It is a special morning as the Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. My day begins with prayer and a freshly brewed cup of coffee around 2:30 a.m. As I sip slowly and meditate on God’s Word for the day, I think about mothers who carry heavy crosses and endure countless sacrifices for their families. I picture women who balance work, home, and faith while quietly holding their households together.
I admire womanhood deeply. My late mom lives on and shapes that admiration in me, and the Blessed Virgin Mary strengthens it. Both women model strength through gentleness and courage in sacrifice. Both women show me that suffering, when accepted with courage and faith, becomes redemptive. The Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, leads the way. My deceased mom, like many other devout women, follows in grace-filled courage. Their witness leaves me with a deep conviction: grace does not eliminate pain; it transforms it.
The Courage of the Underdog
As I reflect, my mind shifts to the world of sports and the recent fight between Terence Crawford and Canelo Álvarez. The fight captures headlines as the classic story of the underdog who dares to face the reigning champion. I recall a clip of Crawford’s interview with Stephen A. Smith, weeks before the fight.
Smith presses him with a question. Why does he not request Canelo to cut weight to make the fight fairer? Why not at least insist on a rehydration clause or a catch weight to protect himself?
Crawford gives an answer that carries wisdom beyond the ring. He explains that since Canelo holds the title, he must meet him as he is. The champion does not want special clauses that tilt the fight in his favor. He wants no excuses. He signs the contract, accepts the weight class, and prepares to fight. If he wins, the victory carries more meaning because it has been earned without shortcuts.
His conviction strikes me. Life constantly tempts us to negotiate softer terms. Workers ask for success without sacrifice. Families long for peace without forgiveness. Students expect results without discipline. Believers pray for blessings without embracing the tough mandate, “deny yourself and take up your cross every day and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
In our own ways, we look for rehydration clauses to lessen the weight of the challenge. We want catch weights to reduce the strain of the cross.
Growth by Daring Challenges
But growth does not come through negotiated ease. Growth comes when we meet life as it stands and face challenges as they are. Courage does not mean we chase every battle recklessly. It does mean we refuse to run from all of them.
Some crosses cannot be trimmed down. Some weights cannot be adjusted. We must carry them if we hope to grow.
The path of least resistance tempts us at work, in family, relationships, leadership, and faith. It offers comfort but produces little depth. Struggle builds resilience. Sacrifice strengthens love. Discipline grounds faith. Facing challenges head-on gives victory its full weight.
On the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, I remember this truth: victory carries its deepest meaning when we stop trying to avoid the cross and choose instead to carry it. What challenges weigh you down at this moment? Do you have the courage to face them and, by grace, overcome? Take the first step now by looking them in the face.
