Seven Sorrows of Mary

Introductory Prayers

+ Sign of the Cross:
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Introductory Prayer:
My God, I offer You this Rosary for Your glory, so I can honor your Holy Mother, the Blessed Virgin, so I can share and meditate upon her suffering. I humbly beg you to give me true repentance for all my sins. Give me wisdom and humility, so that I may receive all the indulgences contained in this prayer.

Act of Contrition:
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend You, my God, You Who are all good and deserving of all my love.  I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.

In Honor of Your Tears…

-O-O-O-
Hail Mary… (3x)

– – –
“Most Merciful Mother, remind us always about the Sorrows of your Son, Jesus.”

The First Sword of Sorrow:
The Prophecy of Simeon

Optional Contemplation (Luke 2:22-35):
When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,” and to offer the sacrifice of “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,” in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

“Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; 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.”

-O-
Our Father…

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-
Hail Mary… (7x)

– – –
“Most Merciful Mother, remind us always about the Sorrows of your Son, Jesus.”

The Second Sword of Sorrow:
The Flight into Egypt

Optional Contemplation (Matthew 2:13-15):
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.”

-O-
Our Father…

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-
Hail Mary… (7x)

– – –
“Most Merciful Mother, remind us always about the Sorrows of your Son, Jesus.”

The Third Sword of Sorrow:
The Loss of Jesus in the Temple

Optional Contemplation (Luke 2:41-52):
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. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus advanced [in] wisdom and age and favor before God and man.

-O-
Our Father…

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-
Hail Mary… (7x)

– – –
“Most Merciful Mother, remind us always about the Sorrows of your Son, Jesus.”

The Fourth Sword of Sorrow:
Mary Meets Jesus on the Way to Calvary

Optional Contemplation (Luke 23:27-31):
A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him. Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children, for indeed, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.’ At that time people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall upon us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ for if these things are done when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?”

-O-
Our Father…

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-
Hail Mary… (7x)

– – –
“Most Merciful Mother, remind us always about the Sorrows of your Son, Jesus.”

The Fifth Sword of Sorrow:
Mary Stands at the Foot of the Cross

Optional Contemplation (John 19:25-27):
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.

-O-
Our Father…

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-
Hail Mary… (7x)

– – –
“Most Merciful Mother, remind us always about the Sorrows of your Son, Jesus.”

The Sixth Sword of Sorrow:
Mary Receives the Dead Body of Jesus in Her Arms

Optional Contemplation (John 19:38-40):
After this, Joseph of Arimathea, secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. And Pilate permitted it. So he came and took his body. 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.

-O-
Our Father…

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-
Hail Mary… (7x)

– – –
“Most Merciful Mother, remind us always about the Sorrows of your Son, Jesus.”

The Seventh Sword of Sorrow:
The Body of Jesus is Placed in the Tomb

Optional Contemplation (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.

-O-
Our Father…

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-
Hail Mary… (7x)

– – –
“Most Merciful Mother, remind us always about the Sorrows of your Son, Jesus.”

Concluding Prayers

“Queen of Martyrs, your heart suffered so much. I beg you, by the merits of the tears you shed in these terrible and sorrowful times, to obtain for me and all the sinners of the world the grace of complete sincerity and repentance. Amen.”

– – –

PRAY (3x):
-O-O-O-
“Mary, who was conceived without sin and who suffered for us, pray for us.”

– – –

+ Sign of the Cross:
“In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

In the 14th century, Our Lady revealed to St. Bridget of Sweden seven special graces that she would grant to those devoted to her Sorrows. She spoke at length to St. Bridget about the Passion of her Son and her own Sorrows, and made these promises to those who would say seven Hail Marys daily while meditating on her tears and sufferings:

1. “I will grant peace to their families.”
2. “They will be enlightened about the divine Mysteries.”
3. “I will console them in their pains and I will accompany them in their work.”
4. “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.”
5. “I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of their lives.”
6. “I will visibly help them at the moment of their death—they will see the face of their mother.”
7. “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 will be their eternal consolation and joy.”