Mary, Queen of Martyrs

by Fr. Peter Richard Kenrick (1840)

“Thy own soul a sword shall pierce.” — Luke xi. 35

When the holy Simeon took the infant Jesus into his arms, on the day of his solemn presentation in the temple, he announced to the Virgin Mother of the Messiah, that this child was set up to be contradicted, and that a sword should pierce her own soul. Although all the life of Mary was marked with suffering, especially after the birth of Christ, this prophecy received its perfect accomplishment, when she beheld her Divine Son in the hands of his enemies, and saw him endure every variety of torture, which the malice and cruelty of his persecutors could inflict These sufferings of the Mother of God are the peculiar objects of the church's devotion. She invites her children to sympathize with this most sorrowful and afflicted Mother; — to stand with her under the cross of the agonizing Jesus, and hear her address to them the words of the prophet Jeremias: “O all you that pass by the way, attend and see, if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow.” (Lamentations i. 12) We cannot consider the part which Mary had in the sufferings of her divine Son, without addressing her in the language of the same prophet: “To what shall I compare thee, or to what shall I liken thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? — to what shall I equal thee, that I may comfort thee, O Virgin daughter of Sion, for great as the sea is thy destruction.” (Lamentations ii. 13)

To consider the nature and extent of Mary's sorrows, we must remember that she suffered in proportion as she loved. Her love of Jesus knew no bounds. The strongest feelings of maternal affection in other creatures are not to be compared with hers: for as she was far removed above the condition of our fallen nature, her sensibilities were proportionably increased; and as no mother had such a Son, no mother ever loved a son with such pure and ardent affection, as Mary did Jesus. Much as she loved Him as man, she loved Him much more as God: and hence her maternal affection partook in some degree of the infinite character of its divine object. “In other saints,” says St. Bernard, “the greatness of their love diminished the excess of their sufferings; but the more Mary loved, the more she suffered; and her martyrdom was the more painful.” What, then, must have been her feelings; how poignant her grief at beholding all that Jesus had to endure from the treachery and weakness of his disciples; the calumnies of the false witnesses, and the blasphemies of his judges; the buffets and mockery of the high priest's servants; the scourging, crowning with thorns, and outrageous mockery of the soldiery! O, what a sight was presented to this most afflicted Mother, when Pilate produced Jesus to the people — His hair clotted, and face disfigured, with the blood which yet continued to stream down from his perforated temples — His body one continued wound by the heavy and numerous stripes he had received — and covered with the garment of mock royalty, in which the barbarous soldiery had clad Him? What an accumulation of sorrow must have overwhelmed her, when she heard the inhuman cry of exultation, with which the infuriate multitude received the suffering Saviour; and heard them cry out with deafening shouts: “Away with this man; — crucify him, crucify him!”

It was on Calvary that Mary's tender and loving heart received the most bitter wound. Place yourselves in spirit by her side, and contemplate the sad spectacle which she there had to behold. All the outrages and cruelties, all the mockeries and insults of the preceding part of the passion, seem now collected together, and discharged at once on the suffering Jesus. “He buffered in the body,” says a holy writer, “she in the heart.” When she saw her beloved son stretched on the cross, and beheld the rough hails driven into his sacred hands and feet; when she heard the blows of the hammer and saw the body of Jesus writhe in excruciating agony under this most barbarously cruel torture, how she must have suffered! When the cross was raised; and during the three hours that Jesus hung in living death upon it; every moment Mary suffered as much as would have caused her death, had not God supported her in an extraordinary manner. Every look she cast on Jesus — every expression of agony she discovered in him—every insult He received, was a renewal of a martyrdom which has merited for her the tide of “martyr of martyrs.” The devout servant of Mary, St. Bernard, addressing this Queen of Martyrs, says: “Truly, O Blessed Mother, a sword pierced thy soul - for before it reached the body of thy Son, it passed through thy heart. And indeed after Jesus had expired, that lance which pierced His side did not affect his soul, but transfixed thine. For His soul was no longer there, but thine could not be torn from it; Thy soul was then overwhelmed with sorrow, so that we justly call thee more than martyr, in whom the force of sorrow excelled the sense of corporal suffering. Was not that address of Jesus more piercing than a sword, and reaching even to the division of the soul from the apirit? — ‘Woman, behold thy son!’ — O what an exchange ! John is given to thee for Jesus — the servant for the Lord — the disciple for the master — the son of Zebedee for the Son of the Most High God — a mere man for the true God! How must this have affected thy most loving heart, when even its remembrance pierces our stony and flinty breasts! Wonder not, brethren, that Mary is said to be a martyr in her soul. Let him be astonished at it, who does not remember that Paul enumerates among the greatest crimes of the Gentiles that they were without affection. Far be that from Mary; far be it from her servants. But, perchance, some one may say: Did not she know he was to die? Undoubtedly. Did not she hope that he would arise? Most certainly. And did she then grieve at his crucifixion? Most bitterly. But who art thou, brother, or whence hast thou derived that wisdom to make thee more astonished at the grief of Mary than at the sufferings of Jesus? He could die of corporal agony: she could not die with Him of sympathy. Charity, greater than which no man hath had, caused His death: charity, the like of which no one hath had after her, caused her grief.” Let us compassionate this most afflicted Mother and be ever mindful that she justly claims not only our sympathy, but our gratitude. As it was the sins of men that caused the sufferings of Jesus; it was the sins of men that caused the grief of Mary. She suffered for our salvation, according to the prophecy of Simeon: “Thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed.”

