Sorrow
The Cross — Jessica
Every week I get some Catholic “item” in the mail. Whether it’s a rosary, a prayer card or in this case, a little crucifix, they all come with appeals to donate money to some religious community or worthy charity. That’s a lot of appeals and that’s a lot of guilt when I toss the appeal in the trash. We can’t give to them all…but the rosaries, cards and crosses all get saved. How could I throw those out?
Sometimes though, their arrival is a bit fortuitous — almost like a message. As though Jesus himself says to us, “I know you are about to go through some unpleasantness that will cause you sorrow, but remember I was full of sorrow before you and I will be there with you to carry you over it.”
Or so it sometimes seem.
Response: Prayer to Our Mother of Sorrows — Cheryl
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!
Beautiful, Cheryl. I needed that. : )
You’re welcome, Jessica. It turns out that I enjoyed the challenge of finding an image and words for “Sorrow.”
I can relate to your situation. I finally stopped giving money completely, so the mailings would stop: break down once, and your mailbox gets filled again. Dennis and I have chosen a few Catholic organizations (and our local parish) for regular donations.