Posted on 09/17/2018 10:30:44 PM PDT by Salvation
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From: 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 27-31
Unity and Variety in the Mystical Body of Christ
[14] For the body does not consist of one member but of many.
[27] Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. [28] And God
has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then
workers of miracles, then healers, helpers, administrators, speakers in various
kinds of tongues. [29] Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do
all work miracles? [30] Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues?
Do all interpret? [31] But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a
still more excellent way.
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Commentary:
12-13. In Greek and Latin literature, society is often compared to a body: even
today we talk of “corporations”, a term which conveys the idea that all the citi-
zens of a particular city are responsible for the common good. St Paul, starting
with this metaphor, adds two important features: 1) he identifies the Church with
Christ: “so it is with Christ” (v. 12); and 2) he says that the Holy Spirit is its life-
principle: “by one Spirit we were all baptized . . ., and all made to drink of the
Spirit” (v. 13). The Magisterium summarizes this teaching by defining the Church
as the “mystical body of Christ”, an expression which “is derived from and is, as
it were, the fair flower of the repeated teaching of Sacred Scripture and the holy
Fathers” (Pius XII, “Mystici Corporis”).
“So it is with Christ”: “One would have expected him to say, so it is with the
Church, but he does not say that [. . .]. For, just as the body and the head are
one man, so too Christ and the Church are one, and therefore instead of ‘the
Church’ he says ‘Christ”’ (Chrysostom, “Hom. on 1 Cor”, 30, “ad loc.”). This i-
dentification of the Church with Christ is much more then a mere metaphor; it
makes the Church a society which is radically different from any other society:
“The complete Christ is made up of the head and the body, as I am sure you
know well. The head is our Savior himself, who suffered under Pontius Pilate
and now, after rising from the dead, is seated at the right hand of the Father.
And his body is the Church. Not this or that church, but the Church which is to
be found all over the world. Nor is it only that which exists among us today, for
also belonging to it are those who lived before us and those who will live in the
future, right up to the end of the world. All this Church, made up of the assembly
of the faithful — for all the faithful are members of Christ—has Christ as its head,
governing his body from heaven. And although this head is located out of sight
of the body, he is, however, joined to it by love” (St Augustine, “Enarrationes In
Psalmos”, 56, 1).
The Church’s remarkable unity derives from the Holy Spirit who not only assem-
bles the faithful into a society but also imbues and vivifies its members, exerci-
sing the same function as the soul does in a physical body: “In order that we
might be unceasingly renewed in him (cf. Eph 4:23), he has shared with us his
Spirit who, being one and the same in head and members, gives life to, unifies
and moves the whole body. Consequently, his work could be compared by the
Fathers to the function that the principle of life, the soul, fulfills in the human bo-
dy” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 7).
“All were made to drink of one Spirit”: given that the Apostle says this immedia-
tely after mentioning Baptism, he seems to be referring to a further outpouring
of the Spirit, possibly in the sacrament of Confirmation. It is not uncommon for
Sacred Scripture to compare the outpouring of the Spirit to drink, indicating that
the effects of his presence are to revive the parched soul; in the Old Testament
the coming of the Holy Spirit is already compared to dew, rain etc.; and St John
repeats what our Lord said about “living water” (Jn 7:38; cf. 4:13-14).
Together with the sacraments of Christian initiation, the Eucharist plays a spe-
cial role in building up the unity of the body of Christ. “Really sharing in the bo-
dy of the Lord in the breaking of the eucharistic bread, we are taken up into com-
munion with him and with one another. ‘Because the bread is one, we, who are
many, are one body, for we all partake of the one bread’ (1 Cor 10:17). In this
way all of us are made members of his body (cf. 1 Cor 12:27), ‘and individual
members of one another’ (Rom 12:5)” (”Lumen Gentium”, 7).
14-27. The unity of the mystical body, which derives from a single life-principle,
the Holy Spirit, and tends towards a common same goal, that is, the building
up of the Church, means that all its members, whatever their position, have the
same basic dignity and the same importance. St Paul develops this thinking by
a very effective literary device: he personifies the members of the human body
and imagines the nobler members looking down on the lesser ones (vv. 21-24).
This serves to reaffirm the truth of v. 25: “that the members may have the same
care for one another”. The responsibility of each Christian derives from the very
essence of the vocation he or she receives at Baptism and Confirmation: “In the
Church there is a diversity of ministries,” St. Escriva explains, “but there is only
one aim — the sanctification of men. And in this task all Christians participate in
some way, through the character imprinted by the sacraments of Baptism and
Confirmation. We must all feel responsible for the mission of the Church, which
is the mission of Christ. He who does not have zeal for the salvation of souls, he
who does not strive with all his strength to make the name and the teaching of
Christ known and loved, will not understand the apostolicity of the Church.
