Free Lenten Devotional

  Blessed Lent to all!  

I pray this solemn season is finding you growing in love of our Lord and his most blessed Mother.  May we adore our Lord, meditating on His Passion, and honor our Lady, pierced with swords of sorrow as she stands at the foot of His Cross.

During Lent of last year for my family, I created a devotional to our Lady of Sorrows.  While my children and I focused on one of the sorrows of our Lady each week of Lent, this devotional could be prayed all at once as well.  Lent is a most fitting time to meditate on our Lady of Sorrows and her most tender heart, but this devotion can also be prayed anytime throughout the year.  I love the devotion to our Lady of Sorrows and strive to pray her chaplet daily.  

I hope this simple devotional helps you truly honor and love our Lady of Sorrows this year during your Lenten journey or whenever you choose to pray it.  It is a useful devotional for adults, children, or families.  This devotional is free for your use.  I simply ask if you post about or share this devotional or one of my other ideas, that you please be kind enough to link back to my original post. My ideas are not to be used for profit, and are to be used for personal use by individuals, families, and teachers.

I do have it available for download at the following link:  Seven Sorrows of Mary.  If you have difficulty with the link or prefer to receive it by email, please leave me a message with your email address, and I can send you the document for free.  I will NOT post your email online.  If you would rather receive a printed copy in the mail, I would have to charge a small fee for printing cost (ink and paper) and postage.  If you prefer that method, please message me again with your email, and I will email you back to set it up.  I am looking for other reliable method for downloads, but I have not decided on one yet.  If you have any reliable suggestions, please let me know.

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God bless!

+JMJ+

To our Lady of Sorrows

                                                  

 The feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary is always celebrated on the Friday of Passion Week, this year March 31.  St. Gabriel of our Lady of Sorrows spoke thus of our Sorrowful Mother,

“Love Mary!… She is loveable, faithful, constant. She will never let herself be outdone in love, but will ever remain supreme. If you are in danger, she will hasten to free you. If you are troubled, she will console you. If you are sick, she will bring you relief. If you are in need, she will help you. She does not look to see what kind of person you have been. She simply comes to a heart that wants to love her. She comes quickly and opens her merciful heart to you, embraces you and consoles and serves you. She will even be at hand to accompany you on the trip to eternity”

To our Lady of Sorrows

 By St Bonaventure (1217-1274) Seraphic Doctor of the Church 

O most holy Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, by the overwhelming grief you experienced when you witnessed the Martyrdom, the Crucifixion and the Death, of your Divine Son, look upon me, with eyes of compassion and awaken in my heart, a tender commiseration for those sufferings and a sincere detestation of my sins, in order that, being disengaged from all undue affection for the passing joys of this earth, I may sigh after the eternal Jerusalem and that, henceforward, all my thoughts and all my actions may be directed towards this one most desirable object, the honour, glory and love of our divine Lord Jesus, and to you, the Holy and Immaculate Mother of God. Amen.

God bless!

+JMJ+

A Very Useful Manner of Hiding Oneself in the Five Sacred Wounds

 According to a private revelation of St. Bridget of Sweden, our Lord revealed to her that during His Passion His Wounds totaled 5,480.  The five primary wounds upon which meditations are often made, however, are the wounds in His Hands and Feet and the Sacred Wound in His side.  Devotion to our Lord's Wounds began early within the Church, especially increasing in devotion among the Faithful during the time of St. Francis of Assisi.

The following prayer honoring our Lord's Wounds was taught to St. Mechtilde by Christ Himself as she went to kiss the Cross one Good Friday.  It is a beautiful prayer on which to meditate and to recite throughout Lent, but it especially is fitting now as Passion Sunday approaches and, soon after, Holy Week.

May this simple prayer help us to unite ourselves with the Passion of our Lord throughout the remainder of Lent and always.

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In Honor of the Five Sacred Wounds

I thank Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, for the painful Wound of Thy left foot, from which flowed the Precious Blood that washes away our sins. In it I sink and hide all the sins I have ever committed. Amen. 

I thank Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, for the painful Wound of Thy right foot, from which the fountain of peace flowed to us. In its depths I sink and bury all my desires, that they may be purified and remain unspotted by any earthly stain. Amen. 

I thank Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, for the painful Wound of Thy left hand, from which the well of grace flowed to us. In it I enclose all my spiritual and bodily ills, that in union with Thy sufferings they may become sweet to me, and by patience become a fragrant odor before God. Amen. 

I thank Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, for the painful Wound of Thy right hand, from which the medicine of the soul was poured forth. In it I hide all my negligences and omissions which I have committed in my virtuous exercises, that they may be atoned for by Thy zealous works. Amen. 

I thank Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, for the healing Wound of Thy sweetest Heart, from which living Water and Blood and the riches of all good flowed to us. I place myself in this Wound, and there unite all my imperfect love to Thy Divine love, that thus it may be perfected. Amen.

God bless!

