Our Lady of Sorrows

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A black cloud has accompanied me for many weeks now; I cannot seem to shake the gloom brought by the thought of war raging in Gaza, in Ukraine, in Sudan, in more than 40 armed conflicts worldwide. Then there are the natural disasters, the environmental destruction, political unrest  and social discord, all of which makes me want to retreat into a cave and hibernate for the next 50 years.

That pall dissipated on Sunday when I found this prayer: “Rejoice, much-sorrowing Mother of God, turn our sorrows into joy and soften our hearts and those of evil men!”

I particularly like the part about softening our hearts and those of evil people. I struggle with having a loving attitude, and I often pray that others, too, may have a conversion of heart, so these words resonate with me.

This prayer is part of a refrain in a hymn to Our Lady popular in the Eastern Orthodox Church. I came across it as I researched the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, which the Roman Catholic Church celebrates on Sept. 15. The roots of this feast go back to the 13th century, when the Servite friars established the sorrows of Mary as their order’s principal devotion. Even earlier, St. Ambrose in the fourth century venerated Mary’s sorrows.

Our Lady of Sorrows is a familiar figure to Catholics, though perhaps not by that name; she also is known as “Mater Dolorosa” (Mother of Sorrows); we recall her when we sing the Stabat Mater during Lent, and also when we view the Pietà.

The Virgin Mary has appeared to a couple of saints, requesting devotion to her sorrows. In the 14th century, she told Saint Bridget of Sweden that those who daily pray seven Hail Marys while meditating on the tears of Our Lady would receive seven gifts, including peace to their families, enlightenment about the divine mysteries, and defense in spiritual battles.  

In more recent times, Our Lady appeared to one of the visionaries of Fatima, asking her to establish the First Saturdays Devotion of Reparation to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Those who take up the devotion must go to Confession, receive Communion, recite five decades of the rosary and meditate for 15 minutes on these mysteries, all with the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. People who complete this devotion on  five consecutive Saturdays will be rewarded; Our Lady pledged “to assist them at the hour of death with all the graces necessary for the salvation of their souls,” among other promises.

I’ve tried the First Saturdays Devotion several times, but haven’t succeeded yet in doing it five months in a row, so I’m going to make a renewed effort to do so. In the meantime, for a particular personal intention, I’ve undertaken to pray daily the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows developed by the Servites. This rosary differs slightly from the more traditional beads in that there are only seven mysteries, each corresponding with a sorrow of Mary. Another difference is that for each mystery, one Our Father and seven Hail Marys are recited.

My research into Our Lady of Sorrows has led me to some great resources that I’m going to have to read as I have time, including G.K. Chesterton’s “Ballad of the White Horse,” The Glories of Mary by St. Alphonsus Liguori and the meditations on each of the seven sorrows by Pope Pius VII. In the meantime, I find encouragement in the words of Saint Gabriel Possenti, who said, concerning the Sorrowful Mother, “Let us not forget her anguish, and at the hour of death, she will console and assist us.”

Marie Mischel is editor of the Intermountain Catholic. Reach her at marie@icatholic.org.