Each
month of the liturgical year is devoted to a particular Catholic
tradition, usually centered on a Feast during that month. As August
was the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, September follows as
the Month of Our Lady of Sorrows. Our Lady of Sorrows is a devotion
that focuses on the profound sufferings and sorrows of the Virgin
Mary. This devotion, which finds its roots in the 12th century,
serves as a powerful reminder of Mary’s deep connection to the
Passion of Christ and her unique role in salvation history.
Like
many of the lesser-known Marian feasts, the Memorial of Our Lady of
Sorrows is tied to an event in the life of her Son. On September 14,
we celebrate Christ's victory over death; and the next day, we
remember the suffering of Mary as she stood at the foot of the Cross
and witnessed the torture and death of her Son. We are also reminded
of Simeon's words to Mary at the Presentation of the Lord—that a
sword would pierce her soul.
“And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted; And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed.” - Luke 34-35
The
Seven Sorrows of Mary, also known as the Seven Dolors, are key events
in the life of the Virgin Mary that caused her immense sorrow. These
events are deeply rooted in Scripture and tradition, and they invite
the faithful to meditate on Mary’s suffering, offering a path to
deeper compassion and spiritual growth.
The Seven Sorrows
of Mary, also known as the Seven Dolors, are key events in the life
of the Virgin Mary that caused her immense sorrow. These events are
deeply rooted in Scripture and tradition, and they invite the
faithful to meditate on Mary’s suffering, offering a path to deeper
compassion and spiritual growth.
1.
THE PROPHECY OF SIMEON
“And Simeon blessed them, and
said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall, and
for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be
contradicted; And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of
many hearts, thoughts may be revealed.” –Luke 2:34-35
2.
THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT
“And after they were departed,
behold an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying:
Arise, and take the child and his mother, and fly into Egypt: and be
there until I shall tell thee. For it will come to pass that Herod
will seek the child to destroy him. Who arose, and took the child and
his mother by night, and retired into Egypt: and he was there until
the death of Herod: That it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke
by the prophet, saying: Out of Egypt have I called my son. Then Herod
perceiving that he was deluded by the wise men, was exceeding angry;
and sending killed all the men children that were in Bethlehem, and
in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according
to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then
was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremias the prophet, saying:
A voice in Rama was heard, lamentation and great mourning; Rachel
bewailing her children, and would not be comforted, because they are
not. But when Herod was dead, behold an angel of the Lord appeared in
sleep to Joseph in Egypt, Saying: Arise, and take the child and his
mother, and go into the land of Israel. For they are dead that sought
the life of the child. Who arose, and took the child and his mother,
and came into the land of Israel." Matthew 2:13-21
3.
THE LOSS OF JESUS FOR THREE DAYS
And his parents went
every year to Jerusalem, at the solemn day of the pasch, And when he
was twelve years old, they going up into Jerusalem, according to the
custom of the feast, And having fulfilled the days, when they
returned, the child Jesus remained in Jerusalem; and his parents knew
it not. And thinking that he was in the company, they came a day’s
journey, and sought him among their kinsfolks and acquaintance. And
not finding him, they returned into Jerusalem, seeking him. And it
came to pass, that, after three days, they found him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the doctors, hearing them, and asking them
questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his wisdom and
his answers. And seeing him, they wondered. And his mother said to
him: Son, why hast thou done so to us? behold thy father and I have
sought thee sorrowing. And he said to them: How is it that you sought
me? did you not know, that I must be about my father’s business?
And they understood not the word that he spoke unto them.”
Luke
2:41-50
4.
THE CARRYING OF THE CROSS
“And bearing his own cross,
he went forth to that place which is called Calvary, but in Hebrew
Golgotha.” John 19:17
5.
THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS
“Where they crucified him, and
with him two others, one on each side, and Jesus in the midst. And
Pilate wrote a title also, and he put it upon the cross. And the
writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title
therefore many of the Jews did read: because the place where Jesus
was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, in
Greek, and in Latin. Then the chief priests of the Jews said to
Pilate: Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am the
King of the Jews. Pilate answered: What I have written, I have
written.
