Our Lady of Solitude
Lectio
“I sought him but I did not find him; I called to him but he did not answer me…I adjure you daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my love - what shall you tell him? - that I am faint with love.” - Songs 5: 7,9
“Where has your love gone, O most beautiful among women? Where has your love gone that we may seek him with you?
My love has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spice, to browse in the garden, to gather lilies. My love belongs to me and I to him; yet he browses among the lilies…” - Songs 6: 1-3
Meditatio
For centuries the Church has waited quietly, silently, keeping prayerful vigil on Holy Saturday, just as the Mother of the Church kept watch after her Son was laid in the tomb. Not only is the Blessed Virgin venerated as the Mother of Sorrows, she is called Our Lady of Solitude, a favored title amongst Spanish Catholics.
Who can understand this sorrow? This solitude? If we keep her company we might hear the prayer of Esther echoing in her heart? “My Lord, our King, you alone are God. Help me, who am alone and afflicted and have no help but you.” - Esther 4: 14
Can we hear the lamentation of the Queen of Prophets? “Come, all you who pass by the way, look and see whether there is any suffering like my suffering, which has been dealt me when the Lord afflicted me…” - Lamentations 1: 12
Could the most sorrowful Mother have pondered in her heart a longing for death to end her martyrdom, and to follow her Son into the depths of the earth? “Blessed are you, O Lord, merciful God! Forever blessed and honored is your holy name: may all your works forever bless you. And now, O Lord, to you I turn my face and raise my eyes. Bid me to depart from this earth never again to hear such insults,” such violence. - Tobit 3: 11-13
Yet, in the anguish of her heart, the Blessed Virgin believed in the Resurrection, and understood the will of God, fully cooperating in the plan of salvation, accepting the necessity for her Son to be rejected, brutalized and put to death. Despite her sorrow, her suffering, she confidently awaited the triumph of her Son. Despair was not possible to her, thus she “sat alone and in silence” knowing “the Lord’s rejection does not last forever; though he punishes, he takes pity, in the abundance of his mercies.” - Lamentations 3: 28,32
Oratio
O Mother of Sorrows, your most sorrowful and Immaculate Heart knows the human heart through and through, accept my childish desire and effort to comfort you in your solitary pain and anguish of heart. Your Mother’s love understands the sorrowful heart, embrace mine, encompass it with your most pure heart, and grant me the grace of repentance. Make me worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.
Contemplatio
“The Lord has created a new thing upon the earth: the heart of the woman must encompass the man with devotion.” - Jeremiah 31: 22
April 7th, 2007 at 9:22 am
Thank you. Now I understand this terrible feeling of absolute separation.
April 7th, 2007 at 9:36 am
Julie - I know - don’t you feel almost lost?
April 7th, 2007 at 9:47 am
Amazing.
April 7th, 2007 at 11:02 am
Terry…I do! Completely! I’m in tears, and it’s not like sadness, not really joy, although that’s present.
Let’s just say that on Thursday evening God gave me a gift, but it’s not something I want to write in your combox. But ever since that time, there’s been this weird paradox; I sense a closeness to Jesus I never experienced before, and yet a complete rupture, almost like grief but it’s more spiritual. Grief is almost incarnate. This is completely intangible and fully inexplicable.
April 7th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
My favorite book of scripture.
Thanks for sharing this.
I was mentioning just this morning about the feeling of aloneness and sadness I felt yesterday, although in identifying with the desciples and Blessed Mother in the Gospel account of Good Friday. But I was totally astounded when 2 people wished “Happy Good Friday”. How does one answer THAT greeting!!?(rhetorical)They meant well, I know, but I guess I was seeing thinbgs in a different light.
I love your neo counter on the sidebar, by the way!
April 7th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
& after all this, He is still mocked & rejected…
It is not over yet.
April 8th, 2007 at 5:30 pm
Terry do you know anything about the painting you posted above? thanks
April 8th, 2007 at 6:01 pm
Hi Paula! Happy Easter.
It is Giovanni Baptista Salvi’s Madonna of Sorrows. Here is a link to get a reproduction:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.classicart repro.com/data/large/Sassoferrato/Our_Lady_of_Sorrows_Uffizi _1685.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.classicartrepro.com/artistsc. iml%3Fpainting%3D5542&h=412&w=320&sz=13&hl=en&start=1&um=1&t bnid=STF8dyuKRmJbrM:&tbnh=125&tbnw=97&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsas soferrato%2Bour%2Blady%2Bof%2Bsorrows%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1% 26hl%3Den%26rls%3DGFRD,GFRD:2007-14,GFRD:en%26sa%3DX
April 8th, 2007 at 11:09 pm
A very happy & blessed Easter, too, Terry.
Thank you for the info. I have a small painting of this image which I believe maybe on vellum. Anyway, I did not know the title given to the painting or where it was displayed. I suspected it was Sassoferrato …
My copy is from Italy and is in its original frame, about 3″x5″ in size. It is quite lovely. I came upon it while making a stretch-stop at an antique store in Ohio on a return trip from visit’g my younger sister who was dying … her name was Mary.
Again, thank you for the info. Catch up w/you later.
April 9th, 2007 at 7:44 am
Paula, my 1st link said Sassoferato as well - so maybe my info is wrong. It sounds as if you have a lovely piece.
April 11th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
Terry - Isn’t Giovanni Battista Salvi … Sassoferato?
I delighted to show you the little piece and get your thoughts on it.
Enjoy the snow…
April 18th, 2007 at 11:42 pm
You can find more about Sassoferrato and details of some 400 examples of his work at
http://www.sassoferrato.info