Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary ...
If anyone can relate to our feelings during challenging times, it is Mary.
... that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. ...
And if there is anyone we can look to as a model of strength, it is Mary.
... Inspired by this confidence, we fly unto thee, O Virgin of Virgins, our Mother ...
Her heart was pierced by a sword. She lived those many sorrows: the flight into Egypt, the loss of the child Jesus in the Temple, Jesus’ betrayal by one of His own and abandonment by most of the others. And then, the Crucifixion.
... to thee do we come, before thee we stand, sinful and sorrowful. ...
At the foot of the Cross, Mary stands — sorrowful, yes, but never sinful. She is there, waiting for us to come closer as she takes up our worries, our fears, our burdens. She is strong, bearing up during a long night and day of seeing her Son tortured and then killed.
We can bring our concerns to the Foot of the Cross, held in our Memorares, our Hail Marys, our Rosaries, our unspoken prayers.
There is room in her heart to hold our sorrows. We need not feel alone at the Foot of the Cross. Mary is there, with us and for us, showing us how to be strong on the tough days, always drawing us nearer to her Son.
... O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not our petitions, but in thy clemency hear and answer them. ...
In her suffering, Mary offers us consolation and peace. In His suffering, her Son gives her to us as our Mother.
Amen.
