4: Our Lady of Sorrows: Trail of Refugees Sorrows

 Migrants and refugees have a special place in the heart of Mary and escaping persecution to Egypt is one of her sorrows, as a mother, wife and refugee. 

Escaping in the middle of the night. 

Even the most beautiful flowers hold tears from the rain.

She was a refugee of persecution when she along with St. Joseph and her little toddler, Jesus, fled persecution to Egypt. After Jesus was born, the three wise men made the mistake of going to Jerusalem thinking that the King of the Jews would be there. They were mistaken and simply made King Herod furious to think of a baby boy stealing his crown. After they continued to Bethlehem, where baby Jesus was, King Herod ordered to hunt down baby Jesus and for all baby boys under the age of two to be killed, just to be safe that the baby "king" was dead. Imagine being a mother and knowing the king is hunting down your baby...and having to escape with nothing to a foreign country with no food, no job and not knowing the language. That is what Mary did and it is one of her sorrows. She especially suffered knowing how special her Child was and that He was God, the long awaited Savior, being hunted down.

St Joseph was told in a dream by angels to escape, right then and there in the middle of the night. He quickly got Mary and baby Jesus on their donkey and took off to Egypt.

No gas stations to grab a snack and drink, no comfort, and no home to arrive to.

 St Bonaventure describes the road they traveled as, "Rough, unknown, and little frequented." "As they were destitute," says St Basil, "It is evident that they must have labored much to provide themselves with the necessities of life." Like most refugees who escape with little or nothing and don't know where their next meal will come from or their next bed, Mary went through the same thing. 

Mother Mary and Jesus the Savior, not knowing where their next meal would come from.

I was looking at my tomatoes in the garden and thought of how natural they looked there in their "homeland" on the vine.

Give a safe voyage to all people displaced from the land that they know as home.

I took a fourth rose and asked Our Lady to intercede for all refugees in the midst of their journeys right now. I drove down to the place where thousands of them are near me, the Dulles Expo Center, and prayed for them. As I arrived, there were ambulances outside loading in someone who wasn't feeling well. I prayed for that person, not knowing who they are. No doubt, if it were me, I would have lost my bearings by now. 

One of many military aircrafts landing lately in my community.

Bringing a fourth prayer rose from Mother Mary to her children.

Just a few more left

Mother Mary, bring comfort to all your children living in there and in various refugee holding sites. Please bless and comfort the person who was being taken away in the ambulance. 

Day 4: Mother of Refugees Sorrows

In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen. Holy loving eternal Father who loves us with infinite love and unending mercy, hear our prayers. Mother of Sorrows intercede in our prayer today as you hear us calling to heaven for mercy, for compassion and for comfort. Today, Mother of Sorrows, I would like to pray for the migrants and refugees from Afghanistan. I would like to pray especially for the conversion of all Taliban who might have entered the USA and for refugees to know the love and promise of God, and the promise of a life beyond this one with pain and suffering. I pray for the healing of each of their eyes and their hearts from what they saw that was unspeakably horrible and traumatic in Afghanistan. I pray for the quick, safe and comfortable availability of homes to be made for these families and for the people who are working to find them homes to have patience in the process. Mother of Sorrows, the immigration paperwork is so cumbersome to process, I pray for the immigration paperwork in USCIS offices for all children and orphans that are currently being held in the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo and other Afghan holding sites. I pray for their paperwork to be accepted and for the USA to accept all the hundreds of children and orphans. I pray for the basic needs of Afghan refugees to be met: food, shelter and hygiene. I pray for the safety of Immigration officers and for them to have the gift from heaven of wisdom, and clarity. I thank God and all saints who intercede for all USCIS agents and Border Patrol who have treated refugees with kindness, efficiency and compassion. 

Today I pray for the intercession of Mary in my special petition of (Name your intention). Holy Mother, please intercede for me, please pray with me and for me for this intention if it be the will of God our Father. Amen. 

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women. And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, a world without end. Amen.