Revelations, Promises, and the Meditations and Prayers on the Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
“Jesus Christ Himself 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.’
“Wherefore the graces promised by Jesus to those who are devoted to the dolors of Mary are very great.” - St. Alphonsus Liguori
Our Lady lamented to St. Bridget that very few consoled Her by meditating on Her Sorrows, 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 upon 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; consider My anguish, and imitate, as far as you can, My grief.’”
“For this purpose the Blessed Virgin Herself appeared in the year 1239 to the founder of the Order of the Servites, or servants of Mary, to ask them to institute a religious order in remembrance of Her sorrows.”
At Fatima, in 1916, the Angel of Peace appeared to the three child seers Lucy, Francisco and Jacinta, and after encouraging them to pray and teaching them a prayer of adoration, said “ ...The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the voice of your supplications.”
At Fatima, on June 13, 1917, Our Lady, after informing the three child seers that Jacinta and Francisco will go to Heaven soon, but that Lucy is to stay on earth some time longer — She said to Lucy, “Jesus wishes to make use of you in order to make Me known and loved”, Our Lady then said: “He wants to establish in the world devotion to My Immaculate Heart...”
At Fatima, on July 13, 1917, after the child seers were terrified by the vision of hell, Our Lady said to them, “You have seen hell, where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them (poor sinners), God wills to establish in the world devotion to My Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace...”
Jesus Himself further explained His will to Sister Lucy. In response to her question asking Him why He would not convert Russia without the Pope doing the Consecration of Russia, Jesus said: “Because I want My whole Church to recognize that Consecration as a Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, so that later on My Church will place devotion to My Mother’s Immaculate Heart beside devotion to My Sacred Heart.”
St. Albert the Great said, “that as we are under great obligations to Jesus for His Passion endured for our love, so also are we under great obligations to Mary for the martyrdom which She voluntarily suffered for our salvation in the death of Her Son.” He said “voluntarily (suffered), since, as St. Agnes revealed to St. Bridget, ‘our compassionate and benign Mother was satisfied rather to endure any torment than that our souls should not be redeemed.”
“The grief of Mary was so great that, were it divided amongst all men, it would suffice to cause their immediate death.”…. St. Bernardine of Sienna
“While other martyrs suffered by sacrificing their own lives, the Blessed Virgin suffered by sacrificing Her Son’s life – a life that She loved far more than Her own; so that She not only suffered in Her soul all that Her Son endured in His body, but moreover the sight of Her Son’s torments brought more grief to Her heart than if She had endured them all in Her own person.”…. St. Antoninus
“The Passion of Jesus began with His birth. So also did Mary, in all things like unto Her Son, endure Her martyrdom throughout Her life.”…. St. Bernard
It was “revealed to St. Bridget” by an angel, “that the Blessed Virgin, even before She became His Mother, knowing how much the Incarnate Word was to suffer for the salvation of men, and compassionating this innocent Saviour, Who was to be so cruelly put to death for crimes not His own, even then began Her great martyrdom.”
“The martyrs endured their torments in their bodies; Mary suffered Hers in Her soul.” ...St. Alphonsus de Liguori. “Now, as the soul is more noble than the body, so much greater were Mary’s sufferings than those of all the martyrs, as Jesus Christ Himself said to St. Catherine of Siena: ‘Between the sufferings of the soul and those of the body there is no comparison.’”
“The Blessed Virgin Mary, for the love She bore us, was willing to see Her Son sacrificed to Divine Justice by the barbarity of men. This great torment, then, which Mary endured for us — a torment that was more than a thousand deaths — deserves both our compassion and our gratitude. If we can make no other return for so much love, at least let us give a few moments this day to consider the greatness of the sufferings by which Mary became the Queen of martyrs; for the sufferings of Her great martyrdom exceeded those of all the martyrs; being, in the first place, the longest in point of duration; and in the second place, the greatest in point of intensity.”…. St. Alphonsus de Liguori.
“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 pitying Her in Her Sorrows.”…. St. Alphonsus de Liguori.
In the words of the Church:
Pope Benedict XIII, in 1724, promulgated and encouraged the practice of the devotion to Our Lady’s Sorrows when he bestowed many indulgences for the recitation of the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows.
Our Lady’s Sorrows are commemorated twice a year on the liturgical calendar, September 15, and the Friday before Palm Sunday. Commemorating the Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary twice a year on the Roman Liturgical Calendar demonstrates how important this devotion is to Heaven.
History of the Devotion
Devotion to the Mother of Sorrows dates back to the beginning of the Church. The first example we have is St. John at the foot of the Cross. This devotion was ensured in Church history by the gospel narrative of St. John — “Now there stood by the Cross of Jesus, His Mother...” (Jn. 19:25).
Though the devotion has always been part of Catholic piety, it was not until the 13th Century that the devotion of meditating on the sorrows of Our Lady began to flourish much more. In Florence, Italy seven holy men of noble birth left the city seeking solitude on Mount Senario and together formed a community dedicating their lives to prayer and penance. The seven holy men all had a strong devotion to Our Lady.
On Good Friday in 1239, while meditating on Our Lord’s Passion and Our Lady’s sufferings, Our Lady appeared to the 7 holy men and revealed to them Her wish for them to form an Order dedicated to practicing and promoting the devotion to Her Sorrows. These men became the founders of the religious Order of the Servants of Mary (or Servites) and are all canonized saints today.