+JMJ+

Thirty Day Prayer to Mary

 It has long been a custom in the Church to say this prayer of petition on 30 consecutive days. It is also recommended as a Lenten devotion as well as for all Fridays of the year.  With September being dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, it is a fitting month to ask for her intercession through this prayer.

Thirty Day Prayer to Mary

Ever glorious and blessed Mary, Queen of Virgins, Mother of Mercy, through that sword of sorrow which pierced thy tender heart whilst thy only Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, suffered death and ignominy on the Cross; through that filial tenderness and pure love He hast for thee, while from His Cross He recommended thee to the care and protection of His beloved disciple, Saint John, take pity, I beseech thee, on my poverty and need; have compassion on my anxieties and cares; assist and comfort me in all my infirmities and miseries. 

Thou art the Mother of Mercies, the only refuge of the needy and the orphan, of the desolate and afflicted. Cast therefore an eye of pity on this sorrowful child of Eve, and hear my prayer; for since, in just punishment of my sins, I find myself surrounded by a multitude of evils, and oppressed with much anguish of spirit, where can I fly for more secure shelter, O loving Mother of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, than under the wings of thy maternal protection? Listen, therefore, I beseech thee, with an air of pity and compassion, to my humble and earnest request. 

I ask it through the infinite mercy of thy dear Son: through that love and humility with which He embraced our human nature, when through thine own obedience to the Divine Will, thou didst consent to become His Mother, and Whom after nine months, you didst bring forth from thy chaste womb, to visit this world, and bless it with His presence. 

I ask it, through the anguish of mind of thy beloved Son, our dear Savior, on Mount Olivet, when He besought His Eternal Father, to remove from Him, if possible, the bitter chalice of His future passion. I ask it, through the three-fold repetition of His prayers in the Garden, from whence afterwards in sorrow thou didst accompany Him to the scene of His death and sufferings. In ask it, through the laceration of His sinless flesh, caused by the cords and whips with which He was bound and scourged, when stripped of His seamless garments, for which His executioners afterwards cast lots. I ask it, through the scoffs and ignominies by which He was insulted; the false accusations and unjust sentence by which He was condemned to death, and which He bore with enduring patience. I ask it, through His bitter tears and bloody sweat; His silence and resignation; His sadness and grief of heart. I ask it, through the Blood which trickled from His royal and Sacred Head, when struck with the scepter of a reed, and pierced with His Crown of Thorns. I ask it, through the excruciating torments He suffered, when His hands and feet were fastened with nails to the tree of the Cross. I ask it, through His unbearable thirst, and bitter potion of vinegar and gall. I ask it, through His dereliction on the Cross, when He exclaimed: My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me? 

I ask it, through His Mercy extended to the good thief, and through His recommending His precious Soul and spirit into the hands of His Eternal Father, before He expired, saying: "It is finished." I ask it, through the Blood mixed with water, which issued from His Sacred Side when pierced with a lance from whence a flood of grace and mercy has flowed to us. I ask it, through His immaculate life, bitter passion and ignominious death on the Cross, at which even nature itself was thrown into convulsions by the bursting of rocks, rending of the veil of the temple, the earthquake and darkness, of the sun and the moon. 

I ask it, through His glorious victory over death, when He arose again to life on the Third day, and through the joy which His appearance for forty days, gaveth thee, His Blessed Mother, His Apostles, and the rest of His disciples; when in thy and their presence, He miraculously ascended into Heaven. I ask it, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, infused into the hearts of His disciples; when He descended upon them in the form of fiery tongues, and by which they were inspired with zeal for the conversion of the world, when they went to preach the Gospel. I ask it, through the glorious appearance of thy Son, at the last day, when He shall come to judge the living and the dead, and the world by fire. I ask it, through the compassion He bore in this life, and the wonderful joy thou didst feel at thine Assumption into Heaven, where thou doth eternally contemplate His Divine perfection. 

O glorious and ever Blessed Virgin, comfort the heart of thy suppliant, by obtaining for me . . . (Here mention or reflect on your request.)  And as I believe that my Divine Savior honors thee as His beloved Mother, to whom He refuses nothing contrary to His honor, so let me soon experience thy powerful intercession. Wherefore, O most Blessed Virgin, beside my present petition, and whatever else I may stand in need of, obtain for me also of thy dear Son, our Lord and our God, a lively faith, firm hope, perfect charity, true contrition of heart and genuine tears of compunction, sincere confession, satisfaction and deliverance from sin, love of God and my neighbor, a correct attitude to the world, patience to suffer insults, even death itself, for love of thy Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. 

Obtain likewise for me, O Holy Mother of God, perseverance in good works, the carrying out of my good resolutions, mortification of my self-will, a holy life, and, at my last moments, a strong and sincere repentance, with such presence of mind, as will enable me to receive the last Sacrament of the Church worthily, so as to die in God's friendship and favor. Lastly, I beseech thee, for the Souls of my parents, brethren, relatives and benefactors, both living and dead, life everlasting, from the only giver of every good and perfect gift, the Lord God Almighty: to Whom be all power, now and forever.  Amen.

