Bless Lidwina falls on the ice in a painting by Dutch artist Jan Dunselman. She broke a rib, leading to complications and terrible suffering. (Wikimedia)
Father Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, OP (1877-1964), was a 20th-century French-century Catholic theologian who gave the following explanation regarding “those who mourn”:
“Blessed are they, who like the beggar Lazarus, suffer patiently without consolation from men, for their tears are seen by God. More blessed still are those who weep for their sins, and through an inspiration of the gift of knowledge know experimentally that sin is the greatest of evils, and by their tears obtain its pardon. Lastly, more blessed, says St. Catherine of Siena, are those who weep for love at the sight of the infinite mercy, of the goodness of the Saviour, of the tenderness of the good Shepherd, who sacrifices himself for his sheep. These receive even here on earth consolation infinitely superior to that which the world can give.”
Blessed Lidwina from Holland suffered patiently like Lazarus. She was born in 1380 and had a strong devotion to Our Lady. She made a vow of virginity at 12. At 15 she had an accident while skating and broke a rib. There were complications and she suffered terribly. During the first few years of her sickness, Lidwina struggled to maintain her soul in the sentiments of patience and resignation. A priest advised her to meditate on the Passion of Christ, and from henceforth she dedicated herself to meditation day and night. This practice helped Lidwina to become a willing sufferer and she even prayed to God to increase both her suffering and her patience. She added voluntary mortifications to her sufferings, gave generously to the poor, and converted sinners by her words.
Love for the Holy Eucharist and meditation on the Passion of Christ were pillars of Lidwina’s spiritual life. When nearly 30, Lidwina began to have mystic experiences such as apparitions of Christ, the stigmata, and visions of heaven, purgatory, and hell. For a number of years, Lidwina took no food and no drink. She was blind in her final seven years. After suffering patiently for 38 years for the salvation of souls, Lidwina died on April 14, 1433 at the age of 53.
St. Monica (331-387) mourned for the sins of her son, Augustine (354-430). For years, Monica prayed for the conversion of her husband and mother-in-law. They were converted one year before the death of Monica’s husband.
Monica had three children. The one who would cause her much concern was Augustine. When her husband died, Monica sent the 17-year-old Augustine to Carthage for schooling. While in Carthage, Augustine became a Manichaean and led a loose life.
Monica prayed, fasted, and wept for Augustine. A bishop told her, “it is not possible that the son of so many tears should perish.”
Monica followed Augustine to Milan, and there became friend of the Bishop, St. Ambrose. The preaching of Ambrose helped Augustine to see the reasonableness of the Catholic faith. Eventually, touched by grace, Augustine was converted and found strength to practise chastity.
The tears of Monica had won pardon for Augustine. Before her death, Monica said to Augustine, “Son, nothing in this world now affords me delight. I do not know what there is now left for me to do or why I am still here, all my hopes in this world being now fulfilled.”
Mindful of his sinful years, Augustine prayed: “Late have I loved you, beauty so old and so new: late have I loved you.”
St. Augustine said that one tear shed in memory of the Passion is worth more than to fast weekly on bread and water for a year.
One day, St. Francis was crying and shedding tears. He said, “I weep over the sorrows and disgraces of my Lord: and what causes me the greatest sorrow is that men, for whom he suffered so much, live in forgetfulness of him.”
哀慟的人是有福的
有關「真福八端」中，加里.拉格朗日神父對「哀慟的人」作了以下的闡釋：
「他們是有福的，有如乞丐拉匝祿，沒有任何身旁的人給他憐憫和安慰，獨自忍受著苦痛，天主注意到他們的淚水。那些因自己的罪孽而哀慟的人，更是有福，藉聰敏之心，意識到罪惡是最大的邪惡，他們的眼淚，是尋求寬恕。聖嘉琳說過：更有福的是那些見到無限慈悲、救主的慈善、和為羊捨己的善牧的柔情而因愛而流淚的人。他們甚至在此世能得到遠超世俗能給予的安慰。」
荷蘭的真福李慧娜像拉匝祿受苦一樣。她生於1380年，十二歲時發守貞願，虔敬聖母。在十五歲時一次滑雪的意外，斷了肋骨，引發拼發症，使她全身疼痛，苦不堪言，群醫卻又束手無策。初期的疼痛，讓李慧娜情緒難以平伏，忍耐力極限；後來在本堂神父勸勉下，李慧娜日夜默想基督的苦難，漸漸能安於苦痛，甚至祈求天主增加她的痛苦，利用苦作克己，慷慨施捨貧民，善言感化罪人。
熱愛聖體和默想基督苦難，是真福李慧娜靈性活的支柱。接近三十歲時，李慧娜經歷更多奧秘：基督給她顯現、她接受五傷、看到天堂、煉獄和地獄；有多年她可以不吃不喝而活著；生命最後的七年，李慧娜失去了視力；如此，她為眾靈的得救，耐心地承受了三十八年的世苦。1433年4月14日五十三歲的李慧娜與世長辭。
聖婦莫尼加（331-387）為她的丈夫和家姑的皈化，祈禱了多年，終能在她丈夫死前一年，他們都皈依聖教。
莫尼加有三名孩子，令她牽腸掛肚的是奧思定（354-430）。丈夫死時，她把十七歲的奧思定送到迦太基唸書，專攻修辭學；而奧思定信從邪說，過不羈的生活。
為了奧思定，莫尼加勤於祈禱、守嚴齋、哀哭。一位主教曾告訴她說：「有這麼多眼淚為他而流下的兒子是不可能喪亡的。」莫尼加跟隨奧思定去了米蘭，認識了聖安博主教。聖安博的講道，幫助奧思定明白及信服天主教信仰。最後，奧思定在天主聖寵下皈化，遜守貞潔之德。
莫尼加的淚水，替奧思定贏得天主的恕宥。死前，她對兒子奧思定謂：「我兒，世上再沒有使我快樂的事了。我不知道還有什麼事需要我去做或為什麼我仍在此世，我此世所有的願望已經實現了。」
想到自己犯罪的歲月，奧思定祈禱道：「我愛得祢太遲了，祢是歷久常新的美。我真是愛得祢太遲了！」
聖奧思定曾說過，為紀念基督苦難流的一滴淚，勝過守一年吃清水麵包的嚴齋。
曾經有一天，聖方濟各流淚痛哭，說：「我為主的哀傷受辱而哭泣；使我感到最傷痛的，是看到祂為眾人受了那麼多苦，眾人卻遺忘祂。」