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Seven Sorrows of Mary. Download booklet here: www.fatima.org/…/devotion_of_sev… St. Albert the Great said, "that as we are under great obligation to Jesus for His Passion endured for our love, so …More
Seven Sorrows of Mary.
Download booklet here:
www.fatima.org/…/devotion_of_sev…
St. Albert the Great said, "that as we are under great obligation to Jesus for His Passion endured for our love, so also are we under great obligation to Mary for the martyrdom which She voluntarily suffered for our salvation in the death of Her Son". He said ‘voluntarily suffered’ since it was revealed to St. Bridget by St. Agnes, "our merciful and compassionate Mother was willing to endure any torment to save the souls of men."
So great a love has our Heavenly Mother for us, that She deserves our gratitude, and that gratitude should be shown by at least meditating upon, and consoling Her in Her Sorrows. But She lamented to St. Bridget that very few did so, and that the greater part of the world lived in forgetfulness of them: "I look around at all who are on earth, to see if by chance there are any who pity Me, and meditate on My Sorrows; and I find that there are very few. Therefore, My daughter, though I am forgotten by many, at least do you not forget me. Meditate on My Sorrows and share in My grief, as far as you can ."
Our Lord Jesus Christ revealed to Blessed Veronica of Binasco, that He is more pleased in seeing His Mother compassionated than Himself. He said to her: "My daughter, tears shed for My Passion are dear to Me; but as I loved My Mother Mary with an immense love, the meditation on the torments which She endured at My death is even more agreeable to Me." Therefore the graces promised by Jesus to those who are devoted to the sorrows of Mary are very great.
Pelbart relates that it was revealed to St. Elizabeth, that after the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven, St. John the Evangelist desired to see Her again. The favor was granted to him; and Mary appeared to him accompanied by Her Son. The saint then heard Mary ask Jesus to grant some special grace to all those who are devoted to Her Sorrows. Our Lord promised Her four principal ones: first, that those who before death invoke the divine Mother in the name of Her Sorrows will obtain true repentance of all their sins; second, that He will protect all who have this devotion in their tribulations, and will protect them especially at the hour of death; third, that He will impress on their minds the remembrance of His Passion, and will reward them in Heaven for their devotion; fourth, that He will place such devout servants in Mary's hands to do with them as She wishes and to obtain for them all the graces She desires.
The Chaplet (Little Rosary) of the Seven Sorrows
Make an Act of Contrition
MONDAY
V. O God, come to my assistance.
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be ...
The First Sorrow of Mary
St. Simeon's Prophecy
In the Temple, St. Simeon had received the Divine Child in his arms and predicted that this Child would be a sign (of God) which shall be contradicted by men."Behold this Child is set ... for a sign which shall be contradicted. And Thy own soul a sword shall pierce" (Lk. 2:34-35).
Meditation
The Blessed Virgin told St. Matilda that when St. Simeon pronounced these words"all Her joy was changed into sorrow." For, as was revealed to St. Teresa, although the Blessed Mother already knew that the life of Her Son would be sacrificed for the salvation of the world, She then learned more distinctly and in greater detail what sufferings and what a cruel death awaited Him. She knew that He would be persecuted and opposed in every way.
He would be opposed in His teaching: instead of being believed, He would be called a blasphemer for claiming to be the Son of God. The reprobate Caiphas was to say: "He hath blasphemed ... He is guilty of death" (Mt. 26:65-66). He would be opposed in His reputation: for though He was of noble, even of royal descent, He was despised as a peasant: "Is not this the carpenter's son?" (Mt. 13:55). "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?" (Mk. 6:3). He was Wisdom itself, and was treated as ignorant: "How doth this man know letters, having never learned?" (Jn. 7:15). As a false prophet: "And they blindfolded Him, and smote His face ... saying: Prophesy, who is it that struck Thee?" (Lk. 22:64). He was treated as a madman: "He is mad, why hear you him?" (Jn. 10:20). As a drunkard, a glutton, and a friend of sinners: "Behold a man that is a glutton, and a drinker of wine, a friend of publicans and sinners" (Lk. 7:34). As a sorcerer: "By the prince of devils he casteth out devils" (Mt. 9:34). As a heretic and one possessed by the evil spirit:"Do not we say well that Thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?" (Jn. 8:48). In short, Jesus was considered so notoriously wicked that, as the Jews said to Pilate, no trial was necessary to condemn Him. "If He were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered Him up to thee" (Jn. 18:30).
