THE MOTHER OF SORROWS
MATER DOLOROSA (LATIN)
Click on the boxes below for each of the 7 Sorrows of Mary.
OUR LADY OF SORROWS FEAST DAY: 15 SEPTEMBER
The Servite Order were instrumental in spreading devotion to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary.
General Liguori once wrote, that “two hung upon one cross.”
MOTHER of love, Mother of sorrows and of mercy, pray for us.
LEARN WHY WE SHOULD PRAY THE 7 SORROWS OF MARY
St. Albert the Great
“…that as we are under great obligation to Jesus for His Passion endured for our love, so also are we under great obligation to Mary for the martyrdom which She voluntarily suffered for our salvation in the death of Her Son”.
St. Albert used the words “voluntarily suffered’ because St. Agnes had revealed to St. Bridget:
“our merciful and compassionate Mother was willing to endure any torment to save the souls of men.”
Our Heavenly Mother revealed to St. Bridget that very few people show her gratitude or even remember Her Sorrows.
We can show our Queen the gratitude she deserves and console her Heart by praying and meditating upon Her Sorrows.
The Blessed Virgin Mary said to St. Bridget:
“I look around at all who are on earth, to see if by chance there are any who pity Me, and meditate on 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. Meditate on My Sorrows and share in My grief, as far as you can”.
Blessed Veronica of Binasco
Jesus informed Blessed Veronica that He is more pleased in seeing His Mother compassionated than Himself.
“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.”
GENERAL LIGUORI
General Liguori relates a story in his book “The Glories of Mary” that it was revealed to St. Elizabeth, that after the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven, St. John the Evangelist desired to see Her again. The favour was granted to him; and Mary appeared to him accompanied by Her Son. The saint then heard Mary ask Jesus to grant some special grace to all those who are devoted to Her Sorrows.
THE 7 GRACES TO THOSE WHO HONOUR THE 7 SORROWS OF MARY
THE SEVEN GRACES:
The Blessed Virgin Mary revealed to Saint Bridget of Sweden (died 1373) that those who pray a Hail Mary while meditating on her Seven Sorrows will receive Seven Graces:
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 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 and I will be their eternal consolation and joy.
GENERAL LIGUORI: THE 4 PRINCIPAL GRACES
In his book “Glories of Mary” General Liguori states the 4 principal graces Our Lord promised to Mary during the vision of St. John the Evangelist, to those who have a devotion to Her 7 Sorrows
1st
that those who before death invoked the divine Mother in the name of Her sorrows should obtain true repentance of all their sins.
2nd
that he would protect all who have this devotion in their tribulations, and that He would protect them especially at the hour of death.
3rd
that He would impress upon their minds the remembrance of His Passion, and that they should have their reward for it in heaven.
4th
that He would commit such devout clients to the hands of Mary, with the power to dispose of them in whatever manner She might please, and to obtain for them all graces that She might desire.
LEARN HOW TO PRAY THE CHAPLET OF THE 7 SORROWS OF MARY
There are many versions of the Chaplet; the following Chaplet uses a combination of prayers of General Liguori, including extracts from his book The Glories of Mary. This version of the 7 Sorrows Chaplet includes 7 Hail Mary’s for each of the 7 sorrows.
Each of the sorrows have been allocated to a specific day of the week, so you can use this Chaplet if you wish to pray the shorter version (one Our Father/7 Hail Mary’s) and meditate on one specific sorrow each day.
MAKE THE SIGN OF THE CROSS
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
INTRODUCTORY PRAYER
(on the Crucifix)
My God, I offer you this Rosary for Your glory, so that I can honour Your Holy Mother, the Blessed Virgin, and share and meditate upon her suffering. I humbly beg You to give me true repentance for all my sins. Give me wisdom and humility so that I may receive all the indulgences contained in this prayer.
ACT CONTRITION
(on the Our Father bead)
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend You, my God, You who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to confess my sins, do penance, and amend my life. Amen.
Pray 3 Hail Mary’s in honour of the tears of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
(You can now either pray the entire 7 sorrows or pray the sorrow specific to the day of the week)
MONDAY
V. O God, come to my assistance.
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The First Sorrow of Mary
St. Simeon’s Prophecy
In the Temple, St. Simeon had received the Divine Child in his arms and predicted that this Child would be a sign (of God) which shall be contradicted by men. “Behold this Child is set … for a sign which shall be contradicted. And Thy own soul a sword shall pierce” (Lk. 2:34-35).
Meditation 1
The Blessed Virgin told St. Matilda that when St. Simeon pronounced these words “all Her joy was changed into sorrow.” For, as was revealed to St. Teresa, although the Blessed Mother already knew that the life of Her Son would be sacrificed for the salvation of the world, She then learned more distinctly and in greater detail what sufferings and what a cruel death awaited Him. She knew that He would be persecuted and opposed in every way.
He would be opposed in His teaching: instead of being believed, He would be called a blasphemer for claiming to be the Son of God. The reprobate Caiphas was to say: “He hath blasphemed … He is guilty of death” (Mt. 26:65-66).
He would be opposed in His reputation: for though He was of noble, even of royal descent, He was despised as a peasant: “Is not this the carpenter’s son?” (Mt. 13:55).
“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?” (Mk. 6:3).
He was Wisdom itself, and was treated as ignorant: “How doth this man know letters, having never learned?” (Jn. 7:15).
As a false prophet: “And they blindfolded Him, and smote His face … saying: Prophesy, who is it that struck Thee?” (Lk. 22:64).
He was treated as a madman: “He is mad, why hear you him?” (Jn. 10:20).
As a drunkard, a glutton, and a friend of sinners: “Behold a man that is a glutton, and a drinker of wine, a friend of publicans and sinners” (Lk. 7:34).
As a sorcerer: “By the prince of devils he casteth out devils”(Mt. 9:34).
As a heretic and one possessed by the evil spirit: “Do not we say well that Thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?” (Jn. 8:48).
In short, Jesus was considered so notoriously wicked that, as the Jews said to Pilate, no trial was necessary to condemn Him. “If He were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered Him up to thee” (Jn. 18:30).
Meditation 2
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. Amen.
First Dolor
I pity thee, oh my afflicted mother, on account of the first sword of sorrow that pierced thee, when in the temple, by the prophecy of St. Simeon, all the cruel sufferings that men would inflict on thy beloved Jesus were represented to thee, which thou hadst already learned from the holy Scriptures, even to his death before thy eyes upon the infamous wood of the cross, exhausted of blood and abandoned by all, and thou without the power to defend or relieve him. By that bitter memory, then, which for so many years afflicted thy heart, I pray thee, oh my queen, to obtain for me the grace that always in life and in death I may keep impressed upon my heart the passion of Jesus and thy sorrows.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Pray 7 Hail Mary’s
Verse: My Mother! share Thy grief with me, and let me bear Thee company to mourn Thy Jesus’ death with Thee.
