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Sunday 15 September 2013

The Seven Sorrows of Mary


The Seven Sorrows of Mary are all based on Biblical events except for the meeting of Christ on the Way of the Cross. This feast will not be celebrated today because it is a Sunday, but many countries, including Slovakia and Malta have a great devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows. In some countries, the feast is celebrated on Holy Saturday. A site listed below has meditations from the Holy Saturday devotion. This September feast is the common day of remembrance of these sorrows in the Latin Rite.

These are these Seven Sorrows of Mary. 
  1. The Prophecy of Simeon.  or the Circumcision of Christ
  2. The Flight into Egypt. 
  3. The loss of the child Jesus in the Temple. 
  4. Mary meets Jesus on the way to Calvary.
  5. Jesus dies on the cross. 
  6. The piercing of the side of Jesus, and Mary's receiving the body of Jesus in her arms. 
  7. The body of Jesus is placed in the tomb. 

Any mother, or anyone with compassion, will recognize the pain involved with each of these events. One may meditate on these, one each day this week, for Lectio Divina. The Biblical references are here. Luke 2: 34-35, Matthew 2:13, Luke 2:43-45, John 19:25, Matthew 27:57-59; John 19:40-42 ( thanks to Wiki I did not have to look these up-list from Wiki above as well.)

Those who love Mary and Her Son may do well in these times of growing hardship for the Church to pray to Our Lady of Sorrows. She is particularly powerful for families with difficulties, one priest noted.

This site for meditations is that of the Dominican nuns in St. Julian's, in Malta.