Our Lady Queen of Martyrs - Forest Hills, New York A View from the Pew by Deacon Greg Kandra

any of us grew up hearing the various A special form of devotion in Spanish-speaking titles given to the Blessed Mother. Many countries, under the title “N.S. de la Soledad,” is Mchurches around the diocese carry those linked to the feast and commemorates the solitude names: , Our Lady of Grace, of Mary on . According to the Cath- Our Lady of Mercy, among others. Most of them olic Encyclopedia, its origin goes back to Queen are pretty self-explanatory. Juana, “lamenting the early death of her husband, Philip I, in 1506.” But what about ? This title, whose memorial is observed on September 15, is But the date of September 15 is fi rmly fi xed the namesake feast for our parish. Curious about now—and concludes a special in the its history, I decided to do a little digging. I got Church calendar devoted to the Blessed Moth- out my shovel and went to work. er. The octave begins on September 8, with the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Vir- According to the Catholic Encyclopedia online, gin Mary, passes its middle point on the 12th this memorial is in honor of the seven sorrows of with the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary: the presentation in the temple (when it was Mary, and concludes on the 15th with Our Lady predicted her heart would be pierced by a sword); of Sorrows. Interestingly, the feast that comes the fl ight into Egypt; the loss of in Jerusa- on the 14th is the Exaltation of the Holy Cross lem; the meeting of Mary and Jesus on the way to (commonly called the Triumph of the Cross). ; the crucifi xion; the taking down of Jesus’ Thus, a feast of triumph is followed by one of body from the cross; and His burial. These seven sorrow—much the way that Christmas is fol- sorrows were adapted by the seven founders of the lowed the next day by the Feast of St. Stephen, as their principal devotion in 1239. the Church’s fi rst martyr.

In 1413, the devotion was given a date: the Friday For most of us, though, this day of prayer to afterthe third Sunday of Easter. (Confused? It gets Our Lady is a reminder of what she endured in worse.) Until the sixteenth century, the feast was bringing Christ into the world. She shared in a celebrated only in North Germany, Scandinavia unique way in Jesus’ life and death—and rejoices and Scotland. Its date changed often—sometimes now for eternity in His resurrection. She stands before Easter, sometimes after, usually on a Fri- before all of us who suffer and who sorrow as a day. In 1668, the Servites—who started the whole fi gure of unwavering hope—and steadfast con- thing 400 years earlier—were given September 15 solation. as a formal feast day. That seems to have stuck. In 1814, Pius VII extended its observance to In one of the suggested Gospel readings for this the whole Church. feast, Jesus from the cross speaks to John, and to all of us: “Behold your mother.” Since then, different countries and cultures have adapted different ways of honoring the seven On this day, we do—and do so with special grati- sorrows. But some places still take liberties with tude and love for the Lady of Sorrows, and the the date. In Rio de Janeiro, they have a special Queen of Martyrs. observance on the last Sunday in May. and honor the sorrows on the third Sunday © Deacon Greg Kandra, 2019 of October.

September 15, 2019 -Twenty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time