“A passive Christian has failed to understand what Christ wants from all of us.
A Christian who ‘goes his own way’, unconcerned about the salvation of others,
does not love with the heart of Jesus. Apostolate is not a mission exclusive to
the hierarchy, or to priests and religious. The Lord calls all of us to be, by our
example and word, instruments of the stream of grace which springs up to eter-
nal life” (”In Love with the Church”, 15).
28-30. St Paul concludes this description of the different parts of the body by ap-
plying it to the Church, where variety of functions does not detract from unity. It
would be a serious mistake not to recognize in the visible structure of the Church,
which is so multifaceted, the fact that the Church founded by Christ is “one”, vi-
sible at the same time as it is spiritual. The Second Vatican Council puts this
very clearly: “But the society structured with hierarchical organs and the mysti-
cal body of Christ, the visible society and the spiritual community, the earthly
Church and the Church endowed with heavenly riches, are not to be thought of
as two realities. On the contrary, they form one complex reality which comes to-
gether from a human element and a divine element. For this reason the Church
is compared, not without significance, to the mystery of the incarnate Word. As
the assumed nature, inseparably united to Him, serves the divine Word as a li-
ving organ of salvation, so, in a somewhat similar way, does the social structure
of the Church serve the Spirit of Christ who vivifies it, in the building up of the bo-
dy (cf. Eph 4:15)” “Lumen Gentium”, 8).
The Church is this way because that is the will of its founder, Jesus Christ: “The
Church is by divine will a hierarchical institution. The Second Vatican Council
describes it as a ‘society structured with hierarchical organs’ (”Lumen Gentium”,
8) in which ‘ministers are invested with a sacred power’ (”ibid., 18). The hierar-
chy is not only compatible with freedom: it is at the service of the freedom of the
children of God (cf. Rom 8:21). [...] ‘Hierarchy’ means holy government and sa-
cred order. In no way does it imply a merely human arbitrary order or a subhu-
man despotism. Our Lord established in the Church a hierarchical order which
should not degenerate into tyranny, because authority is as much a call to serve
as is obedience.
“In the Church there is equality, because once baptized we are all equal, all chil-
dren of the same God, our Father. There is no difference as Christians between
the Pope and someone who has just joined the Church. But this radical equality
does not mean that we can change the constitution of the Church in those things
that were established by Christ. By expressed divine will there are different func-
tions which imply different capacities, an indelible ‘character’ conferred on the sa-
cred ministers by the sacrament of Order. At the summit of this order is Peter’s
successors and with him, and under him, all the bishops with the triple mission
of sanctifying, governing and teaching” (J. Escriva, “In Love with the Church”, 30).
31. “Earnestly desire the higher gifts”: according to some Greek manuscripts
this can be translated “earnestly seek the greater gifts”. St Paul is encouraging
his Christians to put greater value on those gifts of the Holy Spirit which contri-
bute most to the goal of the Church than on those which are spectacular. He
probably has in mind the teaching he will develop (chap. 14) about the superiori-
ty of graces and charisms to do with teaching and catechesis.
“A still more excellent way”: this undoubtedly refers to charity, which he goes on
to describe and praise (chap. 13). Therefore, what is called his “hymn to charity”
is not a digression, much less a later addition, but an outpouring of the Apostle’s
soul, which perfectly explains why charity is the greatest of all gifts, a sure route
to holiness and salvation, and the identifying mark of the Christian: “the first and
most necessary gift is charity, by which we love God above all things and our
neighbor because of Him [...]. This is because love, as the bond of perfection and
fullness of the law (cf. Col 3:14, Rom 13:10), governs, gives meaning to, and per-
fects all the means of sanctification. Hence the true disciple of Christ is marked
by love both of God and of his neighbor” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 42).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Luke 7:11-17
The Son of the Widow in Nain Restored to Life
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Commentary:
11-17. “Jesus crosses paths again with a crowd of people. He could have
passed by or waited until they called Him. But He didn’t. He took the initiative,
because He was moved by a widow’s sorrow. She had just lost all she had, her
son.
“The evangelist explains that Jesus was moved. Perhaps He even showed signs
of it, as when Lazarus died. Christ was not, and is not, insensitive to the suffering
that stems from love. He is pained at seeing children separated from their parents.
He overcomes death so as to give life, to reunite those who love one another. But
at the same time, He requires that we first admit the pre-eminence of divine love,
which alone can inspire genuine Christian living.
