Our Lady of the Way
Jn 16:5-11
But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts.
Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Accompaniment on the Journey
Today the church offers us the chance to commemorate Our Lady of the Way, a picture that can be found in many Jesuit houses. This image was very important to St. Ignatius of Loyola. It portrays the Virgin Mary holding Jesus, and honors Mary and Jesus as protectors and patrons of those who travel, which in the time of Ignatius, could be difficult or dangerous.
Even in our own day, people can find themselves on journeys that bring hardship or sacrifice (think of the many people who are immigrants or escaping persecution or war). Counselors find that even changing homes or schools can be very stressful even if not physically dangerous.
The devotion to Our Lady of the Way reminds us that as we go through the journeys of our life, whether big or small, Mary and Jesus accompany us and protect us.
— Fr. Frank Majka, SJ, is a regional vocation director for the Midwest Jesuits, and also offers talks on Ignatian and Jesuit spirituality.
Prayer
O Mary, you always brighten our path as a sign of salvation and of hope. We entrust ourselves to you, Our Lady of the Way, who, at the Cross, took part in Jesus’ pain while remaining steadfast in faith. O loving Mother, you know what we need, and we are confident you will provide for us as at Cana in Galilee.
Intercede for us with your Son Jesus, the Divine Physician, for those who have fallen ill, for those who are vulnerable, and for those who have died. Intercede also for those charged with protecting the health and safety of others and for those who are tending to the sick and seeking a cure. Help us, Our Lady of the Way, to conform to the will of the Father and to do as we are told by Jesus, who took upon himself our sufferings and carried our sorrows, so as to lead us, through the Cross, to the glory of the Resurrection. Amen
—Novena prayer to Our Lady of the Way