“[I]f all the sorrows of the world were united, they would not equal that of the glorious Virgin Mary.” St. Bernardine of Sienna
As the warmth of summer gives way to cooler evening breezes signaling the coming of Fall, we are reminded that the seasons of our lives bring change as well, triumph and joy, sacrifice and sorrow. The dedication of September invites Catholics to turn their hearts and minds towards the seven sorrows that marked the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Mother of Our Lord who gave birth to the Son of God in all joy and elation, was soon after to receive from St. Simeon the prophesy that would turn her joy into the deepest sorrow. St. Alphonsus Liguori tells us in The Glories of Mary that Our Lady’s martyrdom exceeds that of all the martyrs in that its duration was longer and the suffering greater than all others.
St. Anserm is quoted in the same work saying, “[H]ad not God by a special miracle preserved the life of Mary in each moment of her life, her grief was such that it would have caused her death.”
St. Bernardine adds to that by saying, “[T]he grief of Mary was so great that, were it divided amongst all men, it would suffice to cause their immediate death.” And she bore this grief and suffering with peaceful resignation for the salvation of mankind.
Let’s look more closely at the Church’s devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows, how many of the feasts of the month fit in with this devotion, and what the saints have had to say about Mary’s Heart so abandoned to the will of God that she offered up her dearest Treasure in full cooperation with Him. As we learn about this devotion, let’s also begin to incorporate it into our spiritual lives and consider the enduring lessons the sorrows of Mary hold for us who find solace in the embrace of her compassionate Heart.
Why is September Dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows?
As with all the monthly devotions in the Catholic Church, the development took place over time. Devotion to Our Mother of Sorrows, supported in Sacred Scripture, dates back to the early Church Fathers contemplating Mary’s sufferings at the foot of the cross. Throughout Church history, various orders and saints have had a special devotion to Our Lady under this title and as such, have focused their ministries on prayer and penance. September eventually became known as the month of Our Lady of Sorrows because Her feast day of that title had been fittingly appointed for September 15th, the day following The Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
Although The Blessed Virgin endured more interior pain than we can comprehend, the Church has given us seven sorrows on which we can meditate in identification with Our Mother of Sorrows. Our Lady herself has promised graces to those who honor Her in this way.
The Seven Sorrows are:
- St. Simeon’s Prophesy
- The Flight into Egypt
- The Loss of Jesus in the Temple
- The Meeting of Jesus and Mary on the Way of the Cross
- The Crucifixion
- Mary Receives the Body of Jesus taken down from the Cross
- The Burial of Jesus
Key Catholic Feast Days in September
September is a month rich in Marian liturgical celebrations:
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 8 commemorates the birth of the Mother of God and points to the coming of the Savior.
The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary on September 12 is a recognition of the dignity and holiness associated with Mary’s name and the virtues it represents such as purity, humility, and obedience.
The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14 was established very early in the Church to honor the finding of the Holy Cross by St. Helena, the mother of Constantine.
The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows on September 15 is the reason for our monthly devotion and invites Catholics to reflect on the deep compassion, humility, and strength of the Virgin Mary as she experienced the reality of Her Son’s mission and accompanied Him through His Passion and Death.
The Feast of St. Padre Pio on September 23 commemorates a beloved modern saint who bore the stigmata throughout his priestly life. He identified with Our Lord and Our Lady in his suffering and offered it in penance and love.
The Feast of Our Lady of Mercy also known as Our Lady of Ransom on September 24 commemorates the Mercedarian order founded by St. Peter Nolasco who received an apparition of Our Lady showing him the white habit of the order, which would ransom Christians captured by the Moors in Spain.
The Feast of the Archangels on September 29 honors St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael. Our Lady is Queen of the Angels and they are always at her service.
Catholic Saints and Our Lady of Sorrows
Numerous saints have held a deep devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows, among them are The Seven Holy Servite Founders, St. Bridget of Sweden, and St. Alphonsus de Liguori.
The Seven Holy Servite Founders were pious businessmen of Florence in the early 13th century – a time of increasing self-reliance and worldliness in the Church. They left the business world and all their possessions to become mendicant penitants. Our Lady appeared to them inspiring them to start the Order of the Servants of Mary and they called themselves The Servites. These saints established a devotion to Our Lady focusing on her Seven Sorrows.
The actual devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows was given to us by St. Bridget of Sweden. In her mystical visions, she received insights into the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary, which became central to the devotion. Her revelations provided a framework for meditating on the emotional and spiritual sorrows that Mary experienced throughout her life. She established the Brigittine Order, which promoted Marian devotion, particularly to Our Lady of Sorrows. Their meditations on the Passion of Christ and the sorrows of Mary fostered a deeper spiritual connection with the suffering and compassion of Jesus and Mary.
Our Lady lamented to St. Bridget saying, “I look around at all who are on earth, to see if by chance there are any who pity Me, and meditate upon My Sorrows; and I find that there are very few. Therefore, My daughter, though I am forgotten by many, at least do you not forget Me; consider My anguish, and imitate, as far as you can, My grief.”
St. Alphonsus de Liguori was an Italian Catholic bishop, theologian, and founder of the Redemptorists who also had a deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He wrote extensively on her Seven Sorrows and emphasized the importance of meditating on them as a means of deepening one’s spiritual life and understanding the redemptive power of Christian suffering.