One Our Father ... Seven Hail Marys ...
Verse: My Mother! share Thy grief with me, and let me bear Thee company to mourn Thy Jesus' death with Thee.
TUESDAY
V. O God, come to my assistance.
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be ...
The Second Sorrow of Mary
The Flight of Jesus into Egypt
"Let us now consider the second sword of sorrow which wounded Mary, the flight of Her Infant Jesus into Egypt to escape the persecution by Herod."
Meditation
Having heard that the long-awaited Messiah had been born, Herod foolishly feared that He would deprive him of his kingdom. Herod waited to hear from the holy Magi where the young King was born, and planned to take His life. When he found he had been deceived, he ordered all the infants in the neighborhood of Bethlehem to be put to death. It was at that time that the angel appeared in a dream to St. Joseph and told him: "Arise, and take the Child and His Mother, and flee into Egypt" (Mt. 2:13). No sooner is Jesus born than He is persecuted. Mary began to realize that Simeon's prophecy regarding Her Son was beginning to be fulfilled.
What anguish the realization of the impending exile must have caused Mary. It is easy to imagine that Mary must have suffered on the journey. The distance to Egypt was considerable: three hundred miles, requiring a journey of up to thirty days. The road was rough, unknown and little travelled. It was winter time, so that they had to make their way through snow, rain and wind, over rough and dirty roads. Where could they have slept on such a journey, especially on the two hundred miles of desert? They lived in Egypt seven years. They were strangers — unknown, without money, and barely able to support themselves by the work of their hands. Landolph of Saxony has written (and let this be a consolation to the poor) that Mary lived there in such poverty that there were times when She did not have even a crust of bread to give Her Son when He was hungry. The thought of Jesus and Mary wandering as fugitives through a strange land teaches us that we must also live as pilgrims here below, detached from the material things that the world offers, and which we must soon leave to enter eternity. It also teaches us to embrace crosses, for we cannot live in this world without them. Let us make Mary happy by welcoming Her Son into our hearts, the Son whom men still continue to persecute by their sins.
One Our Father ... Seven Hail Marys ... Verse ...
WEDNESDAY
V. O God, come to my assistance.
R. O Lord make haste to help me.
Glory be ...
The Third Sorrow of Mary
The Loss of Jesus in the Temple
The third sorrow was one of the greatest that Mary had to endure in Her life, the loss of Her Son in the temple. Having lost Her Son for three days, She was deprived of His most sweet presence.
Meditation
What anxiety this broken-hearted Mother must have felt during those three days when She searched everywhere for Her Son, and asked for Him as the spouse did in the Canticles: Have you seen him, whom my soul loveth? (Cant. 3:3). This third sorrow of Mary ought to serve in the first place as a consolation to souls who are desolate, and who no longer enjoy, as they once enjoyed, the sweet presence of the Lord. They may weep, but they should weep confidently, just as Mary wept over the loss of Her Son.
But whoever wants to find Jesus must look for Him as Mary did, not amid the pleasures and delights of the world, but amid crosses and mortifications. "We sought Thee sorrowing," Mary said to Her Son. Let us learn then from Mary, to seek Jesus. Moreover, we should look for no other good in this world than Jesus. St. Augustine says that Job "had lost what God had given him, but not God Himself." If Mary wept over the loss of Her Son for three days, how much more should sinners weep who have lost sanctifying grace. To them God says: "You are not My people, and I will not be yours" (Os. 1:9). For this is the effect of sin: it separates the soul from God. "Your iniquities have divided between you and your God" (Isa. 59:2). Sinners may possess all the wealth in the world, but inasmuch as they have lost God, everything in this world becomes a source of affliction to them, as Solomon confessed: "Behold all is vanity, and vexation of spirit" (Eccles. 1:14).
One Our Father ... Seven Hail Marys ... Verse ...
THURSDAY
V. O God, come to my assistance.
R. O Lord make haste to help me.
Glory be ...
The Fourth Sorrow of Mary
The Meeting of Mary with Jesus on the Way to Calvary
The greater Her love for Him, the greater Her grief at the sight of His sufferings, especially when She met Him on that dolorous way, dragging His cross to the place of execution. This is the fourth sorrow on which we have to meditate.