Prayer of General Liguori
O my blessed Mother, not one sword only, but as many swords as I have committed sins have I added to those seven in thy heart. O, my Lady, thy sorrows are not due to thee who art innocent, but to me who am guilty. But since thou hast wished to suffer so much for me, O, by thy merits obtain for me great sorrow for my sins, and patience under the trials of this life, which will always be light in comparison with my demerits, for I have often merited hell. Amen.
TUESDAY
V. O God, come to my assistance.
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Second Sorrow of Mary
The Flight of Jesus into Egypt
“Let us now consider the second sword of sorrow which wounded Mary, the flight of Her Infant Jesus into Egypt to escape the persecution by Herod.”
Meditation 1
Having heard that the long-awaited Messiah had been born, Herod foolishly feared that He would deprive him of his kingdom. Herod waited to hear from the holy Magi where the young King was born, and planned to take His life. When he found he had been deceived, he ordered all the infants in the neighbourhood of Bethlehem to be put to death. It was at that time that the angel appeared in a dream to St. Joseph and told him: “Arise, and take the Child and His Mother, and flee into Egypt” (Mt. 2:13). No sooner is Jesus born than He is persecuted. Mary began to realize that Simeon’s prophecy regarding Her Son was beginning to be fulfilled.
What anguish the realization of the impending exile must have caused Mary. It is easy to imagine that Mary must have suffered on the journey. The distance to Egypt was considerable: three hundred miles, requiring a journey of up to thirty days. The road was rough, unknown and little travelled. It was winter time, so that they had to make their way through snow, rain and wind, over rough and dirty roads. Where could they have slept on such a journey, especially on the two hundred miles of desert? They lived in Egypt seven years. They were strangers — unknown, without money, and barely able to support themselves by the work of their hands.
Landolph of Saxony has written (and let this be a consolation to the poor) that Mary lived there in such poverty that there were times when She did not have even a crust of bread to give Her Son when He was hungry. The thought of Jesus and Mary wandering as fugitives through a strange land teaches us that we must also live as pilgrims here below, detached from the material things that the world offers, and which we must soon leave to enter eternity. It also teaches us to embrace crosses, for we cannot live in this world without them. Let us make Mary happy by welcoming Her Son into our hearts, the Son whom men still continue to persecute by their sins.
Meditation 2
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.
Second Dolor
I pity thee, oh my afflicted mother, on account of the second sword that pierced thee when thou didst behold thy innocent Son, so soon after his birth, threatened with death by those very men for whom he had come into the world; so that thou wast obliged to flee with him by night secretly into Egypt. By the many hardships, then, that thou, a delicate young virgin, in company with thy exiled infant, didst endure in the long and wearisome journey through rough and desert countries, and in thy sojourn in Egypt, where, being unknown and a stranger, thou didst live all those years poor and despised, I pray thee oh my beloved Lady, to obtain for me the grace to suffer with, patience, in thy company till death, the trials of this miserable life, that I may be able in the next to be preserved from the eternal sufferings of hell deserved by me.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Pray 7 Hail Mary’s
Verse: My Mother! share Thy grief with me, and let me bear Thee company to mourn Thy Jesus’ death with Thee.
Prayer of General Liguori
Then, O Mary, even after thy Son hath died by the hands of men who persecuted Him unto death, have not these ungrateful men yet ceased from persecuting Him with their sins, and continuing to afflict thee, O Mother of Sorrows? And I also, O God, have been one of these. O, my most sweet Mother, obtain for me tears to weep for such ingratitude. And then, by the sufferings thou didst experience in the journey to Egypt, assist me in the journey that I am making to eternity, that at length I may go to unite with thee in loving my persecuted Saviour, in the country of the blessed. Amen.
WEDNESDAY
V. O God, come to my assistance.
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Third Sorrow of Mary
The Loss of Jesus in the Temple
The third sorrow was one of the greatest that Mary had to endure in Her life, the loss of Her Son in the temple. Having lost Her Son for three days, She was deprived of His most sweet presence.
Meditation 1
What anxiety this broken-hearted Mother must have felt during those three days when She searched everywhere for Her Son, and asked for Him as the spouse did in the Canticles: Have you seen him, whom my soul loveth? (Cant. 3:3). This third sorrow of Mary ought to serve in the first place as a consolation to souls who are desolate, and who no longer enjoy, as they once enjoyed, the sweet presence of the Lord. They may weep, but they should weep confidently, just as Mary wept over the loss of Her Son.
But whoever wants to find Jesus must look for Him as Mary did, not amid the pleasures and delights of the world, but amid crosses and mortifications. “We sought Thee sorrowing,” Mary said to Her Son. Let us learn then from Mary, to seek Jesus. Moreover, we should look for no other good in this world than Jesus. St. Augustine says that Job “had lost what God had given him, but not God Himself.” If Mary wept over the loss of Her Son for three days, how much more should sinners weep who have lost sanctifying grace. To them God says: “You are not My people, and I will not be yours” (Os. 1:9). For this is the effect of sin: it separates the soul from God. “Your iniquities have divided between you and your God” (Isa. 59:2). Sinners may possess all the wealth in the world, but inasmuch as they have lost God, everything in this world becomes a source of affliction to them, as Solomon confessed: “Behold all is vanity, and vexation of spirit” (Eccles. 1:14).
Meditation 2
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.
Third Dolor
I pity thee, oh my afflicted mother, on account of the third sword that pierced thy heart at the loss of thy dear son, Jesus, who remained absent from thee in Jerusalem for three days, when not seeing thy beloved one by thy side, and not knowing the cause of his absence, I conceive, my loving queen, how in these nights thou didst not repose, and didst naught but sigh for him who was thy only good. By the sighs, then, of those three days, for thee so long and bitter, I pray thee to obtain for me the grace never to lose my God, that I may always live closely united to God, and thus united with him, depart from this world.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Pray 7 Hail Mary’s
Verse: My Mother! share Thy grief with me, and let me bear Thee company to mourn Thy Jesus’ death with Thee.