In his meditations, he wrote, “This great torment, then, which Mary endured for us—a torment which was more than a thousand deaths, deserves both our compassion and our gratitude. If we can make no other return for so much love, at least let us give a few moments this day to consider the greatness of the sufferings by which Mary became the Queen of martyrs; for the sufferings of her great martyrdom exceeded those of all the martyrs; being, in the first place, the longest in point of duration; and, in the second place, the greatest in point of intensity.”
7 Ways to Grow in Devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows this September
Here are a few ideas to help you honor Our Lady of Sorrows and grow in devotion to her.
- Meditate on each of the Seven Sorrows of Mary.
- Learn the Seven Promises given to those who meditate on Our Lady’s Sorrows (see below).
- Learn the Four Graces given to those devoted to Our Lady and her Sorrows.
- Memorize Scripture verses that highlight the sorrows Mary experienced like, Luke 2:34-35 and John 19:25-27
- Place an image or icon of Our Lady of Sorrows next to a crucifix in your home.
- Read the Revelations of Saint Bridget: On the Life and Passion of Our Lord and the Life of His Blessed Mother to learn about this saint and meditate on the sufferings of Jesus and Mary.
- Unite your own sufferings with those of Jesus and Mary, a meritorious action pleasing to Our Lord and Our Lady.
Further Reading on Our Lady of Sorrows
Several books provide valuable insights for those interested in deepening their understanding of this devotion.
- Contemplating the Seven Sorrows of Mary – Sophia Institute Press, by Joseph Hallcraft and Ruth Berghorst, guides the reader in mental prayer meditating on the Seven Sorrows of Mary with St. Alphonsus Liguori.
- Devotion to the Sorrowful Mother, by the Benedictine Convent of Clyde, is a prayer booklet explaining Our Lady’s sorrows and the importance of growing in love for Mary through devotion to her seven sorrows.
- The Glories of Mary, by St. Alphonsus de Liguori, shares the four principal graces the Lord promised to those devoted to Our Lady and her sorrows.
- Our Lady of Sorrows – Sophia Institute Press, by Patrick O’Hearn. A book for children to be read as a family to teach and instill a love for Mary in her sorrows.
- Praying With Our Sorrowful Mother: Reflections on the Seven Sorrows of Mary, by Fr. Jacob Powell, explores the riches of the interior life of Mary and how, through her seven sorrows, the Blessed Virgin’s soul is uniquely opened to humanity.
Prayers Honoring Our Lady of Sorrows
There are several prayers dedicated to honoring Our Lady of Sorrows in the Catholic tradition.
Prayer to Our Lady of Sorrows
Dear Mother Mary, your heart was pained so much on your earthly pilgrimage by the sufferings your family and your nation endured. A sword of sorrow pierced your loving heart each time you experienced the pain of sin which wounded your innocent Son and all those around you. We need you, Mary, to be with us in our sorrows, that we may not give up or despair, but keep hoping in God’s love for us, and in the fulfillment of His promises. We too want to console your tender heart, so pained by our sins, which continue so grievously against your Son today. Sweet Mother of Sorrows, we love you. Amen.
Prayer in Honor of the Seven Sorrows
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.
1. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.
Prayer of St. Alphonsus Liguori to the Sorrowful Mother
O, my afflicted Mother! Queen of martyrs and of sorrows, thou didst so bitterly weep over thy Son, who died for my salvation; but what will thy tears avail me if I am lost? By the merit, then, of thy sorrows, obtain me true contrition for my sins, and a real amendment of life, together with constant and tender compassion for the sufferings of Jesus and thy dolors. And if Jesus and thou, being so innocent, have suffered so much for love of me, obtain that at least I, who am deserving of hell, may suffer something for your love. “O Lady,” will I say with St. Bonaventure, “if I have offended thee, in justice wound my heart; if I have served thee, I now ask wounds for my reward. It is shameful to me to see my Lord Jesus wounded, and thee wounded with Him, and myself without a wound.” In fine, O my Mother, by the grief thou didst experience in seeing thy Son bow down His head and expire on the cross in the midst of so many torments, I beseech thee to obtain me a good death. Ah, cease not, O advocate of sinners, to assist my afflicted soul in the midst of the combats in which it will have to engage on its great passage from time to eternity. And as it is probable that I may then have lost my speech, and strength to invoke thy name and that of Jesus, who are all my hope, I do so now; I invoke thy Son and thee to succor me in that last moment; and I say, Jesus and Mary, to you I commend my soul.
Amen.
The Seven Promises of Our Lady of Sorrows
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 from my divine Son, that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and sorrows, 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.
Let’s Answer the Call
The devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows is a rich tradition stemming from the earliest moments of the Church, and now it is enveloped in the entire Month of September. Our Lady has asked us to meditate on her sorrows and provided promises to those who will be faithful to this devotion. This month, let’s take the opportunity to answer the call, praying and reflecting on her sufferings and what they teach us about sacrifice, compassion, and trust in God’s will amidst the challenges and contradictions of this life. As we accompany Mary in her sorrows we will discover the hope and strength we need to face our own trials and an enduring reminder that we are cradled in the arms of a compassionate Mother, whose love and intercession know no bounds.
