On September 15, the Church observes the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. It is a day that invites us to contemplate the Blessed Mother not only as the Mother who loved Jesus, but also as the Mother who remained faithfully beside Him in His suffering.
In the Gospel according to John, we are brought to the foot of the Cross, where Mary stands near her Son during His final moments. Even from the Cross, Jesus looks upon His mother and the beloved disciple and entrusts them to one another.
It is one of the most tender moments in the Gospel.
Mary could not remove the Cross from Jesus. She could not take away His suffering.
But she could remain.
And she did.
The Gift of Being Present
There is an important lesson for each of us in Mary’s faithful presence.
We sometimes think that helping another person means we must know exactly what to say. We want to solve the problem, relieve the suffering, or somehow make a difficult situation better.
Yet there are moments when there are no adequate words and no easy solutions.
At those times, one of the greatest gifts we can offer is simply our presence.
We sit beside someone who is grieving.
We make a phone call to someone who has been ill.
We prepare a meal for a family going through a difficult time.
We offer a ride.
We send a card.
We remember someone faithfully in prayer.
We notice the person who seems alone.
We volunteer when another pair of hands is needed.
We show up.
These actions may seem small, but when they are offered with love, they become acts of Christian charity.
Our Calling to Accompany One Another
This ministry of presence has particular meaning for us as Lady Knights.
Our service takes many forms. Sometimes it is visible—working at an event, helping with a fundraiser, preparing food, serving a meal, or supporting the charitable efforts of our Brother Knights.
At other times, our service is much quieter.
It may be checking on a Lady Knight who is recovering from an illness or procedure. It may be comforting a sister who has lost someone she loves. It may simply be remembering someone’s name when we kneel in prayer.
All of these are ways of saying:
You are not alone.
Our Lady of Sorrows shows us that Christian love does not turn away from suffering. It draws closer.
Standing Beside One Another
As we begin another year of faith, fellowship, charity, and service within the Ocean City Lady Knights Auxiliary, perhaps September offers us a simple challenge:
Who needs us to show up?
There may be someone in our parish, our community, our Auxiliary, or even our own family who does not need us to solve anything.
She may simply need someone to stand beside her.
May the Blessed Mother teach us to recognize those moments.
May she help us remain faithful when service is difficult, generous when another person needs our time, and attentive to the quiet opportunities God places before us.
Above all, may she always lead us closer to her Son.
Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.
The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows is observed September 15. The Gospel selections provided for the memorial are John 19:25–27 or Luke 2:33–35.