Prayer of General Liguori
O blessed Virgin, why art thou afflicted, seeking thy lost Son? Is it because thou dost not know where He is? But dost thou not know that He is in thy heart? Dost thou not see that He is feeding among the lilies? Thou thyself hast said it: “My beloved to me and I to Him who feedeth among the lilies.” These, thy humble, pure, and holy thoughts and affections, are all lilies, that invite the divine spouse to dwell with thee. O Mary, dost thou sigh after Jesus, thou who lovest none but Jesus? Leave sighing to me and so many other sinners who do not love Him, and who have lost Him by offending Him. My most amiable Mother, if through my fault thy Son hast not yet returned to my soul, wilt thou obtain for me that I may find Him. I know well that He allows himself to be found by all who seek Him: The Lord is good to the soul that seeketh him: ” Bonus est Dominus . . . animse quaerenti ilium.” Make me to seek Him as I ought to seek Him. Thou art the gate through which all find Jesus; through thee I too hope to find Him. Amen.
THURSDAY
V. O God, come to my assistance.
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Fourth Sorrow of Mary
The Meeting of Mary with Jesus on the Way to Calvary
The greater Her love for Him, the greater Her grief at the sight of His sufferings, especially when She met Him on that dolorous way, dragging His cross to the place of execution. This is the fourth sorrow on which we have to meditate.
Meditation 1
“O sorrowful Mother,” exclaimed St. John, “Your Son has now been condemned to death; He has already set out on the road to Calvary, carrying His own cross. Come, if You desire to see Him and say farewell to Him, as He passes through the streets.” Mary goes along with St. John. While She waited for Her Son to come along, how much must She have heard said by the Jews (who soon recognized Her), against Her beloved Son, and perhaps even mockery against Herself. What a frightening picture as the nails, the hammers, the ropes and all the fatal instruments that were to put an end to Her Son’s life were paraded by.
But now the implements, the executioners, have all passed by. Mary raised Her eyes, and saw, O God!, a young man all covered with blood and wounds from head to foot, a wreath of thorns on His head, and carrying two heavy beams on His shoulders. She gazed at Him, but hardly recognized Him. The wounds, the bruises, and the clotted blood gave Him the appearance of a leper, so that He could no longer be recognized. According to St. Bridget, Jesus wiped away the clotted blood which prevented Him from seeing Mary. The Mother and the Son looked at each other. And their looks became as so many arrows to pierce those hearts which loved each other so tenderly. Even though the sight of Her dying Son was to cost Her such bitter sorrow, Mary would not leave Him. The Mother also took up Her cross and followed Him, to be crucified along with Him. Let us pity Her, and accompany Her and Her Son by patiently carrying the cross Our Lord imposes on us.
Meditation 2
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. To many around her He is no better than a criminal, and her heart is breaking as she follows Him to Calvary or 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.
Fourth Dolor
I pity thee, my afflicted mother, on account of the fourth sword that pierced thy heart, in seeing thy Jesus condemned to death, bound with ropes and chains, covered with blood and wounds, crowned with thorns, and falling under the weight of the heavy cross which he bore on his bleeding back when going like an innocent lamb to die for love of us. Thine eye then met his eye, and your glances were so many cruel arrows with which each wounded the loving heart of the other. By this great grief, then, I pray thee to obtain for me the grace to live wholly resigned to the will of my God, joyfully bearing my cross with Jesus to the last moment of my life.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Pray 7 Hail Mary’s
Verse: My Mother! share Thy grief with me, and let me bear Thee company to mourn Thy Jesus’ death with Thee.
Prayer of General Liguori
My sorrowful Mother, by the merit of that grief which thou didst feel at seeing thy beloved Jesus led to death, obtain for me the grace also to bear with patience those crosses which God sends me. Happy me, if I also shall know how to accompany thee with my cross until death. Thou and Jesus, both innocent, have borne a heavy cross; and shall I a sinner, who have merited hell, refuse mine? All, immaculate Virgin, I hope that thou wilt help me to bear my crosses with patience. Amen.
FRIDAY
V. O God, come to my assistance.
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Fifth Sorrow of Mary
The Death of Jesus
“There stood by the cross of Jesus, His Mother” (Jn. 19:25). St. John did not feel it necessary to say more than these words with reference to the martyrdom of Mary. Picture Her now at the foot of the cross beside Her dying Son, and then ask yourself if there can ever be sorrow like Her sorrow. Remain for a while on Calvary and consider the fifth sword which transfixed the heart of Mary — the death of Jesus.
Meditation 1
As soon as our agonized Redeemer had reached Mount Calvary, the executioners stripped Him of His clothes, and piercing His hands and feet with nails, they fastened Him on the cross. They raised the cross and left Him to die. The executioners left Him, but not Mary. She came up close to the cross to be near Him in death. “I did not leave Him,” She revealed to St. Bridget, “but stood nearer the cross.”
Ah, true Mother, most loving Mother, Whom not even the fear of death could separate from Thy beloved Son. But, O God, what a spectacle of sorrow must have confronted those who could see Jesus hanging in agony on the cross, and His Mother there at the foot of the cross suffering all His torments with Him. All these sufferings of Jesus were also Mary’s sufferings. Saint Jerome says, “Every torture inflicted on the body of Jesus, was a wound in the heart of His Mother.” “Anyone who had been present then on Mount Calvary, would have seen two altars on which two great sacrifices were being offered: the one in the body of Jesus — the other in the heart of Mary.” (St. John Chrysostom)
Meditation 2
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 give 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.
Fifth Dolor
I pity thee, oh my afflicted mother, on account of the fifth sword that pierced thy heart, when on Mount Calvary thou didst behold thy beloved son, Jesus, dying slowly before thy eyes, amid so many insults, and in anguish, on that hard bed of the cross, without being able to give him even the least of those comforts which the greatest criminals receive at the hour of death. And I pray thee by the anguish which thou, oh my most loving mother, didst suffer together with thy dying Son, and by the tenderness thou didst feel, when, for the last time he spoke to thee from the cross, and taking leave of thee, left all of us to thee in the person of St. John, as thy children; and thou, still constant, didst behold him bow his head and expire; I pray thee to obtain for me the grace, by thy crucified love, to live and die crucified to everything in this world, in order to live only to God through my whole life, and thus to enter one day paradise, to enjoy him face to face.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Pray 7 Hail Mary’s
Verse: My Mother! share Thy grief with me, and let me bear Thee company to mourn Thy Jesus’ death with Thee.
Prayer of General Liguori
O Mother, the most afflicted of all mothers, thy Son, then, is dead; thy Son so amiable, and who loved thee so much! Weep, for thou hast reason to weep. Who can ever console thee? Nothing can console thee but the thought that Jesus, by His death, hath conquered hell, hath opened paradise which was closed to men, and hath gained so many souls. From that throne of the Cross He was to reign over so many hearts, which, conquered by His love, would serve Him with love. Do not disdain, O my Mother, to keep me near to weep with thee, for I have more reason than thou to weep for the offences that I have committed against thy Son. O, Mother of mercy, I hope for pardon and my eternal salvation, first through the death of my Redeemer, and then through the merits of thy dolors. Amen.
