Sorrows: with strength from above you stood by the cross, sharing in the sufferings of Jesus, and with tender care you bore Him in your arms, mourning and weeping. We praise you for your faith, which accepted the life God planned for you. We praise you for your hope, which trusted that God would do great things in you. We praise you for your love in bearing with Jesus the sorrows of His passion. Holy Mary, may we follow your example, and stand by all your children who need comfort and love. Mother of God, stand by us in our trials and care for us in our many needs. Pray for us now and at the hour of our death. Amen!" September is the month of Our Lady of Sorrows and this mosaic of the Sorrowful Mother is in the crypt of Manila Cathedral. This new Desktop Wallpaper can be downloaded from our website: http://www.carmelites.org.au/desktop-wallpaper #feast #ourlady #sorrow #carmelite #lectiodivina #prayer #spirituality #mosaic #art #jesus #christ #catholic #christian #reflection #god #angel #pieta #scripture

#mosaic #christian #christ #spirituality #lectiodivina #angel #art #feast #god #scripture #carmelite #prayer #ourlady #reflection #pieta #catholic #jesus #sorrow

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frmartinshomiliesandreflections · 3 years

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15th September >> Fr. Martin’s Gospel Reflections / Homilies on John 19:25-27 / Luke 2:33/35 for Our Lady of Sorrows: ‘Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother’.

Our Lady of Sorrows

Gospel (Except USA)

John 19:25-27

'Woman, this is your son'.

Gospel (Except USA)

Luke 2:33-35

'A sword will pierce your soul too'.

As the child’s father and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected – and a sword will pierce your own soul too – so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.’

Gospel (USA)

John 19:25-27

How that loving mother was pierced with grief and anguish when she saw the sufferings of her Son (Stabat Mater).

Gospel (USA)

Luke 2:33-35

And you yourself a sword will pierce.

Jesus’ father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Reflections (9)

(i) Our Lady of Sorrows

And/Or

(ii) Our Lady of Sorrows

And/Or

(iii) Our Lady of Sorrows

And/Or

(iv) Our Lady of Sorrows

And/Or

(v) Our Lady of Sorrows

And/Or

(vi) Our Lady of Sorrows

And/Or

(vii) Our Lady of Sorrows

And/Or

(viii) Our Lady of Sorrows

And/Or

(ix) Our Lady of Sorrows

Fr. Martin Hogan.

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frmartinshomiliesandreflections · 4 years

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15th September >> Fr. Martin’s Gospel Reflections / Homilies on John 19:25-27 or Luke 2:33-35 for Our Lady of Sorrows: ‘A sword will pierce your own soul too’.

Our Lady of Sorrows

Gospel (Europe, Africa, New Zealand, Australia & Canada)

John 19:25-27

'Woman, this is your son'

Luke 2:33-35

'A sword will pierce your soul too'

Gospel (USA)

John 19:25-27

How that loving mother was pierced with grief and anguish when she saw the sufferings of her Son (Stabat Mater).

Luke 2:33-35

And you yourself a sword will pierce.

Reflections (8)

(i) Our Lady of Sorrows

And/Or

(ii) Our Lady of Sorrows

And/Or

(iii) Our Lady of Sorrows

And/Or

(iv) Our Lady of Sorrows

And/Or

(v) Our Lady of Sorrows

And/Or

(vi) Our Lady of Sorrows

We are all very interdependent. What affects one person can impact on many others. This is especially true within a family. When one family member suffers in some way, every family member is affected. If we are close to someone in love, the pain and struggle of the loved one becomes our pain and struggle. In this morning’s gospel reading, Simeon announces that Mary’s child whom she has just brought into the Temple will become a source of division. Some will accept him and ‘rise’; others will reject him and ‘fall’. His presence will be divisive and those who reject him will bring him much suffering. Mary as the mother of this child cannot escape his dark destiny. A sword will pierce her own soul too. She was the closest human being to Jesus and, inevitably, what happened to him would impact on her. Her sorrow reached its pinnacle as she stood by the cross and watched her son dying a painful death. Perhaps there is no sorrow greater than that of a mother who loses a son or daughter at the prime of their lives. Today’s feast of Mary brings her very close to us. It reminds us that she entered into the depths of human pain and suffering. The greatest saint of all time, the one who was closer to Jesus than any other human being, travelled the way of the cross. Our own relationship with Jesus does not preserve us from life’iscs sorrows and pains, no more than it preserved Mary. Yet we can be assured that as she went on to experience her son as risen Lord and the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost, we too will be sustained by the risen Lord and his Spirit on our own way of the cross.

And/Or

(vii) Our Lady of Sorrows

And/Or

(viii) Our Lady of Sorrows

Although today is the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, it is not a sorrowful feast. Mary’s sorrow was the consequence of her motherly love for her Son, Jesus. Those we love invariably bring us suffering and sorrow. If we give our heart to someone, sooner or later it will be broken. The only way to keep our heart from being broken is to keep it locked away, not giving it to anyone or anything. However, that would be to live a very impoverished life. Our fundamental call as human beings is to love. Our basic call as followers of the Lord is to love others as he has loved us. The more we love, the more we expose ourselves to sorrow and pain. Jesus was loving in a way that was unique because he fully revealed God’s love. He loved more completely than any other human being ever did or could. That is why his suffering was greater than that of any human being. I mean not so much his physical suffering as his suffering of heart, the suffering which comes from the rejection and betrayal of love. Mary was the human being who was closest to Jesus. Her love for Jesus had a special quality, the quality of a mother’s love. Because of her unique love for Jesus, she shared in Jesus’s suffering in a unique way. It is her love for Jesus that is at the heart of today’s feast. The depth of her sorrow and suffering reflects the depth of her love for the Lord. We can learn from her to stand in love at the foot of other people’s crosses. She also inspires us to remain faithful to Jesus her Son out of love, even if that means we have to travel the way of the cross.Today’s feast also reminds us that we can turn to Mary for help and strength when our love for others, and, in particular, our love for the Lord, brings us sorrow and suffering.

Fr. Martin Hogan.

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