Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows

​On September 15, the Church reflects on Mary’s faith and perseverance as she shared in her Son's suffering at the Cross. Devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows began in the Middle Ages, centred on her Seven Sorrows. The feast was extended to the whole Church and fixed on Sep 15 by Pope Pius X.

The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrow invites us to draw strength from her example and to trust in God even in times of sorrow.

Prayer to Our Lady of Sorrows

O most holy Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, by the overwhelming grief you experienced when you witnessed the martyrdom, the crucifixion, and death of your divine Son, look upon me with eyes of compassion, and awaken in my heart a tender commiseration for those sufferings, as well as a sincere detestation of my sins, in order that being disengaged from all undue affection for the passing joys of this earth, I may sigh after the eternal Jerusalem, and that henceforward all my thoughts and all my actions may be directed towards this one most desirable object.

Honour, glory, and love to our divine Lord Jesus, and to the holy and immaculate Mother of God. Amen.

(Prayer commonly attributed to St. Bonaventure).​

Meditations on the Seven Sorrows of Mary

Opening: O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
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Pray one Hail Mary while reflecting on each of the seven sorrows of Mary.

1. The Prophecy of Simeon: I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the 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. The Flight into Egypt: 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. The Child Jesus Missing for Three Days:  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. Mary meets Jesus on the way to Calvary:  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. The Crucifixion and death of Jesus: 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. Jesus is taken down from the cross: 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. Jesus is laid in the tomb: 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, Savior of the world, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns world without end. Amen.

Pray more

1. Seven Sorrows Rosary | Printable
2. Litany and Consecration to Our Lady of Sorrows
3. The Seven Sorrows of Mary: Activities for Children and Family
4. Find Mass times for the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
5. Sing the Sequence of the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows:
   1. English - CBW III #694 - Stabat Mater Dolorosa (Tune: STABAT MATER)
   2. Latin - Stabat Mater - See GregoBase