SATURDAY
V. O God, come to my assistance.
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Sixth Sorrow of Mary
The Piercing of the Side of Jesus, and His Descent from the Cross
We must now consider the sixth sorrow which weighed upon the heart of Our Blessed Lady. On this day, You will be wounded with another sword of sorrow. A cruel lance will pierce the side of Your dead Son, and You will receive Him in Your arms after He has been taken down from the cross.
Meditation 1
It is enough to tell a mother that her son is dead to arouse in her heart all her love for the dead child. “One of the soldiers with a spear opened His side, and immediately there came out blood and water” (Jn. 19:34). “Christ,” says the devout Lanspergius, “shared this wound with His Mother. He received the hurt; His Mother endured the pain.”
Mary’s sufferings were so great that it was only through the miraculous intervention of God that She did not die. When She suffered before, She at least had Her Son to pity Her; but now She had no Son to commiserate with Her. Jesus was taken down from the cross, the afflicted Mother waiting with outstretched arms to take Her beloved Son. She embraced Him and then sat down at the foot of the cross. Her Son died for men, men still continue to torture and crucify Him by their sins. Let us resolve not to torment our sorrowful Mother any longer. And if we have saddened Her in the past by our sins, let us now do what She wants us to do.
Meditation 2
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. She does not weep, her grief is too great for 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.
Sixth Dolor
I pity thee, oh my afflicted mother, on account of the sixth sword whitU pierced thy heart, when thou didst see the kind heart of thy Son pierced through and through after his death a death endured fer those ungrateful men, who, even after his death, were not satisfied with the tortures they had inflicted upon him. By this cruel sorrow, then, which was wholly thine, I pray thee to obtain for me the grace to abide in the heart of Jesus, who was wounded and opened for me; in that heart, I say, which is the beautiful abode of love, where all the souls who love God repose; and that living there, I will never love or think of any thing but God. Most holy Virgin, thou canst do it; from thee I hope for it.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Pray 7 Hail Mary’s
Verse: My Mother! share Thy grief with me, and let me bear Thee company to mourn Thy Jesus’ death with Thee.
Prayer of General Liguori
O afflicted Virgin! O soul, great in virtues and great also in sorrows! for both arise from that great fire of love thou hast for God; thou “whose heart can love nothing but God; O Mother, have pity on me, for I have not loved God, and I have so much offended Him. Thy sorrows give me great confidence to hope for pardon. But this is not enough; I wish to love my Lord, and who can better obtain this for me than thou, thou who art the Mother of Fair Love? O Mary, thou dost console all, comfort me also. Amen.
SUNDAY
V. O God, come to my assistance.
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Seventh Sorrow of Mary
The Burial of Jesus
Let us meditate now on Mary’s last sword of sorrow. She has witnessed the death of Her Son on the cross. She has embraced His lifeless body for the last time. Now She has to leave Him in the tomb.
Meditation 1
In order to grasp the meaning of this last sorrow more fully, let us return to Calvary and picture our afflicted Mother there, still holding the lifeless body of Her Son clasped in Her arms. The disciples, afraid that Mary may die of grief, approach and take the body of Jesus from Her arms to bury it. With reverence they lift it from Her arms, embalm it with aromatic herbs, and wrap it in a shroud they have already prepared. The mournful procession sets out for the tomb. The afflicted Mother follows Her Son to His last resting place. When it was time to move the stone to close the entrance, the grief-stricken disciples approached Our Blessed Lady and said to Her: “It is time now, O Lady, to close the tomb. Forgive us; look at Thy Son once more, and say goodbye to Him for the last time.”
Finally, they took the stone and sealed off the sacred Body of Jesus in the sepulcher, that Body which is the greatest treasure there can possibly be on earth or in Heaven. Mary left Her heart in the tomb of Jesus, because Jesus was Her whole treasure: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Lk. 12:34). After speaking Her last farewell to Her Son, She left and returned to Her home. Mary was so desolate and so sad that, according to St. Bernard, She, “moved many to tears.” In fact, wherever She passed, those who saw Her could not help weeping with Her. St. Bernard also says that the holy disciples and women who accompanied Her “mourned even more for Her than for their Lord.”
Meditation 2
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.
Seventh Dolor
I pity thee, my afflicted mother, on account of the seventh sword that pierced thy heart, on seeing in thy arms thy Son who had just expired, no longer fair and beautiful as thou didst once receive him in the stable of Bethlehem, but covered with blood, livid, and lacerated by wounds which exposed his very bones. My Son, thou saidst, my Son, to what has love brought thee? And when he was borne to the sepulchre, thou didst wish to accompany him thyself, and help to put him in the tomb with thy own hands; and, bidding him a last farewell, thou hast left thy loving heart buried with thy Son. By all the anguish of thy pure soul, obtain for me, oh mother of fair love, pardon for the offences that I have committed against my God, whom I love, and of which I repent with my whole heart. Wilt thou defend me in temptations? Assist me at the hour of my death, that, being saved by the merits of Jesus and thine, I may come one day with thy aid, after this miserable exile, to sing in paradise the praises of Jesus and thine through all eternity. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Pray 7 Hail Mary’s
Verse: My Mother! share Thy grief with me, and let me bear Thee company to mourn Thy Jesus’ death with Thee.
Prayer of General Liguori
My afflicted Mother, I will not leave thee alone to weep; no, I wish to keep thee company with my tears. This grace I ask of thee to-day: obtain for me a continual remembrance of the passion of Jesus, and of thine also, and a tender devotion to them, that all the remaining days of my life may be spent in weeping for thy sorrows, O my Mother, and for those of my Redeemer, I hope that these dolors will give me the confidence and strength not to despair at the hour of my death, at the sight of the offences I have committed against my Lord. By these must I obtain pardon, perseverance, paradise, where I hope to rejoice with thee, and sing the infinite mercy of my God through all eternity: thus I hope, thus may it be. Amen, amen.
CONCLUDING PRAYERS
HAIL HOLY QUEEN
(Latin: Salve Regina)
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry,
poor banished children of Eve.
To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears
Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us and, after this our exile
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb,
Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
V: Pray for us, O Virgin most sorrowful
R: That we may be made worthy of the promise 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, Saviour of the world, Who with the Father and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth, world without end. Amen.
