Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal, unless otherwise stated. The Seven Sorrows of The Blessed Virgin Mary. Feast Day 15 September. Double of The Second-Class. White Vestments.
Mary stood at the Foot of The Cross where Jesus was hanging (Introit, Gradual, Alleluia, Sequence, Gospel) and, as Simeon had Prophesied (Collect), a Sword of Sorrow pierced her Soul (Secret). Powerless, "she saw her Sweet Child desolate in the anguish of death, and she received His Last Breath" (Sequence).
The compassion which her Maternal Heart felt at the Foot of The Cross obtained for her as its reward the Palm of Martyrdom without death (Communion).
This Feast was Celebrated with great Solemnity by The Servites in the 17th-Century. In 1817, it was extended by Pope Pius VII to the whole Church, so as to recall the sufferings she had undergone in the person of her exiled and captive head [Editor: the Pope], delivered by the protection of The Blessed Virgin.
Just as the first Feast of The Sorrows of Mary, in Passiontide, shows us how she had her share in the Sacrifice of Jesus, the second Feast, in the Season after Pentecost, tells us of all the compassion which The Mother of The Saviour feels for The Church, the spouse of Jesus, who is crucified in her turn [Editor: The Church] and whose Devotion to The Sorrows of Mary increases in these calamitous times.
His Holiness Pope Saint Pius X, in 1908, raised this Feast to the Rank of a Solemnity of The Second-Class.
Mass: Stabant juxta crucem.
Sequence: Stabat Mater.
Commemoration (at Low Mass) of Saint Nicomedes (Martyr).
Our Lady of Sorrows (Latin: Beata Maria Virgo Perdolens), The Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows (Latin: Mater Dolorosa, at times just Dolorosa), and Our Lady of The Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of The Seven Dolours, are names by which The Blessed Virgin Mary is referred to in relation to Sorrows in her Life.
The Seven Sorrows (or Dolours) are events in The Life of The Blessed Virgin Mary, which are a popular Devotion and are frequently depicted in art. It is a common Devotion for Catholics to say, daily, one Our Father and seven Hail Marys for each of The Seven Sorrows, which are:
The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows was originated by a Provincial Synod of Cologne, in 1413, as a response to the iconoclast Hussites. It was designated for the Friday after The Third Sunday after Easter. It had the Title: Commemoratio angustiae et doloris Beatae Mariae Virginis. Before the 16th-Century, The Feast was Celebrated only in parts of Northern Europe.
Earlier, in 1233, seven youths in Tuscany, Italy, founded The Servite Order (also known as The "Servite Friars", or The "Order of The Servants of Mary"). Five years later, they took up "The Sorrows of Mary, Standing Under The Cross", as the principal Devotion of their Order.
Over the Centuries, several Devotions, and even Orders, arose around Meditation on Mary's Sorrows. The Servites developed the two most common Devotions to Our Lady's Sorrows, namely The Rosary of The Seven Sorrows and The Black Scapular of The Seven Dolours of Mary. The Black Scapular is a symbol of The Confraternity of Our Lady of Sorrows, which is associated with The Servite Order. Most devotional Scapulars have requirements regarding ornamentation or design. The Devotion of The Black Scapular requires only that it be made of Black Woollen Cloth.
It depicts The Virgin Mary at the moment that Simeon the Righteous says: "Yea, a Sword shall pierce through thy own Soul also . . ." (Luke 2:35). She stands with her hands upraised in Prayer, and Seven Swords pierce her Heart, indicative of The Seven Sorrows. This is one of the few Orthodox icons of The Theotokos which do not depict The Infant Jesus. The Refrain "Rejoice, much-sorrowing Mother of God, turn our sorrows into joy and soften the hearts of evil men !" is also used.
The first Altar to The Mater Dolorosa was set up in 1221 at the Monastery of Schönau. Especially in Mediterranean Countries, Parishioners traditionally carry statues of Our Lady of Sorrows in Processions on the days leading to Good Friday.
No Feast in her honour was included in Pope Saint Pius V's 1570 Tridentine Calendar. Vatican approval for the Celebration of a Feast, in honour of Our Lady of Sorrows, was first granted to The ServiteOrder in 1667.
Another Feast, originating in the 17th-Century, was extended to the whole of The Latin Church in 1727. It was originally Celebrated on Friday in Passion Week, one week before Good Friday. In 1954, it still held the Rank of Major Double (slightly lower than the Rank of the 15 September Feast) in The General Roman Calendar.
Each Celebration was called a Feast of "The Seven Sorrows of The Blessed Virgin Mary."
