On 15 September we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. In this article Fr. Shane Gallagher writes about how we can observe a special devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows.

By Fr. Shane Gallagher

Our Lady of Sorrows, Iglesia de la Vera Cruz, Salamanca, Spain.

“That old September feeling, left over from school days, of summer passing, vacation nearly done, obligations gathering, books and football in the air.”

Wallace Stegnar, Angle of Repose

As the days of September draw close, we are pulled back into the world of schooldays and work routine. A more relaxed summer timetable is replaced by the world of structured chaos and daily struggle once again. September with all its annual panic is also a time where we can enter a renewed routine of prayer. One person who was well acquainted with prayer, family routine and daily struggle was Our Lady. Devotion to the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady epitomises the family routine and daily struggle of the Holy Family. In the 14th century devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows became standard in the Church. It was revealed to St. Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373) that devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Seven Sorrows would bring great graces. In September and particularly on September 15th (Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows), the Church draws our attention to this special devotion.

One of the many unfounded criticisms of the Catholic Faith today is that people incorrectly view it as archaic, dated and out of touch with modern 2021 living. This could not be further from the truth. We know that the Sacraments of the Church are timeless and constantly relevant to every age but so too are the ancient and beautiful devotions such as the one that I have just mentioned. The Seven Sorrows of Our Lady tell us of the struggles of a young inexperienced mother living in a Roman/Jewish world that is not too different from our world today. The Sorrows devotion throw a light on the humanity of a young Jewish woman who struggles like all of us but never loses sight of God. Her struggles are many. Some are understated but some are highlighted by the Church in a bid to make us see that we too need to stay close to Christ as she did.

Life is a learning curve. I personally think that heaven revealed these seven occasions in Our Lady’s life to St. Bridget of Sweden so that she could pass them on to a world that often looks for hope in the wrong places. Heaven wanted all of humanity to persevere in the struggles of life as Mary did and not to succumb to despair. I think it is fair to say that we live in an era where suicide and mental breakdown are sadly the norm. Addictions and daily pressures financial and otherwise make up the daily diet of many unfortunate souls. In September we look with hope to a woman who struggled with life but trusted in God’s Providence and persevered.

So what exactly are the seven occasions or Sorrows in Our Lady’s life? The first is the Prophecy of Simeon and following that we have the Flight into Egypt, the disappearance of Jesus for three days, the carrying of the Cross, the Crucifixion, the taking down of Jesus’ body from the Cross and finally the laying of Jesus in the tomb. These are self-explanatory to anyone who is in anyway familiar with the Gospels. These moments are moments of great emotional strain. Our Lady must have felt a huge sense of powerlessness. As a priest many people cross my path every day. Some are Stage 4 cancer patients, some are separated in their marriage and some struggle with an addiction. For all who feel powerless and weak, this devotion is tailor made for you.

For us to get the best out of this devotion and successfully apply it to the trials of life then we need to do two things. The first way is constant and that is to pray. How do you pray the devotion? It is very simple. You pray seven Hail Mary’s while meditating on the Seven Sorrows. At each Hail Mary you stop and reflect on each of the Sorrows of Mary. This devotion is powerful and efficacious at all times but particularly in times of trouble, in September and in Lent.

Simeon in the Temple, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1631. (Public Domain). — *Simeon in the Temple,* Rembrandt van Rijn, 1631. (Public Domain).

The second way to get the best out of this devotion is not just to pray but also to meditate on each sorrow. This requires the use of our imagination. We have to engage in a bit of mental gymnastics. So when we reflect on the Prophecy of Simeon for example we have to go into the temple to see a young couple standing with a baby and full of joy. We have to see the walls of the temple and the settings. An old man most likely with a beard and long robes is speaking with the couple warning them that to live God’s plan is to at times live through periods of suffering. Try to imagine Simeon telling you this as you present your life and the lives of your loved ones to God in prayer. Place yourself in the Holy Temple with the Holy Family. This sorrow of Our Lady would serve as a great comfort to perhaps someone who has lost a loved one and is angry with God or perhaps parents who journey heroically with severely disabled children parent.

If we were to continue our imaginary journey into the Sorrows of Mary we could look at the third sorrow of Mary which was the disappearance of Jesus as a young boy for three days. Again through meditation and use of the imagination we could try to appreciate the panic that must have swamped Mary’s mind. What must she have felt to have lost her treasured Son Jesus in a busy city? Again, the powerlessness of the situation is overwhelming. What do I do next? Where do I look? What if something happened him? Again, it is a beautiful devotion for anyone who has suffered loss. It would for example provide consolation for a man whose wife has walked out on him or vice versa. It would be very apt for a person who has lost their direction in life or perhaps a sense of purpose. This devotion is very flexible and adaptable highlighting again how efficacious it is for these days in 2021.

The devotion to Our Lady’s Seven Sorrows generates a feeling of spiritual wellbeing and consolation. However, that is not the only benefit. Our Lady made clear to St. Bridget of Sweden that all who practiced this devotion would receive seven graces. Among the seven are the promises of assistance at the moment of death, peace to their families and a firm defense in spiritual battles. In the faith world it is a 100%-win situation for all souls who partake in this wonderful and underutilised devotion to Mary.

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