God bless!

+JMJ+

A Simple Meditation for Lent

                                                  

"Let us go to the foot of the Cross, and there complain, if we have the courage."

--St. Madeleine Sophie Barat

God bless!

+JMJ+

Prayer to the Queen of Martyrs, Our Lady of Sorrows

 

In this beautiful prayer to Our Lady, Queen of Martyrs, we pray to our Blessed Mother, remembering her sorrows at the sufferings and death of her Beloved Son.  We beg of her to help us to accept our own crosses as God's Will and unite them with hers, recognizing suffering as a means of true repentance for our sins and reparation for sins throughout the world.
May we strive to embrace our daily crosses, as Jesus and Mary willingly carried theirs, and offer them as acts of love to the Blessed Trinity and our sweet, heavenly Mother.

To the Queen of Martyrs

Mary, most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, accept the sincere homage of my filial affection. Into thy heart, pierced by so many swords, do thou welcome my poor soul. Receive it as the companion of thy sorrows at the foot of the Cross, on which Jesus died for the redemption of the world. With thee, O sorrowful Virgin, I will gladly suffer all the trials, contradictions, and infirmities which it shall please our Lord to send me. I offer them all to thee in memory of thy sorrows, so that every thought of my mind, and every beat of my heart may be an act of compassion and of love for thee. And do thou, sweet Mother, have pity on me, reconcile me to thy divine Son Jesus, keep me in His grace, and assist me in my last agony, so that I may be able to meet thee in heaven and sing thy glories.  Amen.

God bless!

+JMJ+

A Prayer to Our Lady after Receiving Holy Communion

                                            

On this blessed feast of the Seven Sorrows of Mary, may we remember to honor Our Lady in a special way, perhaps by attending Mass or reciting the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows.  

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Recently I discovered a prayer to Our Lady, which is to be recited after receiving the Blessed Lord in Holy Communion.  Of course, after receiving the Most Blessed Sacrament, priority should be given to showering our Lord with adoration, love, and thanksgiving for allowing us to receive Him, for His great sacrifice on the cross and remaining in the tabernacle, waiting for our visit, and for all of His blessings.

However, it also seems fitting to express gratitude and love to the Blessed Mother, our Lady of Sorrows, who also experienced great sacrifice and grief upon the sufferings and death of her Son.  Yet she lovingly obeyed the will of God and silently endured these pangs for love of Him and us.  May we remember to pause and thank her and love her also.  Mother Mary, our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us!

A Prayer to Our Lady

O Mary, most holy Virgin Mother, lo, I have received thy well-beloved Son, Whom thou didst conceive in thy stainless womb,
didst bring forth and suckle, and enfold in thy sweet embraces. See, humbly and lovingly I give back to thee the Son, Whom it was all rapture and delight for thee to look upon; I offer Him to be clasped in thy arms, to be loved with all thy heart, and to be offered up to the Holy Trinity in the supreme homage of adoration, for thy honor and glory, and for my needs and those of all mankind. Most loving Mother, I beg thee to obtain for me forgiveness of all my sins, grace in abundance to serve Him more faithfully from now onward, and lastly, final perseverance, so that I may praise Him with thee forever and ever.  Amen.

God bless!

+JMJ+

Feast of the Seven Sorrows of Mary

 Our Lady of Sorrows is honored with feasts on September 15 and on the Friday of Passion week, this coming Friday.  I have always had a great love for Our Lady of Sorrows and love singing the beautiful "Stabat Mater" during the Stations of the Cross.  Meditating upon the sorrowful countenance of our gentle Mother, bowed low over the body of her Son as she holds him near her grief-stricken heart, fills my being with true sorrow for my sins, for my selfishness and weakness.  May the image of Our Lady of Sorrows remain before our eyes throughout the remainder of Lent, filling our hearts with a true horror of sin  and a desire to perform penance for our sins and and the sins committed throughout the world.  

Litany of the Sorrowful Mother

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God,
Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Mother of Christ, pray for us.
Mother of Our Saviour Crucified, pray for us.
Mother most Sorrowful, pray for us.
Mother most tearful, pray for us.
Mother most afflicted, pray for us.
Mother most lonely, pray for us.
Mother most desolate, pray for us.
Mother pierced by the sword of sorrow, pray for us.

Queen of martyrs, pray for us.
Comfort of the sorrowful, pray for us.
Help of the needy, pray for us.
Protectress of the forsaken, pray for us.
Support of widows and orphans, pray for us.
Health of the sick, pray for us.
Hope of the troubled, pray for us.
Haven of the ship-wrecked, pray for us.
Refuge of sinners, pray for us.
Hope of the despairing, pray for us.
Mother of mercy, pray for us.

