Opening Prayer
O Mother of Mercy, grant us the grace to “rise above the world” by anchoring our hearts in thy sorrows. We ask for the strength to look past the empty vanities of this life and find our true home in the sanctuary of thy wounded heart, as did thy servant Joseph of Cupertino.
Petition for us, dear Mother, the transformation of our worldly joys into spiritual resilience. May the remembrance of thy tears give us the courage to endure our own trials, that we may live virtuously and die holily under thy mighty and maternal protection.
Amen.
Colossians 1:24
24Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which is the church:
Romans 8:17
17And if sons, heirs also; heirs indeed of God, and joint heirs with Christ: yet so, if we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him.
St. Gabriel Possenti
The life of St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows (d. 1862) demonstrates how quickly the Queen of Sorrows guides her clients to the “height of religious perfection.” Once a “worldly and pleasure-loving youth,” Gabriel was transformed into a humble, mortified saint in only a few years. The “so what?” of his life is the realization that the heaven of Mary’s dolorous heart provides a total escape from the empty vanity of the world. In contrast, St. Joseph of Cupertino’s ecstatic flights remind us that the soul’s true destination is the Divine, a destination reached most surely by the “ballast” of the Mother’s sorrows.
St. Gabriel’s primary spiritual practice was “compassionating” Mary during every free moment. He believed that even a few minutes left over from daily duties could be used to no better advantage than in thinking of his Mother’s anguish. This specific, constant focus acted as his guide, leading him quickly up the “mount of perfection.” He taught that those who do not forget her anguish will find her as their consolation and assistant at the hour of death.
“My heaven is the dolorous Heart of my dear Mother!”
— St. Gabriel Possenti
Mary and the Magisterium
The Church identifies Mary as the “Mother of the Dying,” asserting that the death chamber is her “special sphere of activity.” Devotion to her sorrows is recognized as the “best preparation for dying well” because she, who stood by the Cross, merited the grace to assist her children in their final struggle. No one who has faithfully practiced this devotion will be lost; Mary acts as our “defense” and “victory” against the enemy in our last hour.
- What "worldly joys" currently hinder your spiritual flight, and how can Mary’s sorrows help you detach from them?
- How does St. Gabriel’s "rapid path" to sanctity challenge your current pace of spiritual growth?
Closing Prayer
O Mother of Sorrows, be our defense and our victory at the hour of our death, and lead our souls to eternal felicity.
Amen.