At Our Lady’s request, the seven founders made the object of their Order meditation on the pains suffered by Our Lady in the Life, Passion and Death of Her Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and undertook promoting this devotion of meditating on the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady to all Catholics, introducing the Chaplet (or Little Rosary) of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Seven Sorrows of Our Lady
1. St. Simeon’s Prophecy
2. The Flight into Egypt
3. The Loss of Jesus in the Temple
4. The Meeting of Mary and Jesus on the Way to Calvary
5. The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus
6. The Piercing of the Side of Jesus, and His Descent from the Cross
7. The Burial of Jesus.
Graces and promises attached to the practice of the devotion in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary Sorrowing:
According to St. Alphonsus de Liguori (The Glories of Mary) it was revealed to Saint Elizabeth that at the request of Our Lady, Our Lord promised four principal graces to those devoted to Her Sorrows:
1. That those who before death invoke the divine Mother in the name of Her Sorrows will obtain true repentance of all their sins;
2. That He will protect all who have this devotion in their tribulations, and will protect them especially at the hour of death;
3. That He will impress on their minds the remembrance of His Passion;
4. That He will place such devout servants in Mother Mary’s hands to do with them as She wishes and to obtain for them all the graces She
desires.
In addition to these four graces there are also seven promises attached
to the practice of daily praying seven Hail Mary’s while meditating on Our Lady’s Tears and Sorrows. These seven promises were revealed to St. Bridget of Sweden:
1. “I will grant peace to their families.”
2. “They will be enlightened about the divine Mysteries.”
3. “I will console them in their pains and I will accompany them in
their work.”
4. “I will give them as much as they ask for as long as it does not oppose
the adorable will of My divine Son or the sanctification of their souls.”
5. “I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of their lives.”
6. “I will visibly help them at the moment at their death - they will see the face of their Mother.”
7. “I have obtained this grace from My divine Son, that those who propagate this devotion to My tears and sorrows will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness, since all their sins will be forgiven and My Son will be their eternal consolation and joy.”
Opening Prayer
V/. O God +, come to my assistance
R/. O Lord, make haste to help me.
All Glory Be…
1) The Prophecy of Simeon
Meditation:
Sorrow as sharp as a sword shall pierce Mary’s heart because of Her Child. Mary is in the Temple, having come with Joseph to present the Child to God. They meet Simeon, the holy man, and Anna, the prophetess. Simeon takes the Baby in his arms, saying he will now die in peace because he has seen Christ, then he foretells the sorrow to come.
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) The Flight Into Egypt
Meditation:
Soon the sword of sorrow strikes. Herod the King seeks to kill the Child. Warned in sleep by an angel, Joseph takes Jesus and His Mother Mary, setting out for Egypt, where they lived in obscurity and poverty until it was safe to return to Nazareth.
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.
Hail Mary…
3) The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple
Meditation:
When Jesus is twelve, He is taken to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. On the return journey Joseph and Mary find at the end of the first day that Jesus is not with them. Racked with anxiety, they search for Him. Nobody in the streets, not even the beggars, can tell them where He is. Not till the third day do they find Him, 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.
Hail Mary…
4) Mary Meets Jesus on the Way to Calvary
Meditation:
Mary has known fear and sorrow, but none so great as seeing Her beloved Son stumbling under the weight of the Cross. She hears the jeering shouts from the crowd and has no power to help Him. Pity and love are in Her eyes as She gazes at His blood-stained face. He is no better than a criminal, and Her heart is breaking as She follows Him to Golgotha.
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) Jesus Dies on the Cross
Meditation:
With John, Mary stands at the foot of the Cross. “A sword shall pierce thy soul,” Simeon told Her. Truly Her heart is pierced with sorrow. Her beloved Son is dying and She shares in His suffering. She does not ask God to take away this agony. She is His Mother, so close to Him that His pain is Hers, too. And now He speaks from the Cross: “Woman, behold thy son.” Jesus gives His Mother to John, and to us. For all eternity She is our Mother.
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.
Hail Mary…
6) Mary Receives Jesus
Meditation:
It is over. Dark clouds have appeared in the sky and upon the world. Jesus is dead. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus take down the Body from the Cross. And Mary receives It in Her arms. She is filled with a sadness that no human heart has known. This is Her Son. Once She had cradled Him in Her arms, listened to His voice, watched Him working at the carpenter’s bench. Now He is dead. Her grief is great! And She begins to cleanse the Holy Wound’s with Her tears.
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.
Hail Mary…
7) Jesus is Placed in the Tomb
Meditation:
Hastily the Body is wrapped in a clean linen cloth. Nicodemus has brought myrrh and aloes, and the Body is bound in the Shroud with them. Nearby is a new tomb, belonging to Joseph of Arimathea, and there they lay Jesus. Mary and John and the holy women follow them and watch as the great stone to the sepulchre is rolled. It is the end.
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…
Closing Prayers
V/. Pray for us, O Virgin most sorrowful
R/. That we may be 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.
Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary -
Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, dwelling pure and holy, cover my soul with Thy maternal protection, so that being ever faithful to the voice of Jesus, it responds to His Love and obeys His Divine Will.
I wish, O my Mother, to keep unceasingly before me Thy Co-Redemption in order to live intimately with Thy Heart that is totally united to the Heart of Thy Divine Son.
Fasten me to this Heart by Thy own virtues and sorrows. Protect me always. Amen.