Through thy poverty in the stable of Bethlehem, pray for us.
Through thy sorrow at the prophecy of Simeon, pray for us.
Through thy sad flight into Egypt, pray for us.
Through thy anxiety when seeking thy lost Child, pray for us.
Through thy grief when seeing thy divine Son persecuted, pray for us.
Through thy fear and anxiety when Jesus was apprehended, pray for us.
Through thy pain caused by the treason of Judas and the denial of Peter, pray for us.
Through thy sad meeting with Jesus on the way of the Cross, pray for us.
Through the tortures of thy loving Heart at the Crucifixion of Jesus, pray for us.
Through thy agony at the death of Jesus, pray for us.
Through the sword of sorrow that pierced thy heart when the side of Jesus was transfixed by the
lance, pray for us.
Through thy lamentations over the dead Body of thy divine Son lying on thy bosom, pray for us.
Through thy deep mourning at His tomb, pray for us.
Through thy desolation after the burial of Jesus, pray for us.
Through the tears thou didst shed for thy beloved Son, pray for us.
Through thy wonderful resignation to the will of God in all thy sufferings, pray for us.

O Queen of peace, pray for us.
In all our tribulations, pray for us.
In our illnesses and pains, pray for us.
In our sorrows and afflictions, pray for us.
In our need and destitution, pray for us.
In our fears and dangers, pray for us.
In the hour of our death, pray for us.
On the Day of Judgment, pray for us.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Lord.

Pray for us, O Sorrowful Virgin, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let Us Pray.  We beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, let Thy Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose holy soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow at the hour of Thy Passion, implore Thy mercy for us, both now and at the hour of our death, Who livest and reignest, world without end.  Amen.

God bless!

+JMJ+

Sorrowful Mother Novena

                                               

Holy Mother Church dedicates September to Our Lady of Sorrows. May we pray to Our Lady of Sorrows throughout this month, remembering and honoring her suffering, which she endured out of love for God and for us.  With the feast of the Seven Sorrows of Mary being celebrated on September 15, this is a fitting time to recite the following novena, which would begin on September 6 and finish on the vigil of the feast, September 14. In this novena we remember the sorrows of our Heavenly Mother, while asking her to help us gain specific virtues and the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Sorrowful Mother Novena

V. O God, hasten to my aid.
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
V. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
R. As it was in the beginning,...

1. I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in the affliction of thy tender heart at the prophecy of the holy and aged Simeon. Dear Mother, by thy heart so afflicted, obtain for me the virtue of humility and the Gift of the holy Fear of God.  *Hail Mary

2. I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in the anguish of thy most affectionate heart during the flight into Egypt and thy sojourn there. Dear Mother, by thy heart so full of anguish, obtain for me the virtue of generosity, especially toward the poor, and the Gift of Piety. *Hail Mary

3. I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in those anxieties which tried thy troubled heart at the loss of thy dear Jesus in the Temple. Dear Mother, by thy heart so full of anguish, obtain for me the virtue of chastity and the Gift of Knowledge. *Hail Mary

4. I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in the consternation of thy heart at meeting Jesus as He carried His Cross. Dear Mother, by thy heart so troubled, obtain for me the virtue of patience and the Gift of Fortitude. *Hail Mary

5. I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in the martyrdom which thy generous heart endured in standing near Jesus in His agony on the Cross. Dear Mother, by thy afflicted heart, obtain for me the virtue of temperance and the Gift of Counsel. *Hail Mary

6. I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in the wounding of thy compassionate heart, when the side of Jesus was pierced by a lance before His Body was removed from the Cross. Dear Mother, by thy heart thus transfixed, obtain for me the virtue of fraternal charity and the Gift of Understanding.  *Hail Mary

7. I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful, for the pangs that wrenched thy most loving heart at the 
burial of Jesus. Dear Mother, by thy heart sunk in the bitterness of desolation, obtain for me the virtue of diligence and the Gift of Wisdom.  *Hail Mary

Let us pray. Let intercession be made for us, we beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, now and at the hour of our death, by the throne of Thy mercy, by the Blessed Virgin Mary, Thy Mother, whose most holy soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the hour of Thy bitter Passion, through Thee, O Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns world without end. Amen.

God bless!

+JMJ+

Seven Prayers in Honor of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary

                                                       "Oh, how sad and sore distressed

                                                            Was that Mother highly blest,

Of the sole begotten One!"

                                     --From the Stabat Mater

Devotion to Our Sorrowful Mother has long been a favorite among Catholics, but even so, Mary, speaking to St. Bridget, related, "I gaze upon the children of men to see whether anyone feels compassion for me, and alas, I see but few!...Consider how much I have suffered."  

The Church has given the title Queen of Martyrs to the Blessed Virgin for although she did not receive bodily torture, her heart was pierced by the sword of sorrow for her Divine Son, a sorrow greater than any we may know.  Holy Mother Church applies these words of Jeremias to our Lady of Sorrows:  "O all ye that pass by the way, attend, and see if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow." (Lamentations 1:12).  