EXAMPLE

Among the saints who have distinguished themselves by devotion to the Blessed Virgin, St Francis of Borgia is particularly remarkable. This great man was Duke of Gandia, but left the world to serve God in the Society of Jesus, of which he was the third General. While in the world he led a very holy life, but God, who had great designs on him, inspired him with a desire of drawing still nearer to Him, by leaving all for His sake; When the Empress Isabella the consort of Charles V died in the bloom of youth, Francis received from the emperor the honourable commission of accompanying the corpse of the deceased from Toledo, where she died, to Grenada, the burying-place of the kings of Spain. Before the body was delivered to the clergy at Grenada, Francis was obliged to identify the corpse of the late Empress. On opening the coffin, her face was discovered to be so awfully deformed by the progress of putrefaction, that no trace of her former countenance could be discovered. At the sight of this disgusting mass of rottenness and corruption, a ray of God's light shot across the soul of Francis, who recognised in it the fate of all earthly greatness and beauty. On returning to his house, he threw himself on his knees before God, and spent the whole night in prayer, in tears, and meditation. He then made the following vow, which he constantly repeated and confirmed — “Lord ! I promise thee, that I will never more serve a creature, whom death may snatch from me.” After the death of his wife, he executed his resolution: he renounced all earthly honours, possessions and hopes, and entered into the Society of Jeans, to serve God in humility and retirement. During his life, this great Saint had a most ardent devotion to Mary. He said some prayer every day in her honour, especially the Rosary. He made this this occasion of meditating on the mysteries of our Saviour's life and death, which the church wishes to place before the minds of her children in this devotion. Whenever he thought of the incarnation of the Son of God, or of his life and death, he turned his thoughts to Mary, who had so great a part in all these saving mysteries.

In the meditation on the incarnation, he considered Jesus in the virginal womb of Mary; in the mysteries of his birth and childhood, he represented to himself this same divine Saviour in the arms of His holy Mother; in His private life, he saw Jesus subject to Mary as her Son. In the years of His divine mission among men he thought how carefully Mary treasured up all the words and instructions of her divine Son. In the suffering at Jesus, he beheld Mary suffering through the excess of love and grief, transfixed by the sword of grief, and standing at the foot of the cross. He especially desired to excite in his head the same sentiment as Mary experienced on these occasions. Thus, in all his meditations on the mysteries of redemption, his eyes ever turned to Mary, who so lovingly and heroically contributed to our salvation. The boundless confidence that he had in Jesus, as his Saviour and Mediator, was founded principally on Mary, whom he regarded as his advocate with her divine Son. He sought to make all men participate in His feelings towards her, and in his confidence in her intercession. He propagated this devotion with wonderful success among all classes, and thereby was enabled to preserve many souls from vice, to recall many others to duty, and to excite others to enter on the way of perfection. Being convinced that we never pray in vain when we offer our prayers through Mary, to her divine Son, he had recourse to her on all occasions, and always found in her support and consolation. So true is it, that Mary never abandons her servants; and that, as St Bernard has remarked, no one can seek in vain the aid of this Mother of mercy, who applies to her with an humble, filial, and confiding heart.

PRAYER

O Mary Queen of Martyrs! How bitterly didst thou weep at the sufferings and death of thy Divine Son! How much hast thou suffered for the sins of men! By the merits of thy bitter sorrows, obtain for me a sincere sorrow for my sins, and the gift of tears to lament them. Although innocent, thou hast suffered excessive torments for my sake; and yet how little do I think of all that my sins have made thee endure! O most sorrowful Virgin! Obtain for me a most tender devotion to the sacred passion of our Divine Lord. Make me remain with thee on Calvary, under the cross of thy agonizing Jesus, and mingle my tears with his precious blood. Make me the companion of thy sufferings, by my constant devotion to the passion of thy dear Jesus. Transfix my heart with sorrow at the sight of His sufferings, and at the remembrance of thy sorrows; and make me duly prepare for death, by crucifying my corrupt inclinations, and dying daily to the world and its vanities. Amen.

PRACTICE

Recite the “Stabat Mater” in honour of this most afflicted Mother. Make the cross the frequent subject of your meditation.

ASPIRATION

O Mother, fountain of love, make me feel the force of thy sorrow, and weep with thee: inflame my heart with the love of Christ, my God!