Meditation
"O sorrowful Mother," exclaimed St. John, "Your Son has now been condemned to death; He has already set out on the road to Calvary, carrying His own cross. Come, if You desire to see Him and say farewell to Him, as He passes through the streets." Mary goes along with St. John. While She waited for Her Son to come along, how much must She have heard said by the Jews (who soon recognized Her), against Her beloved Son, and perhaps even …
Download booklet here:
www.fatima.org/…/devotion_of_sev…
St. Albert the Great said, "that as we are under great obligation to Jesus for His Passion endured for our love, so also are we under great obligation to Mary for the martyrdom which She voluntarily suffered for our salvation in the death of Her Son". He said ‘voluntarily suffered’ since it was revealed to St. Bridget by St. Agnes, "our merciful and compassionate Mother was willing to endure any torment to save the souls of men."
So great a love has our Heavenly Mother for us, that She deserves our gratitude, and that gratitude should be shown by at least meditating upon, and consoling Her in Her Sorrows. But She lamented to St. Bridget that very few did so, and that the greater part of the world lived in forgetfulness of them: "I look around at all who are on earth, to see if by chance there are any who pity Me, and meditate on My Sorrows; and I find that there are very few. Therefore, My daughter, though I am forgotten by many, at least do you not forget me. Meditate on My Sorrows and share in My grief, as far as you can ."
Our Lord Jesus Christ revealed to Blessed Veronica of Binasco, that He is more pleased in seeing His Mother compassionated than Himself. He said to her: "My daughter, tears shed for My Passion are dear to Me; but as I loved My Mother Mary with an immense love, the meditation on the torments which She endured at My death is even more agreeable to Me." Therefore the graces promised by Jesus to those who are devoted to the sorrows of Mary are very great.
Pelbart relates that it was revealed to St. Elizabeth, that after the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven, St. John the Evangelist desired to see Her again. The favor was granted to him; and Mary appeared to him accompanied by Her Son. The saint then heard Mary ask Jesus to grant some special grace to all those who are devoted to Her Sorrows. Our Lord promised Her four principal ones: first, that those who before death invoke the divine Mother in the name of Her Sorrows will obtain true repentance of all their sins; second, that He will protect all who have this devotion in their tribulations, and will protect them especially at the hour of death; third, that He will impress on their minds the remembrance of His Passion, and will reward them in Heaven for their devotion; fourth, that He will place such devout servants in Mary's hands to do with them as She wishes and to obtain for them all the graces She desires.
The Chaplet (Little Rosary) of the Seven Sorrows
Make an Act of Contrition
MONDAY
V. O God, come to my assistance.
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be ...
The First Sorrow of Mary
St. Simeon's Prophecy
In the Temple, St. Simeon had received the Divine Child in his arms and predicted that this Child would be a sign (of God) which shall be contradicted by men."Behold this Child is set ... for a sign which shall be contradicted. And Thy own soul a sword shall pierce" (Lk. 2:34-35).
Meditation
The Blessed Virgin told St. Matilda that when St. Simeon pronounced these words"all Her joy was changed into sorrow." For, as was revealed to St. Teresa, although the Blessed Mother already knew that the life of Her Son would be sacrificed for the salvation of the world, She then learned more distinctly and in greater detail what sufferings and what a cruel death awaited Him. She knew that He would be persecuted and opposed in every way.
He would be opposed in His teaching: instead of being believed, He would be called a blasphemer for claiming to be the Son of God. The reprobate Caiphas was to say: "He hath blasphemed ... He is guilty of death" (Mt. 26:65-66). He would be opposed in His reputation: for though He was of noble, even of royal descent, He was despised as a peasant: "Is not this the carpenter's son?" (Mt. 13:55). "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?" (Mk. 6:3). He was Wisdom itself, and was treated as ignorant: "How doth this man know letters, having never learned?" (Jn. 7:15). As a false prophet: "And they blindfolded Him, and smote His face ... saying: Prophesy, who is it that struck Thee?" (Lk. 22:64). He was treated as a madman: "He is mad, why hear you him?" (Jn. 10:20). As a drunkard, a glutton, and a friend of sinners: "Behold a man that is a glutton, and a drinker of wine, a friend of publicans and sinners" (Lk. 7:34). As a sorcerer: "By the prince of devils he casteth out devils" (Mt. 9:34). As a heretic and one possessed by the evil spirit:"Do not we say well that Thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?" (Jn. 8:48). In short, Jesus was considered so notoriously wicked that, as the Jews said to Pilate, no trial was necessary to condemn Him. "If He were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered Him up to thee" (Jn. 18:30).
One Our Father ... Seven Hail Marys ...
Verse: My Mother! share Thy grief with me, and let me bear Thee company to mourn Thy Jesus' death with Thee.
