The Seven Sorrows of Our Lady

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).