Sorrow #1-The Prophecy of Simon
(Luke 2:33-35)
'The child's father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and 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
(and you yourself a sword will pierce)
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."
Sorrow #2-The Flight into Egypt
(Matthew 3: 13-15)
Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared
to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother,
and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you;
for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him."
And he rose and took the child and his mother by night,
and departed to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod.
This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet,
"Out of Egypt have I called my son."
Sorrow #3-The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple
(Luke 2:41-52)
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 kinsfolk 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.
And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them.
And his mother kept all these words in her heart.
And Jesus advanced in wisdom, and age, and grace with God and men.
Sorrow #4-The Meeting of Jesus and Mary on the Way to the Cross
(John 19:17)
And bearing his own cross, he went forth to that place which is called Calvary,
but in Hebrew Golgotha.
Sorrow #5-The Crucufuxion
(John 19:25-30)
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 about hyssop, put it to his mouth.
Sorrow #6- The Taking Down of the Body of Jesus form the Cross
Sorrow #7-The Burial of Jesus
(Isaiah 53:8)
Oppressed and condemned, he was taken away,
and who would have thought any more of his destiny?
When he was cut off from the land of the living, and smitten for the sin of his people.
A grave was assigned him among the wicked and a burial place with evildoers,
Though he had done no wrong nor spoken any falsehood.
(John 38:42)
And after these things, Joseph of Arimathea (because he was a disciple of Jesus,
but secretly for fear of the Jews) besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus.
And Pilate gave leave. He came therefore, and took away the body of Jesus.
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.
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.
Seven Promises
These are the SEVEN PROMISES that God grants to those
who honor The Blessed Virgin Mother daily by saying seven Hail Mary's
while contemplating her tears and sorrows during her life.
This devotion was passed on to us by St. Bridget.
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 of 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 dolors, 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."
The Approved Prayers
Honoring the Seven Dolors of Mary
(Approved by Pope Pius VII in 1815)
V. O God, come to my assistance;
R. O God, make haste to help me.
V. Glory be to the Father, etc.
R. As it was in the beginning, etc.
1. I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in affliction of your tender heart at the prophecy of the holy and aged Simeon. Dear Mother, by your 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 you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the anguish of your most affectionate heart during the flight into Egypt and your sojourn there. Dear Mother, by your heart so troubled, obtain for me the virtue of generosity, especially toward the poor, and the gift of piety.
Hail Mary...
3. I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in those anxieties which tried your troubled heart at the loss of your dear Jesus. Dear Mother, by your heart so full of anguish, obtain for me the virtue of chastity and the gift of knowledge.
Hail Mary...
4. I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the consternation of your heart at meeting Jesus as He carried His Cross. Dear Mother, by your heart so troubled, obtain for me the virtue of patience and the gift of fortitude.
Hail Mary...
5. I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the martyrdom which your generous heart endured in standing near Jesus in His agony. Dear Mother, by your afflicted heart, obtain for me the virtue of temperance and the gift
of counsel.
Hail Mary...
6. I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the wounding of your compassionate heart, when the side of Jesus was struck by the lance before His Body was removed from the Cross. Dear Mother, by your heart thus transfixed, obtain for me the virtue of fraternal charity and the gift of understanding.
Hail Mary...
7. I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, for the pangs that wrenched your most loving heart at the burial of Jesus. Dear Mother, by your 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 You, O Lord Jesus Christ, now and at the hour of our death, before the throne of Your mercy, by the Blessed Virgin Mary, Your Mother, whose most holy soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the hour of Your bitter Passion. Through You, O Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world,
Who with the Father and the Holy Ghost lives and reigns world without end. Amen.'
Novena Prayer in Honor of the Sorrows of
The Blessed Virgin Mary
'Most holy and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs,
you stood beneath the cross, witnessing the agony of your dying Son. Look with a mother's tenderness and pity on me,
who kneel before you.
I venerate your sorrows and I place my requests with filial confidence in the sanctuary of your wounded heart.
Present them, I beseech you, on my behalf to Jesus Christ,
through the merits of His own most sacred passion and death,
together with your sufferings at the foot of the cross.
Through the united efficacy of both,
obtain the granting of my petition.
To whom shall I have recourse in my wants and miseries
if not to you, Mother of Mercy?
You have drunk so deeply of the chalice of your Son,
you can compassionate our sorrows.
Holy Mary, your soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow at the sight
of the passion of your Divine Son.
Intercede for me and obtain for me from Jesus (mention request)
if it be for His honor and glory and for my good. Amen.'
* The Novena finds it's origin in ancient Church tradition. A Novena is simply any prayer said faithfully for a period of dedicated time. Generally it is said for nine consecutive days, nine Sundays, Fridays or Saturdays, or even nine hours in a row. Novenas have traditionally been known to be very powerful ~ used since the time of the Apostles when most notably, they and the other disciples prayed and fasted for nine days prior to receiving the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.