Septenary in Honor of Our Sorrowful Mother

    Our Sorrowful Mother stood faithfully with her Divine Son beneath the cross and shared in His sacrifice. She is the New Eve who, together with her Son, the New Adam, have given birth to each of the redeemed.

    You are invited to join us as we honor Our Mother of Sorrows from September 8 - 14. Passionists pray a "Septenary" which is seven consecutive days of prayer in preparation for the feast of Our Mother of Sorrows on September 15th. Our Holy Founder, St. Paul of the Cross, assigned Our Mother of Sorrows as "Abbess" or superioress of each monastery of Passionist Nuns. The one elected as Mother Superior is simply her representative among the Nuns.

    The traditional Seven Sorrows of Mary which we honor are

1. The prophecy of Simeon that a sword would pierce her heart
2. The flight into Egypt
3. The 3-days loss of Jesus
4. The meeting on the road to Calvary
5. Witnessing the sufferings of her Son on the Cross
6. Jesus is removed from the cross and placed in her arms
7. Placing her Son in the tomb

    We pray the Septenary in this way: Each day we will pray a Seven Dolor Rosary which consists of seven sets of seven beads - a Hail Mary is prayed upon each one. An Our Father is prayed on each bead joining the set of seven. At the end of the Rosary there are 3 beads upon which are prayed 3 Hail Marys in honor of the tears of our Blessed Mother.

    I will post for you the reflections that will be read daily at Vespers. These reflections are adapted from “Mary, Queen of Our Congregation” by Passionist Fathers Carroll Stuhlmueller and Ward Biddle.