O God, at whose Passion, according to the prophecy of Simeon, a sword of sorrow did pierce through the most sweet soul of the glorious Virgin and Mother Mary; grant that we, who commemorate and reverence Her sorrows, may experience the blessed effect of Thy Passion, Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.
Queen of Martyrs prayer
(on the medal after the 7 decades)
Queen of Martyrs, your heart suffered so much. I beg you, by the merits of the tears you shed in these terrible and sorrowful times, to obtain for me and all the sinners of the world the grace of complete sincerity and repentance. Amen.
Conclude with:
“Mary, who was conceived without sin and who suffered for us, pray for us” (3 times)
LEARN THE SHORTER VERSION OF THE 7 SORROWS
Introductory Prayer
My God, I offer You this Rosary for Your glory, so I can honour your Holy Mother, the Blessed Virgin, so I can share and meditate upon her suffering. I humbly beg you to give me true repentance for all my sins. Give me wisdom and humility, so that I may receive all the indulgences contained in this prayer.
Act of Contrition:
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend You, my God, You who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to confess my sins, do penance, and amend my life. Amen.
Pray one Our Father:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
1. The prophesy 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 II, 34-35)
Meditation:
How great was the shock to Mary’s Heart at hearing the sorrowful words, in which holy Simeon told the bitter Passion and death of her sweet Jesus, since in that same moment she realized in her mind all the insults, blows, and torments which the impious men were to offer to the Redeemer of the world. But a still sharper sword pierced her soul. It was the thought of men’s ingratitude to her beloved Son. Now consider that because of your sins you are unhappily among the ungrateful.
Pray one Hail Mary (Ave Maria)
Most merciful Mother, remind us always about the sorrows of your Son, Jesus”
(or the Glory Be)
2. The flight into Egypt:
“And after they (the wise men) were departed, behold an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: Arise and take the child and His mother and flee 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.”
(Matt. II, 13-14)
Meditation:
Consider the sharp sorrow which Mary felt when, St. Joseph being warned by an angel, she had to flee by night in order to preserve her beloved Child from the slaughter decreed by Herod. What anguish was hers, in leaving Judea, lest she should be overtaken by the soldiers of the cruel king! How great her privations in that long journey! What sufferings she bore in that land of exile, what sorrow amid that people given to idolatry! But consider how often you have renewed that bitter grief of Mary, when your sins have caused her Son to flee from your heart.
Pray one Hail Mary (Ave Maria)
Most merciful Mother, remind us always about the sorrows of your Son, Jesus”
(or the Glory Be)
The loss of the Child Jesus in the temple.
“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.”
(Luke II, 43-45)
Meditation:
How dread was the grief of Mary, when she saw that she had lost her beloved Son! And as if to increase her sorrow, when she sought Him diligently among her kinsfolk and acquaintance, she could hear no tidings of Him. No hindrances stayed her, nor weariness, nor danger; but she forthwith returned to Jerusalem, and for three long days sought Him sorrowing. Great be your confusion, O my soul, who has so often lost your Jesus by your sins, and has given no heed to seek Him at once, a sign that you make very little or no account of the precious treasure of divine love.
Pray one Hail Mary (Ave Maria)
Most merciful Mother, remind us always about the sorrows of your Son, Jesus”
(or the Glory Be)
4. The meeting of Jesus and Mary on the Way of the Cross:
“And there followed Him a great multitude of people, and of women, who bewailed and lamented Him.” – Luke XXIII, 27.
Meditation:
Come, O ye sinners, come and see if ye can endure so sad a sight. This Mother, so tender and loving, meets her beloved Son, meets Him amid an impious rabble, who drag Him to a cruel death, wounded, torn by stripes, crowned with thorns, streaming with blood, bearing His heavy cross. Ah, consider, my soul, the grief of the blessed Virgin thus beholding her Son! Who would not weep at seeing this Mother’s grief? But who has been the cause of such woe? I, it is I, who with my sins have so cruelly wounded the heart of my sorrowing Mother! And yet I am not moved; I am as a stone, when my heart should break because of my ingratitude.
Pray one Hail Mary (Ave Maria)
Most merciful Mother, remind us always about the sorrows of your Son, Jesus”
(or the Glory Be)
5. The Crucifixion:
“They crucified Him. Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, His Mother. 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.”
(John XIX, l8-25-27)
Meditation:
Look, devout soul, look to Calvary, whereon are raised two altars of sacrifice, one on the body of Jesus, the other on the heart of Mary. Sad is the sight of that dear Mother drowned in a sea of woe, seeing her beloved Son, part of her very self, cruelly nailed to the shameful tree of the cross. Ah me! how every blow of the hammer, how every stripe which fell on the Saviour’s form, fell also on the disconsolate spirit of the Virgin. As she stood at the foot of the cross, pierced by the sword of sorrow, she turned her eyes on Him, until she knew that He lived no longer and had resigned His spirit to His Eternal Father. Then her own soul was like to have left the body and joined itself to that of Jesus.
Pray one Hail Mary (Ave Maria)
Most merciful Mother, remind us always about the sorrows of your Son, Jesus”
(or the Glory Be)
6. The taking down of the Body of Jesus from the Cross:
“Joseph of Arimathea, a noble counselor, came and went in boldly to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. And Joseph buying fine linen, and taking Him down, wrapped Him up in the fine linen.”
(Mark XV, 43-46)
Meditation:
Consider the most bitter sorrow which rent the soul of Mary, when she saw the dead body of her dear Jesus on her knees, covered with blood, all torn with deep wounds. O mournful Mother, a bundle of myrrh, indeed, is thy Beloved to thee. Who would not pity thee? Whose heart would not be softened, seeing affliction which would move a stone? Behold John not to be comforted, Magdalen and the other Mary in deep affliction, and Nicodemus, who can scarcely bear his sorrow.
Pray one Hail Mary (Ave Maria)
Most merciful Mother, remind us always about the sorrows of your Son, Jesus”
(or the Glory Be)
7. The burial of Jesus:
“Now there was in the place where He was crucified, a garden; and in the garden a new sepulcher, wherein no man yet had been laid. There, therefore, because of the parasceve of the Jews, they laid Jesus, because the sepulcher was nigh at hand.” John XIX, 41-42.
Meditation:
Consider the sighs which burst from Mary’s sad heart when she saw her beloved Jesus laid within the tomb. What grief was hers when she saw the stone lifted to cover that sacred tomb! She gazed a last time on the lifeless body of her Son, and could scarce detach her eyes from those gaping wounds. And when the great stone was rolled to the door of the sepulcher, oh, then indeed her heart seemed torn from her body!
