September 9 SUNDAY TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Is 35:4-7a/Jas 2:1-5/Mk 7:31-37 (128)

10 Monday
1 Cor 5:1-8/Lk 6:6-11 (437)

11 Tuesday
1 Cor 6:1-11/Lk 6:12-19 (438)

12 Wednesday
[The Most Holy Name of Mary]
1 Cor 7:25-31/Lk 6:20-26 (439)

13 Thursday Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Memorial
1 Cor 8:1b-7, 11-13/Lk 6:27-38 (440)

14 Friday The Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Feast
Nm 21:4b-9/Phil 2:6-11/Jn 3:13-17 (638)

15 Saturday Our Lady of Sorrows
Memorial
1 Cor 10:14-22 (442)/Jn 19:25-27 or Lk 2:33-35 (639)

Two celebrations this week, the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and Our Lady of Sorrows are closely connected celebrations.

The feast of the Exaltation, celebrated by churches of the east and west, originated in the Basilica of the Resurrection in Jerusalem (Church of the Holy Sepulcher) in the 5th century where the wood of the cross was exposed for veneration by the faithful. Its complicated history should not prevent us from seeing the essence of this feast: the One who died and was buried, rose from the dead. His Passion and Resurrection are celebrated in this one feast.

Similarly, the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows sees Mary following her Son, “who emptied himself” in coming among us, even to the point of dying on the Cross, but God exalted him.
Through her life, Mary embraced the “emptying “ sorrows of her Son”, finally sharing in his death as she stood by his Cross. But she saw her sorrows–her “seven sorrows”– turned into joy.

“O Lady Mary, thy bright crown is no mere crown of majesty, for with the reflex of his own resplendent thorns, Christ circled thee.” (Thompson)