“Christ knows He is surrounded by a crowd which will be awed by the miracle and
will tell the story all over the countryside. But He does not act artificially, merely to
create an effect. Quite simply He is touched by that woman’s suffering and cannot
but console her. So He goes up to her and says, `Do not weep.’ It is like saying,
`I don’t want to see you crying; I have come on earth to bring joy and peace.’ And
then comes the miracle, the sign of the power of Christ who is God. But first
came His compassion, an evident sign of the tenderness of the heart of Christ the
man” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 166).
15. This mother’s joy on being given back her son reminds us of the joy of our Mo-
ther the Church when her sinful children return to the life of grace. “The widowed
mother rejoiced at the raising of that young man,” St. Augustine comments. “Our
Mother the Church rejoices every day when people are raised again in spirit. The
young man had been dead physically; the latter, dead spiritually. The young man’s
death was mourned visibly; the death of the latter was invisible and unmourned.
He seeks them out Who knew them to be dead; only He can bring them back to
life” (”Sermon”, 98, 2).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
Liturgical Colour: Green.
First reading |
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1 Corinthians 12:12-14,27-31 © |
You together are Christ's body: each of you a different part |
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Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 99(100) © |
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Gospel Acclamation | cf.2Tim1:10 |
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Or: | Lk7:16 |
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Gospel | Luke 7:11-17 © |
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The only son of his mother, and she a widow |
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Luke | |||
English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
Luke 7 |
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11. | And it came to pass afterwards, that he went into a city that is called Naim; and there went with him his disciples, and a great multitude. | Et factum est : deinceps ibat in civitatem quæ vocatur Naim : et ibant cum eo discipuli ejus et turba copiosa. | και εγενετο εν τω εξης επορευετο εις πολιν καλουμενην ναιν και συνεπορευοντο αυτω οι μαθηται αυτου ικανοι και οχλος πολυς |
12. | And when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold a dead man was carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow: and a great multitude of the city was with her. | Cum autem appropinquaret portæ civitatis, ecce defunctus efferebatur filius unicus matris suæ : et hæc vidua erat : et turba civitatis multa cum illa. | ως δε ηγγισεν τη πυλη της πολεως και ιδου εξεκομιζετο τεθνηκως υιος μονογενης τη μητρι αυτου και αυτη [ην] χηρα και οχλος της πολεως ικανος συν αυτη |
13. | Whom when the Lord had seen, being moved with mercy towards her, he said to her: Weep not. | Quam cum vidisset Dominus, misericordia motus super eam, dixit illi : Noli flere. | και ιδων αυτην ο κυριος εσπλαγχνισθη επ αυτη και ειπεν αυτη μη κλαιε |
14. | And he came near and touched the bier. And they that carried it, stood still. And he said: Young man, I say to thee, arise. | Et accessit, et tetigit loculum. (Hi autem qui portabant, steterunt.) Et ait : Adolescens, tibi dico, surge. | και προσελθων ηψατο της σορου οι δε βασταζοντες εστησαν και ειπεν νεανισκε σοι λεγω εγερθητι |
15. | And he that was dead, sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother. | Et resedit qui erat mortuus, et cpit loqui. Et dedit illum matri suæ. | και ανεκαθισεν ο νεκρος και ηρξατο λαλειν και εδωκεν αυτον τη μητρι αυτου |
16. | And there came a fear on them all: and they glorified God, saying: A great prophet is risen up among us: and, God hath visited his people. | Accepit autem omnes timor : et magnificabant Deum, dicentes : Quia propheta magnus surrexit in nobis : et quia Deus visitavit plebem suam. | ελαβεν δε φοβος παντας και εδοξαζον τον θεον λεγοντες οτι προφητης μεγας εγηγερται εν ημιν και οτι επεσκεψατο ο θεος τον λαον αυτου |
17. | And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judea, and throughout all the country round about. | Et exiit hic sermo in universam Judæam de eo, et in omnem circa regionem. | και εξηλθεν ο λογος ουτος εν ολη τη ιουδαια περι αυτου και εν παση τη περιχωρω |
” The complete Christ is made up of the head and the body, as I am sure you
know well. The head is our Savior himself, who suffered under Pontius Pilate
and now, after rising from the dead, is seated at the right hand of the Father. And his body is the Church.”
This is important to remember in this time of great scandal. Jesus is the Head of the Church, not the Pope! The Body is us in communion with Jesus in the congregations throughout the world. The Priests are ministers to the Body, much like Doctors and they are educators as well.
Its time for many of the Ministers to remember the saying, ‘Physician, heal thyself”.