Pray one Hail Mary (Ave Maria)
Most merciful Mother, remind us always about the sorrows of your Son, Jesus”
(or the Glory Be)
ADDITIONAL PRAYERS ON THE SORROWS OF MARY
Prayer of St. Alphonsus de Liguori
O afflicted Virgin! O soul, great in virtues and great also in sorrows! for both arise from that great fire of love thou hast for God; thou “whose heart can love nothing but God”; O Mother, have pity on me, for I have not loved God, and I have so much offended Him. Thy sorrows give me great confidence to hope for pardon. But this is not enough; I wish to love my Lord, and who can better obtain this for me than thou, thou who art the Mother of fair love? O Mary, thou dost console all, comfort me also. Amen.
Prayer of St. Bonaventure
O sorrowful Virgin, unite me at least to the humiliations and wounds of thy Son, so that both He and thee may find comfort in having someone sharing thy sufferings. Oh, how happy I would be if I could do this! For is there perhaps anything greater, sweeter, or more advantageous for a person? Why dost thou not grant me what I ask? If I have offended thee, be just and pierce my heart. If I have been faithful to thee, leave me not without a reward: give me thy sorrows. Amen.
Berth Petit (20th Century Belgian seer)
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.
Jesus said to Berth Petit:
“Cause My Mother’s Heart transfixed by the sorrows that rent Mine to be loved.”
THE LITANY OF OUR LADY OF SORROWS BY POPE PIUS VII
(This Litany was composed by Pope Pius VII while he was being held captive by Napoleon)
V. Lord, have mercy on us.
R. Christ, have mercy on us.
V. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.
R. 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 Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.
Mother of the Crucified, [etc.]
Sorrowful Mother
Mournful Mother
Sighing Mother
Afflicted Mother
Forsaken Mother
Desolate Mother
Mother most sad
Mother set around with anguish
Mother overwhelmed by grief
Mother transfixed by a sword
Mother crucified in your heart
Mother bereaved of your Son
Sighing Dove
Mother of Sorrows
Fount of tears
Sea of bitterness
Field of tribulation
Mass of suffering
Mirror of patience
Rock of constancy
Remedy in perplexity
Joy of the afflicted
Ark of the desolate
Refuge of the abandoned
Shield of the oppressed
Conqueror of the incredulous
Solace of the wretched
Medicine of the sick
Help of the faint
Strength of the weak
Protectress of those who fight
Haven of the shipwrecked
Calmer of tempests
Companion of the sorrowful
Retreat of those who groan
Terror of the treacherous
Standard-bearer of the Martyrs
Treasure of the Faithful
Light of Confessors
Pearl of Virgins
Comfort of Widows
Joy of all Saints
Queen of your Servants
Holy Mary, who alone are beyond compare
V. Pray for us, most Sorrowful Virgin,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
LET US PRAY:
O God, in whose Passion, according to the prophecy of Simeon, a sword of grief pierced through the most sweet soul of Thy glorious Blessed Virgin Mother Mary: grant that we, who celebrate the memory of her Seven Sorrows, may obtain the happy effect of Your Passion, Who lives and reigns world without end. Amen.
THE CONSECRATION PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF SORROWS
Most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, Mary, would that I could be in Heaven, there to contemplate the honours rendered to thee by the Most Holy Trinity and by the whole Heavenly Court! But since I am still a pilgrim in this vale of tears, receive from me, thy unworthy servant and a poor sinner, the most sincere homage and the most perfect act of vassalage a human creature can offer thee. In thy Immaculate Heart, pierced with so many swords of sorrow, I place today my poor soul forever; receive me as a partaker in thy dolors, and never suffer that I should depart from that Cross on which thy only begotten Son expired for me.
With thee, O Mary, I will endure all the sufferings, contradictions, infirmities, with which it will please thy Divine Son to visit me in this life. All of them I offer to thee, in memory of the Dolors which thou didst suffer during thy life, that every thought of my mind, every beating of my heart may henceforward be an act of compassion to thy Sorrows, and of complacency for the glory thou now enjoyest in Heaven.
Since then, O Dear Mother, I now compassionate thy Dolors, and rejoice in seeing thee glorified, do thou also have compassion on me, and reconcile me to thy Son Jesus, that I may become thy true and loyal son (daughter); come on my last day and assist me in my last agony, even as thou wert present at the Agony of thy Divine Son Jesus, that from this painful exile I may go to Heaven, there to be made partaker of thy glory. Amen.
THE STABAT MATER
There is no grief like that of a mother when her child dies. For a mother to witness her own child being tortured to death is an unspeakable suffering.
We must more fully understand the intense suffering of the Blessed Mother at seeing the suffering of her beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, during his passion and death on the cross.
The Stabat Mater is a Latin hymn which can also be said as a prayer. The title is from the first line in Latin “Stabat Mater dolorosa” (the sorrowful mother stood). Some scholars attribute the composing of this prayer to a 13th century Franciscan friar named Jacopone da Todi, others believe it was written by Pope Innocent III.
There are over 60 English translations of the Stabat Mater and numerous composers have set the original Latin text to music, including Bach, Vivaldi, Haydn, Schubert, and Verdi. The hymn is often recited during the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday during Lent.
THE 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 passed.
Oh, how sad and sore distressed
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,
Whelmed 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?
Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,
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 my 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 torment died.
Let me mingle tears with thee,
Mourning Him who mourned 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 swooned
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 defense,
Be Thy Cross my victory.
While my body here decays,
May my soul Thy goodness praise,
Safe in Paradise with Thee. Amen.
THE PRAYER “O AFFLICTED VIRGIN” BY GENERAL LIGUORI
O Afflicted Virgin!
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
O afflicted Virgin!
O soul, great in virtues
and great also in sorrows!
for both arise from that great fire of love
thou hast for God;
thou “whose heart can love nothing but God.”
O Mother, have pity on me,
for I have not loved God
and I have so much offended Him.
Thy sorrows give me great confidence
to hope for pardon.
But this is not enough;
I wish to love my Lord
and who can better obtain this for me
than thou,
thou who art the Mother of fair love?
O Mary, thou dost console all,
comfort me also.
Amen.
THE REVELATIONS OF JESUS TO BELGIAN MYSTIC BERTHE PETIT
THE SORROWFUL AND IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY
Berthe Petit, a holy Franciscan Tertiary (1870-1943) was a Belgian mystic who enjoyed the highest respect of Cardinals, Bishops and theologians.
