The Healing Journey

December 31, 2023

One of the oldest titles of the Blessed Mother is “Our Lady of Sorrows.” It was first prophesied during the Presentation, when she and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the Temple for the ritual purification, and the old man Simeon said, “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” Depictions of Our Lady of Sorrows show her with seven swords piercing her Immaculate Heart.

There were also sorrows in her life never written about in the Gospels, including the death of St. Joseph, her spouse. Although little is written about the hidden years of Jesus, we can be sure it was an earthly paradise because of his presence and their love and gratitude. Where there is love among family members, even hardships such as poverty and illness are bearable.

But what of Our Lady’s later years, when she no longer had Jesus and Joseph with her? We’re told St. John took her into his home after she was separated from her spouse and Son. In the book, “Christmas: A Paradise of Gratitude with Mary, the Mother of Jesus,” she allegedly says, “When I was without my family, later in my life, I remembered that they remained with me, in our little paradise, but differently from the time when it was my great privilege to serve them. And so, in honor of them and in memory of what we had been allowed to create with the Father, I tried to recreate a paradise of gratitude with whomever I was called to serve later and also by myself, alone.”

The same attitude can permeate the lives of those suffering a loss. In memory of those we love, we can continue to share that love we knew to create a “paradise of gratitude,” if only by ourselves. On this Feast of the Holy Family, let’s ask them to pray for our families.

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