2012 September 14

On September 15, we honor Mary, the Mother of God, under her title of “Our Lady of Sorrows.”

The feast commemorates events in the life of Mary, as told in the Scriptures. There is a traditional devotion for Our Lady of Sorrows—a rosary consisting of seven decades, with each consisting of one Our Father and seven Hail Mary’s.

The seven sorrows of Our Lady are:

The Prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:34-25) or the Circumcision of Christ
The Flight Into Egypt (Matthew 2:13)
The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:43-45)
Mary Meets Jesus on the Way to Calvary (Luke 23:26)
Jesus Dies on the Cross (John 19:25)
Mary Receives the Body of Jesus in Her Arms (Matthew 27:57-59)
The Body of Jesus Is Placed in the Tomb (John 19-42)

This depiction of Mary and her seven sorrows is by Belgian artist Adriaen Isenbrant (ca. 1490-1551).

The Exaltation of the Cross

On September 14, the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Cross.

This picture, the Exaltation of the Cross, is taken from the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry (The Very Rich Hours of the Duke of Berry)—the most important illuminated manuscript of the 15^th century.

Dating back to around 1410 A.D., the richly decorated book contains prayers to be said at each of the canonical hours of the day. There are 416 pages in all, with 131 large miniatures as well as elaborately decorated borders and some 300 decorated capital letters. The book, which took nearly 100 years to complete, is now housed in the Musee Conde in Chantilly, France.

God our Father, in obedience to you your only Son accepted death on the Cross for the salvation of mankind. We acknowledge the mystery of the Cross on earth. May we receive the gift of redemption in heaven. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.