Numerous saints also spoke on the intensity of Mary's grief.  St. Bernardine of Siena said the sorrow of Mary was go great that if it would have been evenly divided upon all men, they would have died immediately!  St. Basil also says of Mary's sorrow, "...[T]he sorrows of Mary surpass all the tortures of the martyrs."  

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"O thou Mother! fount of love!

Touch my spirit from above;

Make my heart with thine accord.

Make me feel as thou hast felt;

Make my soul to glow and melt

With the love of Christ our Lord.

Holy Mother! pierce me through;

In my heart each wound renew

Of my Saviour crucified.

Let me share with thee His pain,

Who for all my sins was slain,

Who for me in torments died.

Let me mingle tears with thee,

Mourning Him who mourn'd for me,

All the days that I may live.

By the cross with thee to stay,

There with thee to weep and pray,

Is all I ask of thee to give."

                                             ---from the Stabat Mater

Seven Prayers in Honor of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary

V. O God, come to my assistance;
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
R. As it was in the beginning, etc.

First Sorrow: The Prophecy of Simeon
I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in the affliction of thy tender heart at the prophecy of the holy and aged Simeon. Dear Mother, by thy heart so afflicted, obtain for me the virtue of humility and the gift of the holy fear of God. Recite 1 Hail Mary.

Second Sorrow:  The Flight Into Egypt
I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in the anguish of thy most affectionate heart during the flight into Egypt and thy sojourn there. Dear Mother, by thy heart so troubled, obtain for me the virtue of generosity, especially toward the poor, and the gift of piety. Recite 1 Hail Mary.

Third Sorrow:  The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple
I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in those anxieties which tried thy troubled heart at the loss of thy dear Jesus. Dear Mother, by thy heart so full of anguish, obtain for me the virtue of chastity and the gift of knowledge. Recite 1 Hail Mary.

Fourth Sorrow:  Mary Meets Jesus on the Way to Calvary
I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful in the consternation of thy heart at meeting Jesus as he carried His Cross. Dear Mother, by thy heart so troubled, obtain for me the virtue of patience and the gift of fortitude. Recite 1 Hail Mary.

Fifth Sorrow:  Jesus Dies on the Cross
I grieve for thee O Mary, most sorrowful, in the martyrdom which thy generous heart endured in standing near Jesus in His agony. Dear Mother, by thy afflicted heart, obtain for me the virtue of temperance and the gift of counsel. Recite 1 Hail Mary.

Sixth Sorrow:  Mary Receives Jesus
I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in the wounding of thy compassionate heart, when the side of Jesus was struck by the lance and His Heart was pierced before His body was removed from the Cross. Dear Mother, by thy heart thus transfixed, obtain for me the virtue of fraternal charity and the gift of understanding. Recite 1 Hail Mary.

Seventh Sorrow:  Jesus is Placed in the Tomb
I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful, for the pangs that wrenched thy most loving heart at the burial of Jesus. Dear Mother, by thy heart sunk in the bitterness of desolation, obtain for me virtue of diligence and the gift of wisdom. Recite 1 Hail Mary.

V. Pray for us, O Virgin most sorrowful;
R. That we made be worthy of the promises of Christ

Let us Pray: Let intercession be made for us, we beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, now and at the hour of our death, before the throne of Thy mercy, by the Blessed Virgin Mary, Thy Mother, whose most holy soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the hour of Thy bitter Passion. Through Thee, Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, world without end. Amen.

God bless!  May you have a very blessed Holy Week!

+JMJ+

Chaplet in Honor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, our Lady of Sorrows

 The following prayer is a fitting prayer to recite during the month of March.  The prayer draws upon the Annunciation of Mary, which Holy Mother Church celebrates as a solemnity on March 25.  It also brings to mind the sorrows Our Lady endured during her Son's crucifixion and death, perfect to meditate upon during the Lenten season and especially on the Friday after Passion Sunday (this next Sunday), on which we honor Our Lady with the Feast of the Seven Sorrows of Mary.  This chaplet would also be appropriate said as a novena.

Chaplet in Honor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, our Lady of Sorrows

Incline unto my aid, O God! O Lord, make haste to help me!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, etc.

1. Immaculate Virgin, who, conceived without sin, didst direct every movement of thy most pure heart to that God Who was ever the object of thy love, and who was ever most submissive to His will, obtain for me the grace to hate sin with my whole heart, and to learn of thee to live in perfect resignation to the will of God.

***repeat each time: Our Father [One], Hail Mary [Seven]. Heart transpierced with pain and woe, set my heart with love aglow!

