Our Lady of Sorrows, comfort all mothers who have lost a child.

Throughout the year, the Church recognizes many joyful feasts in honor of our Blessed Mother. With joy we celebrate her Immaculate Conception, her birth and her Assumption. Today, we turn our minds and hearts to her sorrow that she endured on the road to Calvary and at the foot of the Cross.

American Catholic tells us: The principal biblical references to Mary's sorrows are in Luke 2:35 and John 19:26-27. The Lucan passage is Simeon's prediction about a sword piercing Mary's soul; the Johannine passage relates Jesus' words to Mary and to the beloved disciple.

Many early Church writers interpret the sword as Mary's sorrows, especially as she saw Jesus die on the cross. Thus, the two passages are brought together as prediction and fulfillment.

St. Ambrose in particular sees Mary as a sorrowful yet powerful figure at the cross. Mary stood fearlessly at the cross while others fled. Mary looked on her Son's wounds with pity, but saw in them the salvation of the world. As Jesus hung on the cross, Mary did not fear to be killed but offered herself to her persecutors.

While meditating on Mary's sorrows, I could not help but think about and pray for my dear friend Rosemarie Graffagnino who lost her son tragically at the Deutche Bank building fire (near ground zero) a few weeks ago. Rosemarie and countless other mothers throughout the world have endured the same pain as our Holy Mother when they lost their child.

Today, when you pray to Our Lady of Sorrows, ask her to support Rosemarie and all mothers who are suffering from either the loss or sickness of their children.

"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 has passed." (Stabat Mater)