Our Lady of Sorrows
Devotion to the Mother of Sorrows dates back to the beginning of the Church. The first example we have is St. John at the foot of the Cross. This devotion was ensured in Church history by the gospel narrative of St. John – “Now there stood by the Cross of Jesus, His Mother..” (Jn. 19:25).
Though this devotion has always been part of Catholic piety, it was not until the 14th Century that the devotion of meditating on the sorrows of Our Lady began to flourish much more. It was revealed to St. Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373) that devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Seven Sorrows would bring great signal graces.
Our Lady lamented to St. Bridget that very few consoled Her by meditating on Her Sorrows and that the greater part of the world lived in forgetfulness of them.
”I look around at all who are on earth, to see if by chance there are any who pity Me, and meditate upon My Sorrows; and I find that there are very few. Therefore, My daughter, though I am forgotten by many, at least do you not forget Me; consider My anguish, and imitate, as far as you can, My grief.” Our Lady to St. Bridget
St. Antoninus, in his reflections on the Seven Sorrows of Mary, emphasizes that while other martyrs suffered by sacrificing their own lives, Mary suffered by offering her Son’s life, a life she loved more than her own; so that She not only suffered in Her soul all that Her Son endured in His body, but moreover the sight of Her Son’s torments brought more grief to Her heart than if She had endured them all in Her own person.
Jesus Christ Himself revealed to Blessed Veronica of Binasco, that, He is more pleased in seeing His Mother compassionated than Himself. He said to her:
“My daughter, tears shed for My Passion are dear to Me; but as I loved My Mother Mary with an immense love, the meditation on the torments which She endured at My death is even more agreeable to Me.”
The Seven Sorrows of Our Lady
- St. Simeon’s Prophecy
- The Flight into Egypt
- The Loss of Jesus in the Temple
- The Meeting of Mary and Jesus on the Way to Calvary
- The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus
- The Piercing of the Side of Jesus, and His Descent from the Cross
- The Burial of Jesus.
Graces and promises attached to the practice of the devotion in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary Sorrowing:
According to St. Alphonsus de Liguori, in his book, The Glories of Mary, he writes that it was revealed to Saint Elizabeth that at the request of Our Lady, Our Lord promised four principal graces to those devoted to Her Sorrows:
- That those who before death invoke the divine Mother in the name of Her Sorrows will obtain true repentance of all their sins;
- That He will protect all who have this devotion in their tribulations, and will protect them especially at the hour of death;
- That He will impress on their minds the remembrance of His Passion;
- That He will place such devout servants in Mother Mary’s hands to do with them as She wishes and to obtain for them all the graces She desires.
In addition to these four graces there are also seven promises attached to the practice of daily praying seven Hail Mary’s while meditating on Our Lady’s Tears and Sorrows. These seven promises were revealed to St. Bridget of Sweden:
- “I will grant peace to their families.”
- “They will be enlightened about the divine Mysteries.”
- “I will console them in their pains and I will accompany them in their work.”
- “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.”
- “I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of their lives.”
- “I will visibly help them at the moment of their death — they will see the face of their Mother.”
- “I have obtained this grace from My divine Son, that those who propagate this devotion to My tears and sorrows will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness, since all their sins will be forgiven and My Son will be their eternal consolation and joy.”