During this month of September, the Church turns her attention in a particular way to Our Lady of Sorrows.  Here is the Chaplet of Our Lady of Sorrows which can be prayed on a normal rosary if needed.

Each day begin with:
V. O God, come to my assistance;
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
V. Glory be, etc.
R. As it was, etc.
Then:
Day I. I grieve for Thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in the affliction of Thy tender heart at the prophecy of the holy and aged Simeon. Dear Mother, by Thy heart so afflicted, obtain for me the virtue of humility and the Gift of the holy Fear of God. Pray one Hail Mary.
Day II. I grieve for Thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in the anguish of Thy most affectionate heart during the flight into Egypt and Thy sojourn there. Dear Mother, by Thy heart so troubled, obtain for me the virtue of generosity, especially towards the poor, and the Gift of Piety. Pray one Hail Mary.
Day III. I grieve for Thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in those anxieties which tried Thy troubled heart at the loss of Thy dear Jesus. Dear Mother, by Thy heart so full of anguish, obtain for me the virtue of chastity and the Gift of Knowledge. Pray one Hail Mary.
Day IV. I grieve for Thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in the consternation of Thy heart at meeting Jesus as He carried His Cross. Dear Mother, by Thy heart so troubled, obtain for me the virtue of patience and the Gift of Fortitude. Pray one Hail Mary.
Day V. I grieve for Thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in the martyrdom which Thy generous heart endured in standing near Jesus in His agony. Dear Mother, by Thy heart afflicted in such wise, obtain for me the virtue of temperance and the Gift of Counsel. Pray one Hail Mary.
Day VI. I grieve for Thee, O Mary most sorrowful, in the wounding of Thy compassionate heart, when the side of Jesus was struck by the lance and His Heart was pierced. Dear Mother, by Thy heart thus transfixed, obtain for me the virtue of fraternal charity and the Gift of Understanding. Pray one Hail Mary.
Day VII. I grieve for Thee, O Mary most sorrowful, for the pangs that wrenched Thy most loving heart at the burial of Jesus. Dear Mother, by Thy heart sunk in the bitterness of desolation, obtain for me the virtue of diligence and the Gift of Wisdom. Pray one Hail Mary.
V. Pray for us, O Virgin most sorrowful,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray. Let intercession be made for us, we beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, now and at the hour of our death, before the throne of Thy mercy, by the Blessed Virgin Mary, Thy Mother, whose most holy soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the hour of Thy bitter Passion. We ask this through Thee, Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest world without end. Amen.
(This article is part of a series that will appear over the course of this year on the Monthly Devotions of the Church’s year).
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During this month of September, the Church turns her attention in a particular way to Our Lady of Sorrows.  In last weekend’s bulletin we discussed this title of the Blessed Virgin Mary and both this weekend and next weekend you will find devotions which can be used in your own prayer life as we honor Our Lady of Sorrows.

Antiphon: There stood by the cross of Jesus His Mother and His Mother’s sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Salome and Mary Magdalene.
-Woman behold thy Son,
-Son, behold thy Mother.
Let us pray: O God, at Whose Passion, according to the prophecy of holy Simeon, a sword of grief pierced the most sweet soul of glorious Mary, virgin and mother, grand in Thy mercy, that we who honor the memory of her sorrows may obtain the happy fruit of Thy suferings.  Who live and reign, world without end.  Amen.

O most holy Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ: by the overwhelming grief you experienced when you witnessed the martyrdom, the crucifixion, and death of your divine Son, look upon me with eyes of compassion, and awaken in my heart a tender commiseration for those sufferings, as well as a sincere detestation of my sins, in order that being disengaged from all undue affection for the passing joys of this earth, I may sigh after the eternal Jerusalem, and that henceforward all my thoughts and all my actions may be directed towards this one most desirable object.  Honor, glory, and love to our divine Lord Jesus, and to the holy and immaculate Mother of God.  Amen.

Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows
Hail Mary full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
 
O, mother most holy and sorrowful, Queen of Martyrs, you who stood by your Son as He agonized on the cross; by the sufferings of your life, by that sword of pain that pierced your heart, by your perfect joy in heaven, look down on me kindly as I kneel before you, sympathizing with your sorrows and offering you my petition (here place your petition) with childlike trust. 

Dear Mother, since your Son refuses you nothing, ask of His Sacred Heart to mercifully grant what I ask, through the merits of His sacred passion, along with those of your sufferings at the foot of the cross.
Mother most merciful, to whom shall I go in my misery if not to you who pities us poor sinful exiles in this valley of tears? In our name, offer Jesus but one drop of His most precious blood, but one pang of His loving heart. Remind Him that you are our sweetness, our life and our hope, and your prayer will be heard. Amen.
 
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of Virgins, my Mother. To you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your clemency, hear and answer me. Amen.
 
(This article is part of a series that will appear over the course of this year on the Monthly Devotions of the Church’s year).
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As I mentioned in last weekend’s bulletin, over the course of the year I’d like to write a series of bulletin articles focusing in on the traditional monthly devotions of the Church – each part of the series will include an article focusing in on the monthly devotion and be followed with articles which contain prayers that one can use to mark this month and so enter more fully into the mystery or person we are honoring in a particular way.  The month of September is the month of Our Lady of Sorrows.   

The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows is celebrated on September 15th, hence the devotion to her of this month. The Collect of the Mass of Our Lady of Sorrows is:
O God, who willed that,
when your Son was lifted high on the Cross,
his Mother should stand close by and share his suffering,
grant that your Church,
participating with the Virgin Mary in the Passion of Christ,
may merit a share in his Resurrection.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, forever and ever.  Amen.
 
This prayer, along with the fact that the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows is celebrated the day after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14th), points out the union that Our Blessed Mother had with her Son as He suffered on the Cross.   She, in a particularly intimate and painful way, shared in His crucifixion.  This should come as no surprise to any woman who is a mother – since very often she experiences, very often very intensely and painfully – the sufferings her children endure.  It is a sign of the depths of her love for them.  We see in Our Lady of Sorrows not only her depth for her Son, but also, when we suffer, since she is our Mother, she shares in our sufferings as well.  This can be a great source of solace for us when we suffer, but also a reminder of Christian hope, because no matter how painful the Cross, we know that by “participating…in the Passion of Christ” we “may merit a share in his Resurrection.” 

In art, Our Lady of Sorrows is oftentimes depicted with seven swords piercing her Immaculate Heart.  They are reminders of the Seven Sorrows that she experienced over her earthly life. They are: The Prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2.34-35); The Escape and Flight into Egypt (Matthew 2.13); The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2.43-45); The Meeting of Mary and Jesus on the Road to Calvary; The Crucifixion of Jesus (John 19.25); The Piercing of Jesus’ side (Matthew 27.57-59); The Burial of Jesus (John 19.40-42).  It is a common devotional practice to pray one Our Father and seven Hail Mary’s daily in honor of these sorrows.
As we enter this month of September it may be of great spiritual value to spend one day on one of these sorrows of the Blessed Mother in your own prayer – join her as she experiences these things.  A book that you may find helpful for reflection this month is “The Seven Sorrows of Mary: A Meditative Guide” by Joel Giallanza, C.S.C. and published by Ave Maria Press.  In our next couple of bulletin articles you will find some prayers and devotions for this month.

(This article is part of a series that will appear over the course of this year on the Monthly Devotions of the Church’s year).