2. I marvel, Mary, at thy deep humility, through which thy blessed heart was troubled at the gracious message brought thee by Gabriel, the archangel, that thou wast chosen Mother of the Son of the Most High, and through which thou didst proclaim thyself his humble handmaid. Wherefore, in great confusion at the sight of my pride, I ask thee for the grace of a contrite and humble heart, that, knowing my own misery, I may obtain that crown of glory promised to the truly humble of heart. ***

3. Blessed Virgin, who, in thy sweetest heart, didst keep as a precious treasure the words of Jesus thy Son, and pondering on the lofty mysteries they contained, didst learn to live for God alone, how doth my cold heart confound me! O dearest Mother! Get me grace so to meditate within my heart upon God's holy law that I may strive to follow thee in the fervent practice of every Christian virtue. ***

4. Glorious Queen of Martyrs, whose sacred heart was pierced in thy Son's bitter Passion by the sword, whereof the holy man Simeon had prophesied, gain for my heart true courage and a holy patience to bear the troubles and misfortunes of this miserable life, that so by crucifying my flesh with its desires while following the mortification of the Cross, I may indeed show myself to be a true child of thine. ***

5. O Mary, Mystical Rose, whose loving heart, burning with the living fire of charity, did accept us for thy sons at the foot of the Cross, becoming thus our tender Mother, make me feel the sweetness of thy maternal heart and thy power with Jesus, that when menaced by the perils of this mortal life, and most of all in the dread hour of death, my heart united with thine may love my Jesus then and through all ages. Amen. ***

Let us now turn to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, that He may inflame us with His holy love!
O Divine Heart of Jesus! To Thee I consecrate myself, full of deep gratitude for the many blessings I have received and daily do receive from Thy boundless charity. With my whole heart I thank thee for having, in addition to them all, vouchsafed to give me Thy own most holy Mother, giving me to her as a child, in the person of the beloved disciple. Let my heart ever burn with love for Thee, finding in Thy sweetest Heart its peace, its refuge, and its happiness. Amen.
--My Prayer Book

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Sea of Sorrow

Oh! on what a sea of sorrow

Was the Virgin-Mother cast,

When her eyes with tears o'erflowing

Gazed upon her Son aghast,

From the bloodstained gibbet taken,

Dying in her arms at last.

In her bitter desolation,

His sweet mouth, His bosom too,

Then His riven side beloved,

Then each hand, both wounded through,

Then His feet, with blood encrimsoned,

Her maternal tears bedew.

She, a hundred times and over,

Strains Him closely to her breast

Heart to Heart, arms arms enfolding,

Are His wounds on her impressed:

Thus, in sorrow's very kisses,

Melts her anguished soul to rest.

Oh, dear Mother! we beseech thee,

By the tears thine eyes have shed,

By the cruel death of Jesus

And His wounds' right royal red,

Make our hearts o'erflow with sorrow

From thy heart's deep fountainhead.

To the Father, Son, and Spirit,

Now we bend on equal knee:

Glory, sempiternal glory,

To the Most High Trinity;

Yea! perpetual praise and honor

Now and through all ages be.

--Ascribed to the Servite, calusto Palumbella

God bless!

+JMJ+

The Dogwood

 For most of my childhood, I lived in Missouri, a state that looks very different from where I currently reside.  The towering oaks surrounded me, and I loved hiking beneath their shade.  However, it was the gentle dogwood trees, peeping out from between the stately oaks, that caught my eye each spring.  Their soft, white blossoms were a beautiful contrast to the fresh green in the budding leaves of the other trees.  Missouri landscape is dotted with dogwoods wherever you go.

The dogwood tree, however, grabbed my attention even more when I learned of the Legend of the Dogwood.  While there is no proof this legend has any factual details to it, I can recognize the symbolic aspects related to the Dogwood tree and its blossoms.  Whether the cross was actually created from a Dogwood tree was not the point.  Looking at the snowy blossoms brought to mind my crucified Lord, and thus they became a favorite tree of mine.

Legend relates that at the time of Jesus' Crucifixion, the dogwood tree was similar in size to the oak and the other majestic trees of the forest.  Because of its firmness and strength, it was selected as the timber for the Cross, but to be used for such a cruel task, greatly distressed the tree.  Sensing this, the crucified Jesus, in His gentle pity for the sorrow and suffering of all, promised the dogwood would never again be used as a gibbet.

Instead the tree would remain slender and bent, not large enough to act as a cross.



+ The dogwood blossoms would be in the form of a cross:  two long and two short petals.
+ In the center of the outer edge of each petal there will be nail prints -- brown with rust and stained with red, the color of our Lord's blood.
+ In the center of each flower would be found a crown of thorns.

**All who see the tree with its shape and marks would remember the Crucifixion of Our Lord.

Years ago, with my devotion to Mary and the image of this tree in mind, I composed the poem below.

My Lady

My Lady stands among the blossoms of the dogwood tree,

Oh, how lovely to behold is she!

Her gown, bordered with gold, is woven of the purest blue,

And around her feet, lay delicate roses, sprinkled with the morning dew.

Her eyes are bright; her face is fair,

Her head is bowed as in prayer.

Her lips part in a smile of the gentlest love,

As she listens to the birds' songs in the trees above.

Softly stirring her robe, the quiet breeze,

Whispers of her beauty as it slips through the trees.

