Our Lady of Sorrows is the patroness of the Congregation of Holy Cross. The Holy Cross community celebrates her Feast Day annually on Sept. 15.
So often I find myself struggling, as we all do, to discover God’s will for my own life. At times I struggle to stay on the right path of my spiritual journey, repeatedly falling into the same pitfalls, doubts, and anxieties about where I am going and who I am becoming. I realize that I am trying to depend upon myself alone, but that I am powerless and unable fully to grasp God’s vision for me. I simply cannot do it by myself.
At these times, I find myself drawn to Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows and the patroness of the Congregation of Holy Cross. We can all benefit from reflecting on her journey, beginning with the annunciation when she tries to make sense out of the angel Gabriel’s message that she is to become the mother of the Son of God. We observe her in the temple when Simeon tells her that a sword will pierce her heart. We walk with her on the journey with her Son when, at the wedding feast, she instructs the servants, “Do as he tells you.” We try to feel what is in her mother’s heart as she accompanies her Son on the Way of the Cross and sees sufferings and abuses heaped upon him. Finally, we know that we can trust Mary to guide us through all obstacles and hardships when we hear her Son say from the Cross, “Behold, your mother.”
Rev. Charles Kohlerman, C.S.C., was received into Holy Cross on August 15, 1953, professed Final Vows on August, 16, 1957 and was ordained to the priesthood on June 13, 1963. He celebrated his 50th Jubilee this year. Fr. Charileis the ReligiousSuperior of Our Lady of Fatima House and is on the formation staff at Moreau Seminary.(This reflection was taken from “The Cross, Our Only Hope: Daily Reflections in the Holy Cross Tradition” edited by Fr. Andrew Gawrych, C.S.C., and Fr. Kevin Grove, C.S.C., published by Ave Maria Press.)