The 15 September Feast, that now combines and continues both of them, is known as The Feast of "Our Lady of Sorrows" (Beatae Mariae Virginis Perdolentis). The Sequence, known as Stabat Mater, may be sung at Mass on that day.
Our Lady of Sorrows, depicted as "Mater Dolorosa" (Mother of Sorrows), has been the subject of some key works of Roman Catholic Marian Art. Mater Dolorosa is one of the three common artistic representations of a sorrowful Virgin Mary, the other two being Stabat Mater ("The Mother Stood") and Pietà.
In this iconography, Our Lady of Seven Sorrows is at times simply represented in a sad and anguished mode by herself, her expression being that of tears and sadness. In other representations, The Virgin Mary is depicted with Seven Swords in her Heart, a reference to the Prophecy of Simeon, at The Presentation.
Our Lady of Sorrows (Latin: Beata Maria Virgo Perdolens), the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows (Latin: Mater Dolorosa, at times just Dolorosa), and Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours, are names by which The Blessed Virgin Mary is referred to in relation to Sorrows in her Life.
The Seven Sorrows (or Dolours) are events in the Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which are a popular Devotion and are frequently depicted in art. It is a common Devotion for Catholics to say, daily, one Our Father and seven Hail Marys for each of the Seven Sorrows, which are:
The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows was originated by a Provincial Synod of Cologne, in 1413, as a response to the iconoclast Hussites. It was designated for the Friday after the third Sunday after Easter. It had the title: Commemoratio angustiae et doloris Beatae Mariae Virginis. Before the 16th-Century, the Feast was Celebrated only in parts of Northern Europe.
Earlier, in 1233, seven youths in Tuscany, Italy, founded the Servite Order (also known as the "Servite Friars", or the "Order of the Servants of Mary"). Five years later, they took up the "Sorrows of Mary, standing under the Cross", as the principal devotion of their Order.
Over the Centuries, several devotions, and even Orders, arose around Meditation on Mary's Sorrows. The Servites developed the two most common Devotions to Our Lady's Sorrows, namely the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows and the Black Scapular of the Seven Dolours of Mary. The Black Scapular is a symbol of the Confraternity of Our Lady of Sorrows, which is associated with the Servite Order. Most devotional Scapulars have requirements regarding ornamentation or design. The devotion of the Black Scapular requires only that it be made of black woollen cloth.
English: Our Lady, who softens evil hearts. Russian icon, 19th-Century.
It depicts the Virgin Mary at the moment that Simeon the Righteous says: "Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own Soul, also . . ." (Luke 2:35). She stands with her hands upraised in Prayer, and seven swords pierce her heart, indicative of the Seven Sorrows. This is one of the few Orthodox icons of the Theotokos which do not depict the Infant Jesus. The Refrain "Rejoice, much-sorrowing Mother of God, turn our sorrows into joy and soften the hearts of evil men !" is also used.
The first Altar to the Mater Dolorosa was set up in 1221 at the Monastery of Schönau. Especially in Mediterranean countries, parishioners traditionally carry statues of Our Lady of Sorrows in Processions on the days leading to Good Friday.
No Feast in her honour was included in Pope Saint Pius V's 1570 Tridentine Calendar. Vatican approval for the Celebration of a Feast, in honour of Our Lady of Sorrows, was first granted to the ServiteOrder in 1667.
Another Feast, originating in the 17th-Century, was extended to the whole of the Latin Church in 1727. It was originally celebrated on Friday in Passion Week, one week before Good Friday. In 1954, it still held the Rank of Major Double (slightly lower than the Rank of the 15 September Feast) in the General Roman Calendar.
By 1969, the Vatican had come to consider it a duplication of the 15 September Feast, and the Passion Week Feast was omitted in that year's revision of the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints.
Each celebration was called a Feast of "The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary."
The 15 September Feast, that now combines and continues both of them, is known as the Feast of "Our Lady of Sorrows" (Beatae Mariae Virginis Perdolentis). The Sequence, known as Stabat Mater, may be sung at Mass on that day.
Our Lady of Sorrows, depicted as "Mater Dolorosa" (Mother of Sorrows), has been the subject of some key works of Roman Catholic Marian Art. Mater Dolorosa is one of the three common artistic representations of a sorrowful Virgin Mary, the other two being Stabat Mater ("The Mother Stood") and Pietà.
In this iconography, Our Lady of Seven Sorrows is at times simply represented in a sad and anguished mode by herself, her expression being that of tears and sadness. In other representations, the Virgin Mary is depicted with seven swords in her heart, a reference to the prophecy of Simeon, at the Presentation.