Pray for Pope Francis.
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We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.
Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.
Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.
Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.
Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.
Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.
O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.
Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests
This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.
The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.
The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.
Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.
St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.
1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)
5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
6. Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.
Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.
End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Final step -- The Sign of the Cross
The Mysteries of the Rosary By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary. The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.
The Sorrowful Mysteries
(Tuesdays and Fridays)
1. The Agony in the Garden (Matthew 26:36-46, Luke 22:39-46) [Spiritual fruit - God's will be done]
2. The Scourging at the Pillar (Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:15, John 19:1) [Spiritual fruit - Mortification of the senses]
3. The Crowning with Thorns (Matthew 27:27-30, Mark 15:16-20, John 19:2) [Spiritual fruit - Reign of Christ in our heart]
4. The Carrying of the Cross (Matthew 27:31-32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26-32, John 19:17) [Spiritual fruit - Patient bearing of trials]
5. The Crucifixion (Matthew 27:33-56, Mark 15:22-39, Luke 23:33-49, John 19:17-37) [Spiritual fruit - Pardoning of Injuries]
St. Michael the Archangel
~ PRAYER ~
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+
Sea of Sorrow
Oh! on what a sea of sorrow
Was the Virgin-Mother cast,
When her eyes with tears o'erflowing
Gazed upon her Son aghast,
From the bloodstained gibbet taken,
Dying in her arms at last.
In her bitter desolation,
His sweet mouth, His bosom too,
Then His riven side beloved,
Then each hand, both wounded through,
Then His feet, with blood encrimsoned,
Her maternal tears bedew.
She, a hundred times and over,
Strains Him closely to her breast
Heart to Heart, arms arms enfolding,
Are His wounds on her impressed:
Thus, in sorrow's very kisses,
Melts her anguished soul to rest.
Oh, dear Mother! we beseech thee,
By the tears thine eyes have shed,
By the cruel death of Jesus
And His wounds' right royal red,
Make our hearts o'erflow with sorrow
From thy heart's deep fountainhead.
To the Father, Son, and Spirit,
Now we bend on equal knee:
Glory, sempiternal glory,
To the Most High Trinity;
Yea! perpetual praise and honor
Now and through all ages be.
Novena Prayer To Our Sorrowful Mother
Most Blessed and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs, who didst stand generously beneath the cross, beholding the agony of thy dying Son; by the sword of sorrow which then pierced thy soul, by the sufferings of thy sorrowful life, by the unutterable joy which now more than repays thee for them; look down with a mother's pity and tenderness, as I kneel before thee to compassionate thy sorrows, and to lay my petition with childlike confidence in thy wounded heart. I beg of thee, O my Mother, to plead continually for me with thy Son, since He can refuse thee nothing, and through the merits of His most sacred Passion and Death, together with thy own sufferings at the foot of the cross, so to touch His Sacred Heart, that I may obtain my request,
For to whom shall I fly in my wants and miseries, if not to thee, O Mother of mercy, who, having so deeply drunk the chalice of thy Son, canst most pity us poor exiles, still doomed to sigh in this vale of tears? Offer to Jesus but one drop of His Precious Blood, but one pang of His adorable Heart; remind Him that thou art our life, our sweetness, and our hope, and thou wilt obtain what I ask, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hail Mary
Virgin Most Sorrowful, pray for us
(Seven times each)
Mary, most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, accept the sincere homage of my filial affection. Into thy Heart, pierced by so many swords, do thou welcome my poor soul. Receive it as the companion of thy sorrows at the foot of the Cross, on which Jesus died for the redemption of the world. With thee, O sorrowful Virgin, I will gladly suffer all the trials, contradictions, and infirmities which it shall please Our Lord to send me. I offer them all to thee in memory of thy sorrows, so that: every thought of my mind and every beat of my heart may be an act of compassion and of love for thee. And do thou, sweet Mother, have pity on me, reconcile me to thy Divine Son, Jesus; keep me in His grace and assist me in my last agony, so that I may be able to meet thee in Heaven and sing thy glories.
