The Seven
Sorrows of Mary
(Via Matris)
First Sorrow:
The Prophecy
of Simeon
 Sorrow
as sharp as a sword shall pierce Mary's heart because of her Child. Mary is in the Temple,
having come with Joseph to present the Child to God. They meet Simeon, the holy man, and
Anna, the prophetess. Simeon takes the Baby in his arms, saying he will now die in peace
because he has seen Christ, then he foretells the sorrow to come.
Second Sorrow:
The Flight
into Egypt
Soon
the sword of sorrow strikes. Herod the King seeks to kill the Child. Warned in sleep by an
angel, Joseph takes Jesus and His Mother Mary, setting out for Egypt, where they lived in
obscurity and poverty until it was safe to return to Nazareth.
Third Sorrow:
The Loss
of Jesus for 3 Days
When
Jesus is twelve, He is taken to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. On the return
journey, Joseph and Mary find at the end of the first day that Jesus is not with them.
Racked with anxiety, they search for Him. Nobody in the streets, not even the beggars, can
tell them where He is. Not til the third day do they find Him, in the Temple.
Fourth Sorrow:
Mary Meets Jesus
on the
Via Dolorosa
Mary
has known fear and sorrow, but none so great as seeing her beloved Son stumbling under the
weight of the Cross. She hears the jeering shouts from the crowd and has no power to help
Him. Pity and love are in her eyes as she gazes at His blood-stained face. To many around
her He is no better than a criminal, and her heart is breaking as she follows Him to
Calvary or Golgotha.
Fifth Sorrow:
The Crucifixion
With
John, Mary stands at the foot of the Cross. "A sword shall pierce thy soul,"
Simeon told her. Truly her heart is pierced with sorrow. Her beloved Son is dying and she
shares in his suffering. She does not ask God to take away this agony. She is His Mother,
so close to Him that His pain is hers, too. And now He speaks from the Cross: "Woman,
behold thy son." Jesus gives His Mother to John, and to us. For all eternity she is
our Mother.
Sixth Sorrow:
Jesus is Taken
Down
From The Cross
 
It
is over. Dark clouds have appeared in the sky and upon the world. Jesus is dead. Joseph of
Arimathea and Nicodemus take down the Body from the Cross, and Mary receives It in her
arms. She is filled with a sadness that no human heart has known. This is her Son. Once
she had cradled Him in her arms, listened to His voice, watched Him working at the
carpenter's bench. Now He is dead. She does not weep, her grief is too great for tears.
Seventh Sorrow:
Jesus' Burial
Hastily
the Body is wrapped in a clean linen cloth. Nicodemus has brought myrrh and aloes, and the
Body is bound in the Shroud with them. Nearby is a new tomb, belonging to Joseph of
Arimathea, and there they lay Jesus. Mary and John and the holy women follow them, and
watch as the great stone to the sepulchre is rolled. It is the end.
The Seven Graces
The Blessed Virgin Mary grants seven graces to the souls who
honor her daily by saying seven Hail Mary's and meditating on her tears and dolors
(sorrows). This devotion was passed on by Saint Bridget.
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 (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.
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