Your Sorrow Is My Sorrow: Hope and Strength in Times of Suffering

With the exquisite prose and poetry that has always graced her writing, Joyce Rupp mines the multiple meanings of important images in the Bible, in order to get us through our own rough moments. Included are: the prophecy of Simeon, the flight into Egypt, Jesus lost in the temple, Mary seeing Jesus carrying the cross, Mary at the foot of the cross, Mary receiving Jesus' dead body, and Jesus being laid in the tomb.

The painful pieces of Mary's life help us to get through our own rough-edged moments. We see how she too questioned what was confusing and unclear, how she needed others was confusing and unclear,how she needed others to be with her in her pain,how she reflected on her experiences in order to find meaning.

Publishers Weekly

Using the traditional seven sorrows of Mary (prophecy of Simeon, flight into Egypt, Jesus in the Temple, meeting Jesus carrying his cross, standing beneath the cross of Jesus, receiving Jesus' dead body, Jesus being laid in the tomb), Rupp (The Cup of Our Life) asks readers to meet their own sorrows in Mary's journey. For example, when she discusses the flight into Egypt, she notes, "Sometimes it is better not to run or flee from our `Herods.' Sometimes we need to stay and do battle. We never know what price our freedom will be until we have taken the step away for our `Herod' toward our new land." Each chapter ends with poems, meditations, guided imagery and questions for personal reflection or group discussion. Rupp's writing challenges the faithful to get beyond their comfortable spirituality and find strength in their times of suffering. Illustrations not seen by PW. (Mar.)