Today, we honor Mary under the title of Our Lady of Sorrows. Here is a quote from St. Anselm on this mystery. "While other martyrs suffered by sacrificing their own lives, the Blessed Virgin suffered by sacrificing her Son's life, a life that she loved far mare than her own; so that she not only suffered in her soul all that her Son endured in His Body but moreover, the sight of her Son's torments, brought more grief to her heart, than if she had endured them all in her own person."

What true mother does not suffer when her child suffers? What authentic mother does not want to suffer in her child's place, if she could? Then if this is true for normal mothers, how much more true was it for Our Lady. She was told by Simeon that a sword would pierce her side, because Jesus would be a sign of contradiction to others. Though she was chosen by God to be without sin did not mean she would be without suffering because of the sins of others. Her greatest suffering was endured throughout the passion and death of Jesus on the cross. Seeing her Son endure the cruel death of crucifixion, which she knew was the plan of the Father for our salvation, all she could do was to be present, to be united with  his sufferings, offering all to the Father. The piercing of the side of Jesus was the fulfillment of Simeon's prophecy. Internally, she cried to the Father in union with Jesus' cry: "It is finished." Mary, pray for us, when we are called to endure our sufferings, that our hearts may united with Jesus, as yours was.