TUESDAY
V. O God, come to my assistance.
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be ...
The Second Sorrow of Mary
The Flight of Jesus into Egypt
"Let us now consider the second sword of sorrow which wounded Mary, the flight of Her Infant Jesus into Egypt to escape the persecution by Herod."
Meditation
Having heard that the long-awaited Messiah had been born, Herod foolishly feared that He would deprive him of his kingdom. Herod waited to hear from the holy Magi where the young King was born, and planned to take His life. When he found he had been deceived, he ordered all the infants in the neighborhood of Bethlehem to be put to death. It was at that time that the angel appeared in a dream to St. Joseph and told him: "Arise, and take the Child and His Mother, and flee into Egypt" (Mt. 2:13). No sooner is Jesus born than He is persecuted. Mary began to realize that Simeon's prophecy regarding Her Son was beginning to be fulfilled.
What anguish the realization of the impending exile must have caused Mary. It is easy to imagine that Mary must have suffered on the journey. The distance to Egypt was considerable: three hundred miles, requiring a journey of up to thirty days. The road was rough, unknown and little travelled. It was winter time, so that they had to make their way through snow, rain and wind, over rough and dirty roads. Where could they have slept on such a journey, especially on the two hundred miles of desert? They lived in Egypt seven years. They were strangers — unknown, without money, and barely able to support themselves by the work of their hands. Landolph of Saxony has written (and let this be a consolation to the poor) that Mary lived there in such poverty that there were times when She did not have even a crust of bread to give Her Son when He was hungry. The thought of Jesus and Mary wandering as fugitives through a strange land teaches us that we must also live as pilgrims here below, detached from the material things that the world offers, and which we must soon leave to enter eternity. It also teaches us to embrace crosses, for we cannot live in this world without them. Let us make Mary happy by welcoming Her Son into our hearts, the Son whom men still continue to persecute by their sins.
One Our Father ... Seven Hail Marys ... Verse ...
WEDNESDAY
V. O God, come to my assistance.
R. O Lord make haste to help me.
Glory be ...
The Third Sorrow of Mary
The Loss of Jesus in the Temple
The third sorrow was one of the greatest that Mary had to endure in Her life, the loss of Her Son in the temple. Having lost Her Son for three days, She was deprived of His most sweet presence.
Meditation
What anxiety this broken-hearted Mother must have felt during those three days when She searched everywhere for Her Son, and asked for Him as the spouse did in the Canticles: Have you seen him, whom my soul loveth? (Cant. 3:3). This third sorrow of Mary ought to serve in the first place as a consolation to souls who are desolate, and who no longer enjoy, as they once enjoyed, the sweet presence of the Lord. They may weep, but they should weep confidently, just as Mary wept over the loss of Her Son.
But whoever wants to find Jesus must look for Him as Mary did, not amid the pleasures and delights of the world, but amid crosses and mortifications. "We sought Thee sorrowing," Mary said to Her Son. Let us learn then from Mary, to seek Jesus. Moreover, we should look for no other good in this world than Jesus. St. Augustine says that Job "had lost what God had given him, but not God Himself." If Mary wept over the loss of Her Son for three days, how much more should sinners weep who have lost sanctifying grace. To them God says: "You are not My people, and I will not be yours" (Os. 1:9). For this is the effect of sin: it separates the soul from God. "Your iniquities have divided between you and your God" (Isa. 59:2). Sinners may possess all the wealth in the world, but inasmuch as they have lost God, everything in this world becomes a source of affliction to them, as Solomon confessed: "Behold all is vanity, and vexation of spirit" (Eccles. 1:14).
One Our Father ... Seven Hail Marys ... Verse ...
THURSDAY
V. O God, come to my assistance.
R. O Lord make haste to help me.
Glory be ...
The Fourth Sorrow of Mary
The Meeting of Mary with Jesus on the Way to Calvary
The greater Her love for Him, the greater Her grief at the sight of His sufferings, especially when She met Him on that dolorous way, dragging His cross to the place of execution. This is the fourth sorrow on which we have to meditate.
Meditation
"O sorrowful Mother," exclaimed St. John, "Your Son has now been condemned to death; He has already set out on the road to Calvary, carrying His own cross. Come, if You desire to see Him and say farewell to Him, as He passes through the streets." Mary goes along with St. John. While She waited for Her Son to come along, how much must She have heard said by the Jews (who soon recognized Her), against Her beloved Son, and perhaps even …