The Blessed Mother is venerated under many titles and through various images in the Church, all of which guide and support the faithful in their journey toward her Son. Our Lady of Sorrows is a popular representation, commonly depicted with her heart surrounded by a wreath of roses and transfixed by one or seven swords. Each of the swords represents one of the seven dolors (sorrows) of Mary:

• The prophecy of Simeon (Lk 2:35)
• The flight into Egypt (Mt 2:13)
• Losing the Christ Child in Jerusalem (Lk 2:48)
• Meeting Jesus on his way to Calvary
• Standing at the foot of the Cross (Jn 19:25)
• Jesus being taken from the Cross
• The Burial of Jesus Christ

These sorrows were first venerated by the founders of the Servite Order in 1239 as the foremost devotion of their order. In his book The Glories of Mary, St. Alphonsus Liguori wrote that Mary appeared to the Servites that year with a black “garment of mourning” that they were to wear while meditating upon her sorrows. Their devotion to the Holy Mother’s sorrows resulted in the three most common devotions to her: the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows, the Black Scapular of the Seven Dolors of Mary, and the Novena to Our Sorrowful Mother. Pope Pius VII composed the meditations for each sorrow of the rosary in 1818. According to tradition, Mary promised that those who devote themselves to her sorrows would gain certain graces, including true repentance for sins and consolation and protection in tribulations and spiritual battles.

Following the growth of this devotion among the faithful, the Church in Cologne, Germany, began to commemorate Our Lady of Sorrows as a local feast day. This observance quickly spread beyond Germany. Beginning in 1413 and continuing to the present day, the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows has been observed with special love and devotion throughout the universal Church.

Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us!