Our Lady of Sorrows or Our Lady of Dolours is a title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in relation to the seven sorrows in her life.
These seven sorrows are very popular in the Roman Catholic Church where Mary is portrayed with seven swords piercing her heart and bleeding.
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| Feast Day | September 15 |
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Our Lady of Sorrows History
The devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows dates back to 1232 when seven youths in Tuscany founded the Servite Order and took the sorrows of Mary as the most important devotion of their order.
They came up with the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows, the Black Scapular of the Seven Dolours of Mary and the Novena to Our Sorrowful Mother.
The Seven Sorrows are as Follows
The Prophecy of Simeon
34 Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted
Luke 2:34-35
35 (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
The Flight into Egypt
13 When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.”
Matthew 2:13-14
14 Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt.
The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem
48 When his parents saw him in the temple, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”
49 And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
50 But they did not understand what he said to them.
51 He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.Luke 2:48-51
Mary’s meeting Jesus on his way to Calvary
27 A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him.
Luke 23:27
The Crucifixion of Jesus on Mount Calvary – Standing at the foot of the Cross
25 Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala.
John 19:25
49 but all his acquaintances stood at a distance, including the women who had followed him from Galilee and saw these events.
Luke 23:49
Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross
53 After he had taken the body down, he wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb in which no one had yet been buried.
Luke 23:53
The Burial of Jesus by Joseph of Arimathea
40 They took the body of Jesus and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom.
John 19:40
Our Lady of Sorrows is the Patron Saint of
- The Congregation of Holy Cross
- Slovakia
- Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows
- Poland
- Order of the Servants of Mary
- Mola di Bari and the Molise region of Italy
- Mississippi, United States
- Mater Dolorosa, Berlin-Lankwitz, Germany
- Malta
- Lanzarote, Canary Islands
- Granada, Spain
- Cavite, Philippines
Our Lady of Sorrows Prayer
Oh God, in whose Passion the prophecy of Simeon was fulfilled, and a sword of sorrow pierced through the tender soul of your glorious and blessed Virgin Mother Mary, grant that as we commemorate her Seven Sorrows, we may partake in the blessed fruits of your Passion. You who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
A Prayer to Our Lady of Sorrows on Her Feast Day
O revered Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, your profound sorrow at witnessing the martyrdom, crucifixion, and death of your divine Son moves me deeply.
Please, gaze upon me with compassion, stirring within me a heartfelt sympathy for His sufferings and a genuine repentance for my sins.
May this awaken in me a detachment from earthly pleasures, leading me to yearn for the eternal Jerusalem.
May all my thoughts and deeds henceforth be devoted to this noble pursuit. Praise, adoration, and love to our divine Lord Jesus, and to the holy and pure Mother of God. Amen.
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