In 1909, during midnight Mass, she saw a vision of the wounded Sacred Heart of Jesus and next to His Heart was the Sorrowful and immaculate Heart of Mary pierced with a sword. Jesus then spoke these words:
“Cause My Mother’s Heart transfixed by the sorrows that rent Mine to be loved.”
That same year, she had another vision of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary interpenetrating each other and hovering over their Hearts was a Dove.
Jesus then spoke to her again:
“You must think of My Mother’s Heart as you think of Mine; live in this Heart as you seek to live in Mine; give yourself to this Heart as you give yourself to Mine. You must spread the love of this Heart so wholly united to Mine.”
A few days later, Jesus gave her a mission; to obtain the consecration of the whole world to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Berthe led a hidden life of suffering; she chose to become a victim soul for the expiation of sin and received many revelations from Jesus over many years.
One day, during mass, Berthe saw the Holy Face of Jesus under a crown of thorns in a great glory of light at the moment of the elevation of the Host. Jesus then spoke to her and repeated His desire:
“The world must be dedicated to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of My Mother as it is dedicated to Mine. Fear nothing, no matter what suffering and obstacles you may meet. Think only of fulfilling My will.”
During a later apparition, on Easter Sunday, 1910, Berthe again saw the Hearts of Jesus and Mary fused with one another under the wing of a dove. This time she heard these words:
“What I desire derives from what I did on Calvary. In giving John to My Mother for her son, I confided the whole world to her Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart.”
Jesus then asked her to make a drawing of the vision of the two Hearts, adding:
“I will guide your hand”.
A few months later, Jesus said to her:
“I desire that the picture for which I guided your hand should be widely diffused as well as the invocation ‘Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.’ ”
On September 8, 1910, after receiving Holy Communion, Jesus said:
“The Heart of My Mother has a right to be called Sorrowful and I wish this title to be placed before that of Immaculate because she has won it herself. The Church has defined in the case of My Mother what I Myself had ordained—her Immaculate Conception. This right which My Mother has to a title of justice is now, according to My express wish, to be known and universally accepted. She has earned it by her identification with My sorrows, by her sufferings, by her sacrifices and by her immolation on Calvary, endured in perfect correspondence with My grace for the salvation of mankind. In her co-redemption lies the nobility of My Mother and for this reason I ask for the invocation which I have demanded be approved and spread throughout the whole Church. It has already obtained many graces; it will obtain yet more when the Church will be exalted and the world renewed through its consecration to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of My Mother.”
On September 17, 1910, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Berthe and revealed in a symbolic way the bodily martyrdom that she suffered at the foot of the Cross. Berthe saw her brow wounded and bleeding and her hands and heart pierced. She then said:
“Now you can understand the sorrows which my Heart endured and the sufferings of my whole being for the salvation of the world.”
During her Holy Hour devotion in March 24-25, 1912, the eve of the feast of the Annunciation, the Blessed Virgin spoke again:
“I am called the Immaculate Conception. With you, I call myself the Mother of the Sorrowful Heart. This title that my Son wants is the dearest to me of all my titles and it is through it that shall be granted and spread everywhere, graces of mercy, spiritual renewal and salvation.”
WORLD WAR ONE
On July 12th 1912, Berthe began receiving heavenly communications concerning political events. Jesus told Berthe that the heir to the Catholic empire of Austria-Hungary would be assassinated:
“A double murder will strike down the successor of the aged sovereign, so loyal to the faith.”
Jesus was referring to Archduke Franz Josef I (1830-1916), who was 82 years old at the time. His successor would be Archduke Franz Ferdinand who’s assassination, two years later on 28th June 1914, when he was murdered along with his wife; this event would spark the beginning of World War I. Jesus added:
“It will be the first of those events (World Wars) full of sorrows, but from whence I shall still bring forth good and which will precede the chastisement.”
The day following the assassination, on June 29th 1914, Jesus said to Berthe:
“Now begins the ascending curve of preliminary events, which will lead to the great manifestation of My justice.”
When the Germans entered Brussels, violating Belgium’s neutrality, Jesus said:
“The proud race and its ambitious ruler (Kaiser William II) will be chastised on the very soil (Belgium) of their unjust conquest… The worst calamities which I predicted are unleashed. The time has now arrived when I wish mankind to turn to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of My Mother. Let this prayer be uttered by every soul:
‘Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us’
so that it may spread as a refreshing and purifying balm of reparation that will appease My anger. This devotion to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of My Mother will restore faith and hope to broken hearts and to ruined families. It will help to repair the destruction. It will sweeten sorrow. It will be a new strength for My Church, bringing souls, not only to confidence in My Heart, but also to abandonment to the Sorrowful Heart of My Mother.”
Saint Pope Pius X was Pope at the beginning of World War I, but died shortly afterwards and Pope Benedict XV became his successor.
On May 3, 1915, Pope Benedict XV made the following recommendation addressed to all the bishops of the world:
“Let us send up our prayers, more than ever ardent and frequent, to Him in whose Hands lie the destinies of all peoples, and let us appeal with confidence to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, the most gentle Mother of Jesus and ours, that by her powerful intercession she will obtain from her divine Son the speedy end of the war and the return of peace and tranquility.”
Berthe Petit lived in Switzerland during the years of World War and was frequently told in advance of the calamities that would befall the Allies. There were two Cardinals who cooperated most with her during this period, these were Cardinal Desiré Mercier, (Primate of Belgium) and Cardinal Francis Alphonsus Bourne (Primate of England and Archbishop of Canterbury).
Cardinal Bourne became acclaimed for his patriotic speeches and Cardinal Mercier became the spokesman of Belgian opposition to the German occupation for which the Germans placed him under house arrest. Cardinal Bourne was also Berthe’s spiritual director for several years and was deeply impressed by her heavenly communications and enthusiastically promoted the devotion to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary in Belgium. He had also approached the Pope Pius X and then Pope Benedict XV attempting to win their approval for the worldwide devotion. Seventeen petitions were made to Pope Benedict XV, but neither he, nor his predecessor Pope Pius X, judged the time opportune for a worldwide devotion.
In February, 1915, Jesus said:
“It is through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of My Mother that I will triumph, because having cooperated in the redemption of souls, this Heart has the right to share a similar cooperation in the manifestations of My justice and of My love. My Mother is noble in everything but she is especially so in her wounded Heart, transfixed by the wound of Mine.”
Later, the Blessed Virgin Virgin showed her in a vision an untold multitude of every race and color, sick and suffering, all praying with their arms raised to heaven. Some were physically healed, others, touched by grace, fell on their knees. On seeing this vision, Berthe wrote:
“It seemed a regeneration of the whole world”.
