Meditate on the Seven Sorrows of Mary

michelangelo

I have recently been praying the Seven Sorrows of Mary devotion, which reminds me of how the Blessed Virgin Mary had the most perfect love for Jesus. We know that Mary had no sin, and she loves Jesus as her Son and as God. In other words, the Blessed Virgin Mary experienced Jesus’ sorrows deeply because she was a loving mother and a faithful servant of God. I am also reminded that since Mary shared in His most sacred Passion, Mary can and will sympathize with us whenever we go through hardship.

The seven sorrows of Mary, along with scriptural quotes and brief meditations, are listed below.

The Prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:34-35)

…and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

This prophecy from Simeon undoubtedly brought the Blessed Virgin Mary great anxiety for what was to come. Mary knew through this prophecy that she would suffer dreadful trials. These words probably scared her, yet she placed all her trust in God the Father and accepted His Holy Will no matter what cross she had to bear.

 The Flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13-21)

When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.’ Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’ When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi. Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet: ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled, since they were no more.’ When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.’ He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.

For this meditation, I think of Mary and Joseph both having intense fear over getting the Baby Jesus to safety. I can imagine that Mary felt deep sorrow for all the holy innocent lives being slaughtered by King Herod. Mary is our mother, and every child is her own.

The Loss of Jesus for Three Days (Luke 2:41-50)

Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”But they did not understand what he said to them.

This calls to mind a story with my patron saint, St. John Vianney. When he was a child, his mother could not find him and looked desperately everywhere for him. She thought she had lost him. Then she found him in the farmhouse praying in front of a statue of Our Lady. I cannot even imagine the anxiety of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who has an even deeper love for her Son and cannot find Him.

The Carrying of the Cross (John 19:17)

…and carrying the cross himself he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha.

I always think of the look between a mother and her son. A look is worth a thousand words, especially if the bond is as close as that between Mary and her Son Jesus.

The Crucifixion of Jesus (John 19:18-30)

There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, ‘Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews.’ Now many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, ‘Do not write “The King of the Jews,” but that he said, “I am the King of the Jews.'” Pilate answered, ‘What I have written, I have written.’ When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four shares, a share for each soldier. They also took his tunic, but the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top down. So they said to one another, ‘Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be,’ in order that the passage of scripture might be fulfilled (that says): ‘They divided my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots.’ This is what the soldiers did. Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I thirst.’ There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, ‘It is finished.’ And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

A part of Simeon’s prophecy was for the Blessed Virgin Mary to witness the Passion and be at the foot of the Cross. Jesus gave Mary to us to be our mother also. What love Mary has for us! Even though we crucified her Son for our sins, she chooses to love us and wants us in Heaven.

 

Jesus Taken Down from the Cross (John 19:39-40)

“Nicodemus, the one who had first come to him at night, also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about one hundred pounds.They took the body of Jesus and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom.”

Mary held Jesus in her arms as a warm, newborn baby. Now His body lay in her arms cold and torn, bloody and bruised. What strength Mary had!

 

Jesus Laid in the Tomb (John 19:41-42)

Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried. So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day; for the tomb was close by.

How empty and alone Mary must have felt seeing the tomb sealed with the Light of her life within it.

The many great promises in praying this devotion to Mary are listed below:

  • “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 dolors, will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness since all their sins will be forgiven and my Son and I will be their eternal consolation and joy.”

As May is the month of Mary, let us honor her through this devotion.

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