Liturgy for the Feast of Mother of Sorrows

(Taken from the leaflet prepared for 15-09-2022)

Theme: Making a choice - through the intercession and inspiration of Mother of Sorrows - to live in hope and joyful optimism!

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON

Simeon said to Mary, “This child is destined to be a sign which men will reject; He is sent for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and your own soul a sword shall pierce [Cf. Lk 2:34-35]

INTRODUCTION

The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows reminds us of the seven sorrows Mary underwent in and through the passion and death of Jesus. On the one side, this Feast reminds us of Mary’s unfathomable commitment to “Live Jesus” by travelling with Him, and on the other, it invites us to understand our role in causing the Passion and Death of Jesus through our sins and failures. Through the intercession of the Mother of Sorrows, let us ask God’s pardon and mercy that we may be absolved of our sins and merit the fruits of His Passion and Death won through His Resurrection and Ascension

COLLECT

O God, Who willed that when Your Son was lifted high on the Cross, His Mother should stand close by and share His suffering; grant that Your Church, participating with the Virgin Mary in the Passion of Christ, may merit a share in His Resurrection. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother and St Francis de Sales, grant us the grace to joyfully experience Your Divine Providence in every event of our life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen!

FIRST READING - Isa 53:1-8,11

Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant,and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? He shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous; and he shall bear their iniquities.

The Word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM - Ps 90:3-4,5-6,12-13,14-17

R. Save me, O Lord, in Your kindness.

In you, O Lord, I take refuge, let me never be put to shame, in Your justice rescue me, make haste to deliver me. R.

Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to give me safety, you are my rock and my fortress. For Your name’s sake, You will lead and guide me. R.

You will free me from the snare they set for me, For You are my refuge. Into Your hands, I commend my spirit, You will redeem me, O Lord, O faithful God. R.

But my trust is in You, O Lord, I say, “You are my God.” In your hands is my destiny; rescue me. From the clutches of my enemies and my persecutors. R.

How great is Your goodness, O Lord, Which You have in store for those who fear You. And which, towards those who take refuge in You, You show in the sight of the children of men. R.

SECOND READING -Heb 5:7-9

In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard for His godly fear. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered; and being made perfect He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.

The Word of the Lord.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Alleluia, Alleluia.

Blessed are You, O Virgin Mary; without dying, You won the martyr’s crown beneath the Cross of the Lord.

Alleluia, Alleluia.

GOSPEL - Jn 19:25-27

Standing by the cross of Jesus were His Mother, and His Mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw His Mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing near, 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 to his own home.

The Gospel of the Lord

PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL

Cel: Dear brothers and sisters, the Feast of our Blessed Mother of Sorrows is a reminder to joyfully accept the crosses that come on our way, and to witness the Love of Christ, faithfully. With trust and hope, let us pray: Through the help of our Blessed Mother, strengthen our faith!

We pray for the Holy Church, that in times of trials and persecutions, we will remain focussed on Christ Crucified and find strength and courage to preserve in our faith. We pray to the Lord.

We pray for all the MSFS - the Missionaries of St Francis de Sales and all those who are associated with the Fransalians. that on the Feast Day of the Patroness - Mary, the Mother of Sorrows - we may all strive to life in accordance with the Will of God, and be a beacon of hope and mercy to all. We pray to the Lord.

We pray that the life and teachings of St Francis de Sales and the missionary dynamism of Servant of God, Fr Peter Mary Mermier will continue to inspire many young hearts in formation - to give themselves totally to the service of the Lord and His people. . We pray to the Lord.

We pray that the celebration of the Feast of our Blessed Mother may instil greater commitment and faithfulness in all of us, especially in times of hardships and sufferings .We pray to the Lord.

We pray for all the faithful departed - especially those from the Congregation of the MSFS - that God in His mercy and compassion, may receive them into His Eternal Abode. We pray to the Lord.

(Let us pray for personal and community needs)

Cel: Loving God, through Your Grace, our Blessed Mother Mary was able to remain loyal to Her ‘Yes’, even in moments of suffering. Give us the grace to remain strong in faith and steadfast in hope, knowing that Your Goodness will always keep us protected, in times of trials. We make this prayer, through Christ our Lord. Amen!

PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS

Receive, O merciful God, to the praise of Your Name, the prayers and sacrificial offerings which we bring to You, as we venerate the Blessed Virgin Mary, Whom You graciously gave to us as a most devoted Mother, when She stood by the Cross of Jesus. Strengthened by her example and inspired by the life of St Francis de Sales, may we always live the virtue of fortitude and joy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen!

PREFACE

It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Father most holy, through your beloved Son Jesus Christ, your Word through whom you made all things, whom you sent as our Saviour and Redeemer, incarnate by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin. Fulfilling your will and gaining for you a holy people, he stretched out his hands as he endured his passion, so as to break the bonds of death and manifest the Resurrection. And so, with the Angels and all the Saints we declare Your glory, as with one voice we acclaim:

COMMUNION ANTIPHON

Rejoice when you share in the sufferings of Christ, that you may also rejoice exultantly when His glory is revealed [Cf. 1 Pet 4:13]

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

Having received the Sacrament of eternal redemption, we humbly ask, O Lord, that honouring how the Blessed Virgin Mary suffered with Her Son, we may complete in ourselves, for the Church’s sake, what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ. May the exemplary life of our Blessed Mother and St Francis de Sales continually encourage us to live in faithful accordance with Your Holy Will. Through Christ our Lord, Who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen!

PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE

May our Blessed Lord Who gave His life on the Cross, heal all your wounds, and fill your hearts with His love and His peace R. Amen!

Through the intercession of Mary, the Mother of Sorrows, may you experience the hand of God at every step of your life, remain unwavering in faith and love. R. Amen!

Inspired by the zeal and passion of St Francis de Sales, may your life become a

source of hope and joy to all. R. Amen!

May the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, come down on you and remain with you forever. R. Amen!

REFLECTION

The document of the Second Vatican Council Lumen Gentium, 8 mentions that Mary is the First and Best believer - A woman of Faith, Hope and Charity. These three theological virtues are vividly reflected in the life of Mary.

The Gospel of the day brings home to us the second theological virtue, namely, Hope. On Mount Calvary as Jesus is hanging on the Cross, Mary, the Mother of Jesus, stands at the foot of the Cross. The only one who is bathed in love can perceive the depth of those moments. The desire of every mother is that she should die before her children die, because burying her children is equal to burying herself. Mary lives this most excruciating tragedy with a sense of Hope.

The theological virtue of Hope does not indicate that one will not undergo pain, struggle and even depressive moments in life, but it shows forth the attitude of a person to encounter life’s reality with a sense of optimism and equanimity with that fundamental belief that God alone knows what is good. This is the reason why St Francis de Sales calls Calvary as the Mount of Lovers (Tr. BK XII, Ch. 13). The surrender with which Jesus submitted to His Father’s will emerges also as the fruit of the life-lessons He has received from His Mother. That is why Jesus entrusts Mary to John, saying, here is your Mother.

This world that is mired under the burden of sin and hopelessness needs a Mother who can give ithope and genuine love even when she herself is under inconsolable pain.

Mary proves today the value of Motherhood - true love cannot be defeated by human atrocities and sins. It’s time for us to make a choice after the example of our Mother.

As St Francis de Sales says: Choose you must, O human, while this life lasts Eternal love or death - the choice; and God has left no middle way.