Spiritual Corner -- Mother Mary is the Mother of Hope

Brothers and sisters in Christ, may peace be with you!

During Lent this year, I was invited to host a retreat at the Mary Help of Christians Chinese Parish in Edmonton and another one at the Chinese Martyrs Catholic Church in Toronto. At the exposition of “Pilgrims of Hope”, I mentioned that the Holy Mother is also the Mother of Hope. Thus, I would like to share this notion with you in the Spiritual Corner today so as to enrich your pilgrimage.

In his Bull Indiction of the ordinary Jubilee of the year 2025, the Pope tells us: “At the foot of the cross, she witnessed the passion and death of Jesus, her innocent son. Overwhelmed with grief, she nonetheless renewed her “fiat”, never abandoning her hope and trust in God. In this way, Mary cooperated for our sake in the fulfilment of all that her Son had foretold in announcing that he would have to “undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again” (Mk 8:31). In the travail of that sorrow, offered in love, Mary became our Mother, the Mother of Hope. (Ref. 24 of Pope’s indiction.)

In order to encourage ourselves to emulate the Holy Mother’s example of Hope, I would like to lead you all to meditate on the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady:

The First Sorrow of Our Lady: St. Simeon’s Prophecy
Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” (Luke. 2:34-35).

The Second Sorrow of Our Lady: The Flight into Egypt
When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. (Matthew 2:13-14).

The Third Sorrow of Our Lady: The Loss of Jesus in the Temple
After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. (Luke. 2:43-45).

The Fourth Sorrow of Our Lady: The Meeting of Mary and Jesus on the Way to Calvary
A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him. ( Luke 23:27)

The Fifth Sorrow of Our Lady: The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus
There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle. Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, 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 into his home. (John 19:18, 25-27).

The Sixth Sorrow of Our Lady: The Piercing of the Side of Jesus, and His Descent from the Cross
Joseph of Arimathea, a distinguished member of the council, who was himself awaiting the kingdom of God, came and courageously went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was amazed that he was already dead. He summoned the centurion and asked him if Jesus had already died. And when he learned of it from the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. Having bought a linen cloth, he took him down, wrapped him in the linen cloth and laid him in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb. (Mark 15:43-46).

The Seventh Sorrow of Our Lady: The Burial of Jesus
Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried. So, they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day; for the tomb was close by. (John 19:41-42)

Brothers and sisters in Christ, there surely are moments of sorrow and joy, happiness and sadness on our pilgrimage of faith. Let us be inspired by the spirit of our Mother of Hope, “treasuring all these things and reflecting on them in her heart”, embracing our Holy Mother’s patience, gazing at the heavenly Jerusalem, and continue on our journey.

Your Pastor,
Fr. Francis Chong