One of the flowers glides from its limb,

And gracefully she picks it up, thinking of Him.

She holds the snowy blossom close to her heart,

And with tears in her eyes, my Lady turns to depart.

--Christine McDonald

Blessed Lent!

+JMJ+

Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

 Holy Mother Church dedicates the month of September to Our Lady of Sorrows and specifically honors her on September 15, the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. This date is most fitting to remember the suffering and sorrow the Blessed Mother endured as she stood at the foot of her Son's cross, since on the previous day, September 14, the Church celebrates the feast of the Triumph of the Cross, Jesus' instrument of victory over death.

 As we meditate on the seven sorrows of Our Lady, may we seek her help in accepting our crosses, striving daily to imitate her holy example. May we ask her to help us remain focused on that which is truly important, not the things of this world, but eternal happiness in heaven. In the following prayer to Mary, we remember her swords of sorrow and ask her, Our dearest Mother, to intercede for us and our intentions.

Virgin, most sorrowful, pray for us!

In Honor of the Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary

O most holy and afflicted Virgin! Queen of Martyrs! thou who didst stand motionless beneath the Cross, witnessing the agony of thy expiring Son--through the unceasing sufferings of thy life of sorrow, and the bliss which now more than amply repays thee for thy past trials, look down with a mother's tenderness and pity on me, who kneel before thee to venerate thy dolors, and place my requests, with filial confidence, in the sanctuary of thy wounded heart; present them, I beseech thee, on my behalf, to Jesus Christ, through the merits of His own most sacred death and passion, together with thy sufferings at the foot of the cross, and through the united efficacy of both obtain the grant of my present petition. To whom shall I resort in my wants and miseries if not to thee, O Mother of Mercy, who, having so deeply drunk of the chalice of thy Son, canst compassionate the woes of those who still sigh in the land of exile? Offer for me to my Savior one drop of the Blood which flowed from His sacred veins, one of the tears which trickled from His divine eyes, one of the sighs which rent His adorable Heart. O refuge of the universe and hope of the whole world, do not reject my humble prayer, but graciously obtain the grant of my petition.

Stabat Mater

 This 13th century hymn is considered one of the greatest Latin hymns of all time. Although in modern times most people recognize the "Stabat Mater" as a hymn sung with the Stations of the Cross, beginning in the 17th century this hymn was used on the two feasts of the Seven Sorrows of Mary:  September 15 and the Friday before Palm Sunday.  The "Stabat Mater" seems a fitting hymn on which to meditate throughout Holy Week, especially on Good Friday.  As we strive to honor Our Lord's Passion through prayer and sacrifice, may we also keep in remembrance the Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Sorrows.  Let us remember her anguish and sorrow as she stood at the foot of the Cross of her Son, helpless and heartbroken.  May we also strive to sacrifice and pray to ease the grief she felt within her heart, a heart pierced with the sword of sorrow Simeon foretold.

Stabat Mater

At the cross her station keeping, Stood the mournful Mother weeping, Close to Jesus to the last. Through her heart, His sorrow sharing, All His bitter anguish bearing, Now at length the sword had pass'd. Oh, how sad and sore distress'd Was that Mother highly blest Of the sole-begotten One! Christ above in torment hangs; She beneath beholds the pangs Of her dying glorious Son. Is there one who would not weep, Whelm'd in miseries so deep Christ's dear Mother to behold? Can the human heart refrain From partaking in her pain, In that Mother's pain untold? Bruis'd, derided, curs'd, defil'd, She beheld her tender child All with bloody scourges rent. For the sins of His own nation, Saw Him hang in desolation, Till His spirit forth He sent. O thou Mother! fount of love! Touch my spirit from above; Make my heart with thine accord. Make me feel as thou hast felt; Make my soul to glow and melt With the love of Christ our Lord. Holy Mother! pierce me through; In my heart each wound renew Of my Saviour crucified. Let me share with thee His pain, Who for all my sins was slain, Who for me in torments died. Let me mingle tears with thee, Mourning Him who mourn'd for me, All the days that I may live. By the cross with thee to stay, There with thee to weep and pray, Is all I ask of thee to give. Virgin of all virgins best, Listen to my fond request Let me share thy grief divine. Let me, to my latest breath, In my body bear the death Of that dying Son of thine. Wounded with His every wound, Steep my soul till it hath swoon'd In His very blood away. Be to me, O Virgin, nigh, Lest in flames I burn and die, In His awful Judgment day. Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence, Be Thy Mother my defence, Be Thy cross my victory. While my body here decays, May my soul Thy goodness praise, Safe in Paradise with Thee.

