Dictated to St. Anselm by the Blessed Mother herself, The Passion of Christ Through the Eyes of Mary blesses readers with a firsthand account of Mary’s deep sorrow at the dolorous suffering of her Son. The following prayers are excerpted from the Rosary to the Seven Sorrows of Mary found in this great spiritual book.
The First Sorrow
The first sorrow of the Blessed Virgin Mary was when she presented her most holy Son to undergo the prescribed rite of circumcision. It was at that time that she heard the prediction of Simeon that the divine Infant would become a “sign of contradiction” to many and that a sword of sorrow was also destined to pass through her own heart.
O Mother most sorrowful! What bitter pain your heart did feel on account of the blood shed by your infant Son at His circumcision. Teach me, I pray, to circumcise all the inordinate or ungoverned passions of my own soul.
The Second Sorrow
The second sorrow of the Blessed Virgin Mary was when she, together with Jesus and Joseph, was compelled to flee secretly at night into the distant land of Egypt to escape Herod’s wicked attempts to kill the holy Infant.
Mother filled with most bitter grief, you were forced to flee into Egypt with your beloved Son on account of the pride and ambition of Herod. Grant that, through true humility, I may prepare a quiet, safe, and welcoming place of refuge for you and your Son within my heart.
The Third Sorrow
The third sorrow of the most precious Virgin occurred when her Son, Jesus—then a boy of just twelve years of age—was lost in Jerusalem, and she, together with Joseph, sought Him with great anxiety and concern for three days before finally finding Him in the Temple.
O Mother of mercy, when your Son was lost to you, you suffered immense anxiety and sorrow because of your separation from Him. Grant, I pray, that I may never lose sight of Jesus through my sins and negligence but may constantly keep His beloved presence before my eyes and always be close to Him.
The Fourth Sorrow
The fourth sorrow of the Blessed Virgin was when she met her most beloved Son as He was carrying the cross upon His shoulders to Calvary, the place of His execution.
O Mary, through that maternal love which caused you to follow in the bloodstained footsteps of Jesus, draw me after yourself so that I may share your sorrows and, with you, faithfully follow your Son as He carries the cross of our salvation.
The Fifth Sorrow
The fifth sorrow of the Mother of God was when Jesus was raised up on the cross and she witnessed Him die there in pain, all the while being mocked by the malicious crowds.
Suffering Mother, you saw and heard your divine and innocent Son being mocked and blasphemed as He hung upon the cross in agony. Grant to me, I pray, that I may help to atone for the derision He then suffered by praising and blessing Him for all eternity in heaven.
The Sixth Sorrow
The sixth sorrow of Our Lady was when Christ was taken down from the cross, and she received His lifeless and cruelly wounded body into her maternal embrace.
Ever-Virgin Mother, when you received the dead and blood-smeared body of your Son into your arms, you embraced Him with indescribable tenderness, kissing His wounds with infinite love and mercy. Teach me to contemplate His saving wounds often and intently with something of the same love and compassion.
The Seventh Sorrow
The seventh sorrow of Mary, the gracious refuge of and advocate for all sinners, was when she witnessed the body of Jesus enclosed within the silent darkness of the tomb.
Most courageous and strong Woman, with sweeping waves of bitter grief, you were forcibly separated from the body of your beloved Son, and you saw this same dear body being enclosed in the darkness of the tomb. May my own heart remain likewise firmly closed to all the wicked temptations and deceitful vanities of this passing world.
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This article is taken from a chapter in The Passion of Christ Through the Eyes of Mary by St. Anselm of Canterbury which is available from TAN Books.