On March 7th 1916, Cardinal Mercier announced that the Good Friday ceremonies would include a dedication of his diocese and his country of Belgium to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary.
In England Cardinal Bourne continued to promote this devotion, encouraging all the churches to celebrate the feast of the Seven Sorrows of Our Blessed Lady. He encouraged the Stabat Mater be sung, followed by the recitation of three Hail Mary’s and the invocation (repeated after each Hail Mary):
“Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us”.
He encouraged the faithful to show public homage, and for the whole country to be solemnly consecrated and dedicated to Our Blessed Lady under this special title. On that very same day, 15th September 1916 (the feast of the Assumption), the British army gained their greatest military success. It was observed by many that each time the English performed these public devotions, the British armies advanced with unexpected victories.
On thee 15th August 1917, Cardinal Bourne again consecrated England to the Sorrowful Heart of Mary; this would be repeated again on Christmas day. On August 22, 1917, the feast of the Queenship of Mary, Jesus gave a message to Berthe Petit which she was to relay to Cardinal Bourne:
“I ask My apostle Francis to exert an ever increasing activity in favor of the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of My Mother … Let him hasten what he calls his ‘first step’ so that a still more solemn consecration may be timed for the feast of the Sorrows of My Mother—that great feast of her Heart as Co-redemptrix. When the nation (England) of my apostle Francis will be entirely dedicated to this Heart he will see that he has not listened to My word in vain, for my providential intervention is reserved for all the people consecrated to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of My Mother. I wish thus to show the power of this Heart which is linked in everything with My own.”
In the spring of 1918, the Allies began experiencing massive military defeats ; Jesus explained this to Berthe:
“It is a necessary trial for after My protection had helped them to conquer, they attributed the glory to their own prowess. Reverses are now showing these soldiers how human means alone are powerless to repel the surge of invasion.”
By mid-October 1918, the Germans were losing the war and many of their soldiers were deserting the army. Across central Europe, many governments had fallen and chaos reigned everywhere. On the 17th October 1918, Jesus explained the following to Berthe:
“Were it not for my intervention, obtained by My apostle Francis through recourse to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of My Mother, the victory would have belonged to those who strained every nerve during so many years to prepare and organize a great war for the attainment of their own ambitions …. Material force would have overborne justice and right and this more especially so for your own country (Belgium). For why should I come to the help of a people in France intent on persecuting My Church? That is why trials will continue until the day when, humbly acknowledging her errors, this nation will render Me My rights and give full liberty to My Church”.
In this same month, Jesus warned Berthe with these words:
“The world is hanging on the edge of utter cataclysm. My justice cannot preside over the machination of those who work in their own interests to forward a peace totally unworthy of the name, and which can never be genuine except through My intervention.”
THE ARMISTICE
Only three weeks after this message was given, on the 11th of November 2018, World War I came to an abrupt end with the British and their Allies defeating the Germans. An armistice was agreed; all nations stopped fighting and a truce was agreed. This war had been the most bloody conflict the world had ever known, leaving 10 million dead and many more maimed and displaced.
On the 24th May 1919, the Archbishop of Westminster again consecrated his country to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary in thanksgiving for the great victory in what was believed at the time to be “the war to end all wars.”
In July 1919, only eight months after the Armistice was declared, Jesus said the following to Berthe:
“Internal strife is more rampant than ever in your country. It is being fanned by the evil seed sown by the invader. It is fed by egoism, pride and jealousy—malevolent germs which can only generate moral ruin… Time will prove that a peace established without Me and without him who speaks in My name (referring to Pope Benedict XV) has no stability. The nation (Germany), which is considered to be vanquished but whose forces are only momentarily diminished, will remain a menace for your country and likewise for France. Confusion and terror will steadily spread through every nation. Because this peace is not Mine, wars will be rekindled on every side—civil war and racial war. What would have been so noble, so true, so beautiful, so lasting in its fulfilment is consequently delayed. Humanity is advancing towards a frightful scourge which will divide the nations more and more. It will reduce human schemes to nothingness. It will break the pride of the powers that be. It will show that nothing subsists without Me and that I remain the sole Master of the destinies of nations”.
During the war, Pope Benedict had adopted a neutral position and blamed both the Germans and Allies for allowing it to happen. He denounced the war as a crime against religion, humanity and civilization, but neither side paid any attention to his statements. his suggestion of a general Christmas truce in 1914 was ignored, and his 7-point peace plan of 1917 was ignored by all sides.
After the war, it became known that Italy had laid out conditions for entering the war in 1915 on the side of the Allies; one of these conditions was that the Pope was not to be included in any eventual peace negotiations. In January 1919, the Palace Peace Conference began; this was the formal meeting of the victorious Allies to set the peace terms for Germany, it was dominated by the leaders of Britain, France, the United States and Italy. The Pope was barred from attending any of the negotiations. Also, the Germans were not allowed to negotiate the terms which ended up being in direct contravention of the agreement upon which they surrendered. The Allies drew up the Treaty of Versailles which forced Germany to pay crippling reparations far beyond it’s capability and which would completely destroy their economy. Pope Benedict XV criticized this treaty as a “consecration of hatred” and a “perpetuation of war.” The Treaty of Versailles was eventually signed by Germany with many objections; the German government protested that they signed the treaty “under the threat of force.” Even the French Marshal Foch, who had been the supreme Commander of the Allied forces, stated: “This is not peace! This is an armistice for twenty years”.
In reference to this fake peace and futile treaty, Jesus said these words to Berthe Petit:
“Time will prove that a peace established without Me and without him who speaks in My name has no stability.”
Twenty years later, after “the war to end all wars” had ended, another greater war broke out with the rise of Hitler and invasion of Poland.
Once again, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany and World War II had begun.
Our Lady of Ollignies
After the German troops had withdrawn from Belgium, the Bernadine nuns at the convent where Berthe Petit had been educated, discovered a discarded painting of Our Lady hiding amongst rubbish in their cellar. They attributed their safety during the war to the special protection of Our Lady. This painting became knows as Our Lady of Ollignies, and it was of mysterious origin. Despite the nuns investigations, they were unable to discover where the painting had come from. The following year, Berthe Petit returned from Switzerland; she was shown the painting, at once she recognized it as a picture of the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary. The image showed Our Lady holding a lily in her left hand, which is the symbol of her immaculate purity; the finger of her right hand pointed to her Sorrowful Heart surmounted by flames and pierced with a sword. On the back of the painting was written an Act of Consecration dictated by Jesus Himself to Berthe Petit. These words of Consecration had been used by Cardinal Bourne, both during and after World War I.
CATHOLIC ARROWS 