The Tears of Our Lady of Sorrow

Do you love your faith? Does it feed your soul? I cannot speak for other faiths, or even for others of the faithful. I can only speak for myself, from my limited perspective. I cannot imagine life without my Catholic Faith.

As many of you know, I am a Cradle Catholic. I was baptized as an infant. While I have been a Catholic my entire life, that does not mean I haven’t tried on other forms of religion. One that I was drawn to, and continue to feel a connection with is the Jewish Faith. Why you might wonder would a devout follower of Jesus be drawn to a religion that denys Christ. It simply does not make any sense. Oh but it does if you look at Judaism as the forerunner to Christianity. Christ was a Jew. He preached in their Synagogues, their houses of worship. When He read the word of God, it was from the Old Testament, Hebrew Scriptures, the Tanakh or sacred books. Understanding this is important; especially from a Catholic prespective. Our daily worship is filled with symbolism, customs and traditions that are deeply rooted in the Jewish faith. There are such strong similarities between the two faiths that on the surface seem in opposition, but in reality are not. Understanding Judaism helps me to see Jesus as both my Lord and Savior, and to know Him as a Jewish man. Not only is Christ the second person within the Trilogy of God, He himself is of two natures. There is the Divine, and the Human.

God came into this world as a new born child, completely dependent upon His mother. One of the things that I love about the Catholic Faith is our relationship with Mary. She is the Mother of God, her Son was Divine. She knew this even before His birth. Just as she knew what would be asked of her as a mother. On this particular Feast Day we call to mind her sorrow, her suffering. Often Mary is depicted with her heart exposed, and seven swords piercing her. These are the Seven Sorrows of Mary. They are the events that we reflect upon on this feast day, and are reminded of every First Saturday, when many of the faithful pray the Chaplet of Seven Sorrows.

The Seven Sorrows of Mary
1st Sorrow – The Prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:25-35)
2nd Sorrow – The Flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15)
3rd Sorrow – The Loss of the Child Jesus in Jerusalem (Luke 2:41-50)
4th Sorrow – Meeting Jesus on the way to Calvary (John 19:17)
5th Sorrow – Witnessing the Crucifixion and Death of Jesus (John 19:25-30)
6th Sorrow – Receiving body of Jesus taken from the Cross (Luke 23:50-54)
7th Sorrow – The burial of Jesus in the tomb (Mark 15:40-47)

It is through her suffering that we feel closer to His mother, and therefore closer to Him. We know that He understands suffering, and that in our darkest hour we have an advocate on our side, praying for us, praying with us and that is Mary. She is a part of the beauty of the Catholic faith. Mary is not above God, nor equal to her Son. Instead, she points to Him in all things, even in sorrow.

I want to take a moment now to reflect on the events of five days ago. A Christian man by the name of Charlie Kirk was gunned down. They are calling it a political assassination, the first in our country since 1968. For lack of a better description, he is said to have been a political activist and influencer with a conservative agenda. So often I have said we are fortunate in this country that we do not die for our faith. And yet that is exactly what happened to Charlie Kirk. He is an American Christian Martyr. That is the reality of where we are today. While others will disagree with me, a society that can justify killing babies has no regard for human life and this is the result. Children are gunned down at Mass. And a man who points to Christ in all that he says and does is silenced. The hate must end. It’s time to turn to Mary and let her take our sense of sorrow to her Son, so that we can begin to heal.

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Creamy Garlic Chicken with Roasted Baby Potatoes
Roasted Baby Potatoes
1-1/2 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
3 Rosemary Sprigs

Heat an oven to 425-degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Cut potatoes in half, place in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Strip Rosemary needles from sprigs, finely dice and scatter over the potatoes. Toss to blend.

Spread potatoes out in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast in the heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crisp.

While the potatoes roast, prepare the chicken breasts.

Creamy Garlic Chicken
2 large boneless Chicken Breasts
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
4 Garlic Cloves
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 cup Chicken Stock
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
Parsley for garnish

Cut breasts in half lengthwise to create four thinner breasts. Season chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Set aside. Peel and finely mince garlic, set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat warm the oil Swirl the pan to coat. Seat chicken breasts for about 5 minutes per side, until golden and nearly cooked through. Remove chicken, tent and set aside.

Lower the heat under the now empty skillet to medium. Add minced garlic, sauté for a minutes. Stir in chicken stock; simmer for about 3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan.

Whisk in heavy cream, Parmesan, Dijon Mustard and Italian Seasoning. Continue to simmer for another 5 minutes or so until the sauce has thickened slightly. Return the chicken to the skillet, coating in the sauce. Simmer for 4 minutes longer, until chicken is heated through.

Place chicken on a rimmed serving platter alongside the roasted potatoes. Drizzle as desired with creamy garlic sauce. Snip parsley for garnish.

Delicious with butter peas. Enjoy.

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O sweet Mother! font of love,
Touch my spirit from above,
Make my heart with yours accord.

Make me feel as you have felt;
Make my soul to glow and melt
With the love of Christ, my Lord.