“The soldiers therefore, when they had
crucified him, took his garments, (and they made four parts, to every
soldier a part,) and also his coat. Now the coat was without seam,
woven from the top throughout. They said then one to another: Let us
not cut it, but let us cast lots for it, whose it shall be; that the
scripture might be fulfilled, saying: They have parted my garments
among them, and upon my vesture they have cast lots. And the soldiers
indeed did these things. Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his
mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary
Magdalen. When Jesus therefore had seen his mother and the disciple
standing whom he loved, he saith to his mother: Woman, behold thy
son. After that, he saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother. And
from that hour, the disciple took her to his own.
“Afterwards,
Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the
scripture might be fulfilled, said: I thirst. Now there was a vessel
set there full of vinegar. And they, putting a sponge full of vinegar
and hyssop, put it to his mouth. Jesus therefore, when he had taken
the vinegar, said: It is consummated. And bowing his head, he gave up
the ghost.” John 19:18-30
6.
JESUS TAKEN DOWN FROM THE CROSS
“And Nicodemus also
came, (he who at the first came to Jesus by night,) bringing a
mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. They took
therefore the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths, with the
spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.” John 19:39-40
7.
JESUS LAID IN THE TOMB
“And Nicodemus also came, (he
who at the first came to Jesus by night,) bringing a mixture of myrrh
and aloes, about a hundred-pound weight. They took, therefore, the
body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths, with the spices, as the
manner of the Jews is to bury. Now there was in the place where he
was crucified, a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein
no man yet had been laid. There, therefore, because of the parasceve
of the Jews, they laid Jesus, because the sepulchre was nigh at
hand.” John 19:39-42
The
devotion to the Sorrows of Mary began in monastic circles under
the influence of saints like St. Anselm and St. Bernard of Clairvaux.
Their theological reflections on Mary’s participation in the
sufferings of Christ inspired the Cistercians and later the Servite
Order (the Order of the Servants of Mary) to propagate this devotion.
The Servites, founded in the 13th century, made it their mission to
promote the devotion to the Seven Sorrows of Mary.
The
devotion became particularly widespread in the 14th and 15th
centuries, especially in the Rhineland and Flanders, where
Confraternities of the Sorrowful Mother were established. These
Confraternities provided a communal way for the faithful to meditate
on Mary’s sorrows and to participate in acts of reparation. The
devotion gained further liturgical recognition when a provincial
council in Mainz, Germany, in 1423, instituted the “Feast of the
Sorrows of Mary” as a means of atoning for the desecration of her
images by the Hussites.
Devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows is
not merely a reflection on the past but a powerful spiritual practice
that invites the faithful to unite their own sufferings with those of
Mary. By meditating on her sorrows, believers can find strength and
consolation in their trials, knowing that Mary understands their pain
and accompanies them on their journey of faith.
This
devotion also deepens one’s understanding of the mystery of the
Incarnation and the redemptive suffering of Christ. Mary’s sorrows
are a testament to her unwavering faith and her participation in the
salvific work of her Son. Through this devotion, the faithful are
drawn closer to the heart of the Blessed Mother, who leads them to a
deeper relationship with Jesus.
The month of September,
dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, offers Catholics a unique
opportunity to reflect on the profound sufferings of the Virgin Mary
and their connection to the Passion of Christ. Through this devotion,
the faithful are invited to meditate on the Seven Sorrows of Mary, to
seek her intercession in their own trials, and to grow in compassion
and understanding of the mystery of suffering. As they journey with
Mary through her sorrows, they are drawn closer to her Son, who is
the source of all hope and redemption.
Four
Graces to those devoted to Our Lady’s Sorrows:
“According
to St. Alphonsus de Liguori in his book The Glories of Mary, it
was revealed to Saint Elizabeth at the request of Our Lady, that 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.”
To
obey Our Lady, consider adopting the devotion of Our Lady of Sorrows.
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