Seven Sorrows Rosary

Also called the Rosary of the Seven Dolors, the 7 Sorrows chaplet, or the Sorrowful Mother rosary. For each sorrow, read it, then pray one Our Father and seven Hail Marys. After the seventh, pray three Hail Marys for Mary’s tears and the closing prayer. The prayers here are the traditional ones from the Raccolta (1910); every one has audio. Begin with the act of contrition.

My Lord, Thou who alone art most worthy of my love, behold me standing before thy Divine Presence utterly overwhelmed by the thought of the many grievous injuries I have done Thee. I ask thy pardon for them with my whole heart, repenting of them purely for love of Thee, and at the thought of thy great goodness hating and loathing them above every evil of this life. As I would rather have died a thousand times than have offended Thee, so now I am most firmly resolved to die a thousand deaths rather than offend Thee again. My crucified Jesus, I firmly purpose to cleanse my soul as soon as possible by thy most Precious Blood in the Sacrament of Penance.

Each sorrow is one Our Father and seven Hail Marys: forty-nine Hail Marys in all, then three more for Mary’s tears. Here they are, if you don’t know them by heart yet.

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. 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 at the hour of our death. Amen.

Simeon held the baby and told His mother the truth: a sword would pierce her soul. Mary carried that word for thirty years. Our Father, then seven Hail Marys.

Joseph and his mother were marveling at the things which were spoken concerning him, and Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary, his mother, “Behold, this child is set for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which is spoken against. Yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” Luke 2:33-35

With this confidence in my heart, I meditate on the First Sorrow, when Mary, Virgin Mother of my God, presented Jesus her only Son in the Temple, laid Him in the arms of holy and aged Simeon, and heard his prophetic word, “The sword of grief shall pierce thy soul,” foretelling thereby the Passion and Death of her Son Jesus. I compassionate thee, sorrowing Mary, in the affliction of thy tender heart at the prophecy of the holy old man Simeon. Dear Mother, by thy heart then so afflicted, obtain for me the virtue of humility and the gift of holy fear of God.

A warning in the night, a foreign country, a child to keep alive. Mary knew what it is to leave everything in a hurry. Our Father, then seven Hail Marys.

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.” Matthew 2:13

The Second Sorrow of the Blessed Virgin was when she was obliged to fly into Egypt by reason of the persecution of cruel Herod, who impiously sought to slay her well beloved Son. I compassionate thee, sorrowing Mary, in the anxiety which thy sensitive heart underwent in the flight and sojourn in Egypt. Dear Mother, by thy heart then made so anxious, obtain for me the virtue of liberality, especially towards the poor, and the gift of pity.

Three days of searching for a lost child. Any parent who has lost sight of a little one for a minute knows something of this sorrow. Our Father, then seven Hail Marys.

When they saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us this way? Behold, your father and I were anxiously looking for you.” Luke 2:48

The Third Sorrow of the Blessed Virgin was when, after having gone up to Jerusalem at the Paschal Feast with Joseph her spouse and Jesus her beloved Son, she lost Him on the way back to her poor house, and for three days bewailed the loss of her only Love. I compassionate thee, sorrowing Mary, in the trouble of thy anxious heart, when thou didst lose thy dear Son Jesus. Dear Mother, by thy heart then so troubled, obtain for me the virtue of holy chastity and the gift of knowledge.

She couldn’t stop it, and she couldn’t carry it for Him. She could only meet His eyes on the road. Our Father, then seven Hail Marys.

He went out, bearing his cross, to the place called “The Place of a Skull”, which is called in Hebrew, “Golgotha”, where they crucified him, and with him two others, on either side one, and Jesus in the middle. John 19:17-18

The Fourth Sorrow of the Blessed Virgin was when she met her dear Son Jesus carrying to Mount Calvary on his tender shoulders the heavy Cross whereon He was to be crucified for our salvation. I compassionate thee, sorrowing Mary, in the shock thy maternal heart underwent when Jesus met thee carrying his Cross. Dear Mother, by thy loving heart then so overwhelmed, obtain for me the virtue of patience and the gift of fortitude.

Mary stood. She didn’t run, and she didn’t look away. From the cross, Jesus gave her into the care of the disciple He loved. Our Father, then seven Hail Marys.

But there were standing by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. Therefore when Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour, the disciple took her to his own home. John 19:25-27

The Fifth Sorrow of the Blessed Virgin was when she saw her Son Jesus raised upon the hard tree of the Cross, and blood flowing from every part of his sacred Body, and then beheld Him die after three hours’ agony. I compassionate thee, sorrowing Mary, in the martyrdom thy generous heart bore so nobly whilst thou didst stand by Jesus in his agony. Dear Mother, by thy heart then so martyred, obtain for me the virtue of temperance and the gift of counsel.

The spear, the nails drawn out, His body lowered into her arms. This is the moment artists call the Pietà. Our Father, then seven Hail Marys.

However one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. John 19:34

After these things, Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked of Pilate that he might take away Jesus’ body. Pilate gave him permission. He came therefore and took away his body. John 19:38

The Sixth Sorrow of the Blessed Virgin was when she saw the lance pierce the sacred Side of Jesus, her beloved Son, the nails withdrawn, and his holy Body laid in her purest bosom. I compassionate thee, sorrowing Mary, in the wound of thy tender heart when the sacred Side of Jesus was pierced with the lance. Dear Mother, by thy heart then so transfixed, obtain for me the virtue of fraternal charity and the gift of understanding.

The stone is rolled shut. The seventh sorrow is the long silence of Holy Saturday, when Mary waited with nothing left but faith. Our Father, then seven Hail Marys.

Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden. In the garden was a new tomb in which no man had ever yet been laid. Then because of the Jews’ Preparation Day (for the tomb was near at hand) they laid Jesus there. John 19:41-42

The Seventh and last Sorrow of the Blessed Virgin, Queen and Advocate of us, her servants, miserable sinners, was when she saw the holy Body of her Son buried in the grave. I compassionate thee, sorrowing Mary, in the pang felt by thy loving heart when the Body of Jesus was buried in the grave. Dear Mother, by all the bitterness of desolation thou didst then experience, obtain for me the virtue of diligence and the gift of wisdom.

After the seventh sorrow, pray three Hail Marys in honor of the tears Mary shed, then this closing prayer from the Raccolta. (The Franciscan Crown, or 7 joys of Mary rosary, is the joyful counterpart of this chaplet.)

Pray for us, Virgin most sorrowful. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray. Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, that the most blessed Virgin Mary, thy Mother, may intercede for us before the throne of thy mercy, now and at the hour of our death, whose most holy soul was transfixed with the sword of sorrow in the hour of thine own Passion. Through Thee, Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world, who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.

The chaplet can be spread across the week, one sorrow a day. Let it be your first prayer when the alarm goes off.

Good morning, Lord. Before the day starts, I sit for a moment with Mary at one of her sorrows. She kept trusting You when her heart was pierced, when her Son was lost, when she stood at the cross. Whatever this day brings, teach me to stay near Jesus the way she did. Let my own sorrows lead me closer to You, not away. In Jesus’ name, amen.