Our Lady of Sorrows

For a long time, 2 different feasts would celebrate the Sorrowful Mother: one of them actually dates back to the 15th century, while the other goes back to the 17th century. For a while both were widely celebrated by the universal Church: one would be celebrated on the Friday before Palm Sunday, and the other was celebrated during September.

Two main biblical references to Mary’s sorrows are in Luke 2:35 and also in John 19:26-27.

Many of the early Church writers described the sword as Mary’s sorrows, especially while she had to witness Jesus die on the cross. Therefore, the two passages are brought together as prediction and fulfillment.

St. Ambrose in particular sees Mary as a very sorrowful yet a very powerful figure at the cross. Mary stood fearlessly at the cross while others had fled. Mary had looked on her Son’s wounds with much pity, but she saw in them the salvation of the world. As Jesus was hung on the cross, Mary did not fear to be killed, but she had offered herself to her persecutors.

Prayer to Our Lady of Sorrow:

Our Lady of Sorrows we pray that you may be with us during our everyday lives, help us to live lives filled with peace, mercy and love. We pray that you may guide all the souls in purgatory into heaven and we offer up any pain or sorrow that we may go through during our daily lives for their souls and for their reconciliation.

Amen

Our Lady of Sorrows pray for us

St. Joseph pray for us

May we continue to strengthen our journey to sainthood and keep others in our prayers.

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Works cited

Information (read from, not taken):

Franciscan media. “Our Lady of Sorrows." https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/our-lady-of-sorrows. Accessed September 15, 2021.

Images:

Our Lady of Sorrows. September 15, 2021. Our Lady of Sorrows