Devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows 礼敬七苦圣母
by Huili (Kathy) Stout, Ph.D.
This Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, was the feast day of Our Lady of Sorrows. The feast commemorates the seven sorrows of Mary in different stages of her life, beginning with Simeon's prophecy at Jesus’s presentation in the temple and culminating in Mary standing at the foot of the cross to witness her son's death. In this short reflection, I would like to offer four reasons from a Chinese Catholic perspective for why we honor Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows.
The first reason is a general principle of all Marian devotions: never separate Mary from Jesus. Marianist priest and scholar, Fr. Bertrand Buby, taught me this a long time ago when he commented on the scripture from Matthew 2:11: when the magi from the east came to Bethlehem, “on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother.” Jesus is always “with Mary his mother,” as she is always with him. This unbreakable bond between Mother and Son is celebrated by the fact that the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows comes right after the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on Monday, Sept 14, 2026.
The second reason for honoring Our Lady of Sorrows is to overcome our forgetfulness of God. Some Church Fathers, such as St. Mark the Ascetic, teach that forgetfulness is one of the primary roots of sin that supports and reinforces other vices. By turning to Mary in the depth and purity of her human sorrow, we are reminded of her love for God, God’s love for us, and the degree of God’s loving kindness. Mary is a gentle reminder for us to remember and turn to Christ.
The third reason is a very Chinese one. It is part of traditional Chinese morality that we must strive to repay all the graces we receive from others. Every Chinese, Christian or not, recognizes the rightness and justice of the moral command to repay a grace 报恩. Even though it is theologically impossible to repay the grace of God, it is right and just to live with gratitude to God for his loving kindness and redemptive care, and try to give back, however little it may be. Christ is our debtor and redeemer—我们最大的恩人. It is only right and just to remember the suffering of Christ and the sorrows of his mother in the spirit of gratitude and giving back.
Finally, Our Lady of Sorrows reminds us of the reality of suffering in human existence and beckons us to live with courage and perseverance in this valley of tears. Often, we try to avoid suffering. Sometimes, we try to ignore the reality of suffering by distractions, overstimulation, or simply running away. Social media tries to sell us a false dream of glitzy happiness. Yet suffering is the ordinary texture of human life that none of us can escape: old age, illness, death, separation from loved ones, frustrated desires, disappointment, bad relationships, and the burning of the passions/vices within. Finding true happiness in this life and in the next is no small task. It requires a face-to-face confrontation with the reality of suffering and the courage to go on, with the help of God, Mary Our Lady, and all the saints both in heaven and on earth.
Dr. Huili (Kathy) Stout is the USCCA's Membership Coordinator and the facilitator of the USCCA Book Circle. She received her Ph.D. in theology from the University of Dayton, and she has taught classes on Catholic theology and Chinese traditions at the University of Dayton and the University of Oklahoma. Her current research interest is the dialogue between Chinese Buddhism and Christian spirituality. You may reach her via email at membership@uscatholicchina.org.
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