Stabat Mater dolorosa Juxta Crucem lacrimosa, Dum pendebat Filius. Cujus animam gementem, Contristatam et dolentem, Pertransivit gladius. O quam tristis et afflicta Fuit illa benedicta Mater Unigeniti! Quem maerebat, et dolebat, Pia Mater, dum videbat Nati paenas inclyti. Quis est homo, qui non fleret, Matrem Christi si videret In tanto supplicio? Quis non posset contristari, Christi Matrem contemplari Dolentem cum Filio? Pro peccatis suae gentis Vidit Jesum in tormentis, Et flagellis subditum. Vidit suum dulcem natum Moriendo desolatum, Dum emisit spiritum. Eia Mater, fons amoris, Me sentire vim doloris Fac, ut tecum lugeam. Fac, ut ardeat cor meum In amando Christum Deum, Ut sibi complaceam. Sancta Mater, istud agas, Crucifixi fige plagas Cordi meo valide. Tui nati vulnerati, Tam dignati pro me pati, Paenas rnecum divide. Fac me tecum pie flere, Crucifixo condolere, Donec ego vixero. Juxta Crucem tecum stare, Et me tibi sociare In planctu desidero. Virgo virginum praeclara, Mihi jam non sis amara: Fac me tecum plangere. Fac, ut portem Christi mortem Passionis fac consortum, Et plagas recolere. Fac me plagis vulnerari Fac me cruce inebriari, Et cruore Filii. Flammis ne urar succensus Per te, Virgo, sim defensus In die judicii. Christe, cum sit hinc exire, Da per Matrem me venire, Ad palmam victoriae. Quando corpus morietur, Fac, ut animae donetur Paradisi gloria.

In Honor of Our Lady of Sorrows

 

Michaelangelo's Pieta

A fitting practice during Lent is to recall the "swords of sorrow" which pierced the heart of Mary; meditating upon them is a wonderful way to honor Our Lady.  Traditionally the Church dedicates the Friday after Passion Sunday, this year April 11, to the Seven Sorrows of Mary, focusing on Mary's intense suffering during the Passion and Death of her Son.  One devotion honoring Our Lady of Sorrows is the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Mary, which originated in the thirteenth century.

How to pray the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Mary
(**If praying without chaplet beads, just recite the prayers in order.**)

• After making the Sign of the Cross, pray an Act of Contrition
• On the large bead name the Sorrow, and then say 1 Our Father
• On the next seven beads, while meditating on the Sorrow, pray 1 Hail Mary for each of the beads.
• Repeat for each of the seven Sorrows.
• On the final 3 beads recite 3 Hail Marys total in remembrance of the tears that our Mother shed because of the sufferings of her Divine Son, pleading for repentance for sins committed.
• Pray the concluding prayer:
• Pray for us, O most sorrowful Virgin, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.  Let us pray.  Lord Jesus, we now implore both for the present and for the hour of our death, the intercession of the most Blessed Virgin Mary, thy Mother, whose holy soul was pierced at the time of Thy Passion by a sword of grief.  Grant us this favor, O Savior of the world, Who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever.  Amen.

Seven Sorrows of Mary

1.  Prophecy of Simeon (Lk 2:25-35) -- While presenting her Infant Child Jesus in the Temple and going there for purification as was accustomed by the law, Simeon told Mary that a sword of sorrow would pierce her soul, that her Son would have to suffer, that the thoughts of many may be revealed.

2.  The Flight into Egypt (Mt 2:13-15) -- An angel of God commanded Joseph to take Mary and Jesus and flee into Egypt.  There, in exile, they would be safe from Herod.  At this time Mary already sees the words of Simeon coming true.  Already her Son, just an Infant, is being persecuted.  Trusting in God, Joseph and Mary flee to Egypt, alone and poor, until Joseph is told it is safe to return home.

3.  Loss of the Child Jesus for Three Days (Lk 2:41-50) -- Returning from Jerusalem after the feast of the Passover, Joseph and Mary realized Jesus was not among them.  For three days they searched frantically for their missing twelve year old Son, whom they finally found in the Temple.

4.  Mary Meets Jesus on His Way to Calvary (Jn 19:17) -- Mary meets Jesus, bloodied and bruised, carrying the heavy cross of His crucifixion.  She is not allowed to comfort Him, nor He allowed to remain with her.

5.  Crucifixion and Death of Jesus (Jn 19:25-30) --  Her Divine Son, bleeding and exhausted, hangs on the cross where she remains at His feet.  He hangs for three hours, and her heart breaks even more.  Ponder a mother, the Blessed Mother, watching helplessly while her Son dies on the cross.

6.  The Body of Jesus Being Taken from the Cross and Laid in the Arms of His Mother 

(Jn 19:31-37) -- Mary, at the foot of the cross, must watch as the centurion pierces Jesus with a lance to ensure He is dead.  As Jesus is pierced, her heart is also pierced with the weight of her sorrows.   Ponder Mary holding her Son in her arms once more, but this time without the comfort of His Life wrapped in her embrace.

7.  The Burial of Jesus (Jn 19:38-42) -- Jesus is laid in the tomb, and the heavy stone is rolled to shut it.  Mary remains outside, separated from her Beloved Son.

***The following site, Our Catholic Prayers, provides wonderful meditations for the Seven Sorrows of Mary.