Most holy Virgin and Mother, whose soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the Passion of thy Divine Son, and who in His glorious Resurrection wast filled with never ending joy at His triumph, obtain for us who call upon thee, so to be partakers in the adversities of Holy Church and the Sorrows of the Sovereign Pontiff, as to be found worthy to rejoice with them in the consolations for which we pray, in the charity and peace of the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Litany of the Seven Sorrows
Lord, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God, the Father of heaven, God the Son, Redeemer of the world, . God the Holy Ghost, Holy Mary, Mother of God, Holy Virgin of virgins, Mother of the Crucified, Sorrowful Mother, Mournful Mother, Sighing Mother, Afflicted Mother, Foresaken Mother, . Desolate Mother, Mother most sad, Mother set around with anguish, Mother overwhelmed by grief, Mother transfixed by a sword, Mother crucified in thy heart, Mother bereaved of thy Son, Sighing Dove, Mother of Dolors, Fount of tears, Sea of bitterness, Field of tribulation, Mass of suffering, Mirror of patience, Rock of constancy, Remedy in perplexity, Joy of the afflicted, Ark of the desolate, Refuge of the abandoned,. Shiled of the oppressed, Conqueror of the incredulous, Solace of the wretched, Medicine of the sick, Help of the faint, Strength of the weak, Protectress of those who fight, Haven of the shipwrecked, Calmer of tempests, Companion of the sorrowful, Retreat of those who groan, Terror of the treacherous, Standard-bearer of the Martyrs, Treasure of the Faithful, Light of Confessors, Pearl of Virgins, . Comfort of Widows, . Joy of all Saints, Queen of thy Servants, Holy Mary, who alone art unexampled, Pray for us, most Sorrowful Virgin, |
Christ, have mercy on us. Christ, graciously hear us. |
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Let us pray, --- O God, in whose Passion, according to the prophecy of Simeon, a sword of grief pierced through the most sweet soul of Thy glorious Blessed Virgin Mother Mary: grant that we, who celebrate the memory of her Seven Sorrows, may obtain the happy effect of Thy Passion, Who lives and reigns world without end, Amen. |
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The Seven Sorrows of Our Lady 1. The Prophecy of Simeon 2. The Flight into Egypt . 3. The Loss of Jesus in the Temple 4. Mary meets Jesus Carrying the Cross 5. The Crucifixion 6. Mary Receives the Dead Body of Her Son 7. The Burial of Her Son and Closing of the Tomb. |
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Consecration to Our Lady of Sorrows Most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, Mary, would that I could be in Heaven, there to contemplate the honors rendered to thee by the Most Holy Trinity and by the whole Heavenly Court! But since I am still a pilgrim in this vale of tears, receive from me, thy unworthy servant and a poor sinner, the most sincere homage and the most perfect act of vassalage a human creature can offer thee. In thy Immaculate Heart, pierced with so many swords of sorrow, I place today my poor soul forever; receive me as a partaker in thy dolors, and never suffer that I should depart from that Cross on which thy only begotten Son expired for me. With thee, O Mary, I will endure all the sufferings, contradictions, infirmities, with which it will please thy Divine Son to visit me in this life. All of them I offer to thee, in memory of the Dolors which thou didst suffer during thy life, that every thought of my mind, every beating of my heart may henceforward be an act of compassion to thy Sorrows, and of complacency for the glory thou now enjoyest in Heaven. Since then, O Dear Mother, I now compassionate thy Dolors, and rejoice in seeing thee glorified, do thou also have compassion on me, and reconcile me to thy Son Jesus, that I may become thy true and loyal son (daughter); come on my last day and assist me in my last agony, even as thou wert present at the Agony of thy Divine Son Jesus, that from this painful exile I may go to Heaven, there to be made partaker of thy glory. Amen. |
Litany of Sorrows
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Prayer To Our Lady of Sorrows, by St. Bridget
O Blessed Virgin Mary, Immaculate Mother of God, who didst endure a martyrdom of love and grief beholding the sufferings and sorrows of Jesus! Thou didst cooperate in the benefit of my redemption by thine innumerable afflictions and by offering to the Eternal Father His only begotten Son as a holocaust and victim of propitiation for my sins. I thank thee for the unspeakable love which led thee to deprive thyself of the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus, true God and true Man, to save me, a sinner. Oh, make use of the unfailing intercession of thy sorrows with the Father and the Son, that I may steadfastly amend my life and never again crucify my loving Redeemer by new sins, and that, persevering till death in His grace. I may obtain eternal life through the merits of His Cross and Passion. Amen.
Mother of love, of sorrow and of mercy, pray for us.
Saint Alphonsus Liguori's Prayer To The Mother Of Sorrows
O, my Blessed Mother, it is not one sword only with which I have pierced thy heart, but I have done so with as many as are the sins which I have committed. O, Lady, it is not to thee, who art innocent, that sufferings are due, but to me, who am guilty of so many crimes. But since thou hast been pleased to suffer so much for me, by thy merits, obtain me great sorrow for my sins, and patience under the trials of this life, which will always be light in comparison with my demerits; for I have often deserved Hell.
Amen.
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