Sept. 15, 2009: Our Lady of Sorrows
Many of you have an image or a statue of Blessed Mother in your home. What color is her clothes? White? Light blue? Do any of you have Blessed Mother wearing black veil or mantle? Black is very uncommon color. One of the first places that I saw Blessed Mother wearing black is in the church of Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. On the chapel of Calvary, there is a mosaic of her wearing black veil and mantle while watching her son being nailed to the cross. And adjacent to the altar next to this mosaic is a statue of Mater Dolorosa, or Our Lady of Sorrows with seven swords piercing her heart. And after my Jerusalem trip, someone brought me to attention that in the movie the Passion of Christ, she is wearing black mantle all throughout the movie. I didn't notice that before.
Other variations of this title is the Sorrowful Mother, Our Lady of Seven Sorrows, and Our Lady of Seven Dolors. Back in 1233, the founding friars of the Servite Order or also known as the Order of the Servants of Mary took up the sorrows of Mary, standing under the Cross as their principal devotion. They are the ones who spread the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows which contemplates the sorrows and suffering that Blessed Mother underwent as Jesus. We pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary on Tuesdays, and as we pray, we try to become a companion of Jesus as he suffers in the Garden of Gethsemane, the scourgings, the crowning with thorns, the carrying of the cross, and the crucifixion. As we hold the rosary beads in our hands, we try to imagine what kind of anguish and pain that he went through. But wouldn't it be better if someone who knew Jesus more intimately than us provide us a window into what he really suffered? What better person to guide us than a person who shared the same heart with Jesus--Blessed Mother.
It is interesting that recently Blessed Mother has been asking all of us to contemplate her sorrows as a window through contemplating her son's sufferings. In 1981, in a very remote village of Kibeho, Rwanda, Blessed Mother appeared to six teenagers. She showed them
gruesome images of blood and people killing each other. The teenagers were told that these visions were going to come true to their country, Rwanda, if people did not turn away from their sins. As Our Lady of Fatima gave the message of "Penance, penance, penance," Blessed Mother in Kibeho gave the message, "Do repent, do repent, do repent," as her message to the people of Rwanda.
Thirteen years later in 1994, Rwanda went through a genocide which coincided with the visions these children received. Since then, the Church has approved the apparition of Our Lady in Kibeho and has named it as the Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows in Kibeho. One of the survivors of that genocide has written a book chronicling her experience in her book, "Left to Tell." We in Baton Rouge has been fortunate to have Immaculée Ilibagiza visit us to tell about her experience. She also told us about Our Lady's appearance in Kibeho in 1981. Shortly later, she wrote a book called, "Our Lady of Kibeho," which you can obtain from local book and online stores. When she appeared to the teenagers in 1981, Blessed Mother taught the children how to pray her Rosary of Seven Sorrows. And she urges all the faithful to pray the Rosary of Seven Sorrows. This special rosary is not to replace our regular rosary but to complement it. She asks that we pray this special rosary on Tuesdays and Fridays. I have been praying it daily since I finished reading that book back in April. And it has enriched my relationship with Blessed Mother and Our Lord.
What are the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady?
1) The Prophecy of Simeon where she is told that her heart will be pierced by a sword
2) The Flight into Egypt after warning from an angel to flee Herod
3) The Loss of Jesus in the Temple when the child Jesus is lost for three days and found in the temple.
4) Mary Meets Jesus on the Way to Calvary as she accompanies him carrying the Cross
5) Mary Stands at the Foot of the Cross and witnesses all the suffering he goes through
6) Mary receives the dead body of Jesus in her arms
7) Jesus is placed in the tomb
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The following is an instruction on how to pray this special Rosary
http://www.thegrotto.org/rosary_of_the_seven_sorrows.htm
This devotion to the Our Sorrowful Mother was originated in the Thirteenth century. It recalls the Sorrows the Virgin Mother of God endured in compassion for the suffering and death of her Divine Son.
How to pray the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows
1. An Act of Contrition:
O, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, behold me before your divine presence, all in confusion at the thought of the many grievous injuries I have done you. I ask pardon for them with my whole heart, repenting of them for love of you, hating them above every other evil and ready to lose my life rather than offend you again. And do you, most tender Virgin, mother of mercy and refuge of sinners, obtain for me the pardon of all my sins by virtue of your bitter pains and help me to so pray as to gain the indulgences attached to this, your most holy Rosary.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of you divine love. Send forth you spirit and they shall be created and you shall renew the face of the earth.
Enlighten our minds , we beseech you, O Lord, with the light of your
brightness, that we might see what we ought to do and be able to do what is right, through Christ, Our Lord.
2. Announce the First Sorrow; then say the "Our Father."
3. Say seven "Hail Marys," while meditating on the Sorrow.
4. Repeat 1 and 2 continuing through all seven Sorrows.
5. Three "Hail Marys" are said at the end in honor of the Tears of Our Sorrowful Mother.
6. Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father, for the intention of the Pope.
7. Say "Virgin most Sorrowful, pray for us" three times.
Meditate on the following while reciting the prayers
The First Sorrow:
Let us meditate on the first Sorrow of the Blessed Virgin, when she presented her only son in the temple, laid him in the arms of holy Simeon, and heard the prophetic words, "This one shall be a sword of sorrow to pierce your own heart."
The Second Sorrow:
Mary flees into Egypt with Jesus and Joseph-
Forced to endure the hardships of a long journey, and becoming a foreigner in a strange land, Mary and her family flee to protect the child Jesus from those who would destroy him.
The Third Sorrow:
Mary seeks Jesus lost in Jerusalem-Jesus disappeared for three days in Jerusalem at the age of twelve, causing his parents, especially Mary, agonizing sorrow.
The Fourth Sorrow:
Mary meets Jesus on the way to Calvary-As Jesus makes his way to Calvary, condemned to crucifixion, He meets His mother, Mary. He is bruised, derided, cursed and defiled and her sorrow is absolute as Jesus drags His own cross up the hill of His crucifixion.
The Fifth Sorrow:
Mary stands near the cross of her Son-Mary stands near her dying Son unable to minister to him as he cries "I thirst". She hears him promise heaven to a thief and forgive his enemies. His last words, "Behold your mother," charge us to look on Mary as our mother.
The Sixth Sorrow:
Mary received the body of Jesus taken down from the cross-The passion and death are over but for his mother, grief continues. She holds His body in her arms.
The Seventh Sorrow:
Mary places the body of Jesus in the tomb, awaiting the resurrection-The most tragic day in history ends, Mary alone in sorrow, as she lays the body of her Son, in the tomb.
