I belong to the Prayer Group at the Annunciation of the Lord Parish here is Ottawa. Our meetings are held almost every Monday Evening in the Parish Hall beginning at 7:30 PM. until 9:00Pm
To begin with we sing hymns of Praise and Worship for about half an hour. After that we usually spend time listening for the Word of the Lord and sharing, and thanking the Lord for his blessings and answered prayer. We usually pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and if time permits we often study the mass readings for the following Sunday. I really like this Prayer Group a lot and look forward to our weekly meetings.
Sometimes our Leader Joan will change things around a bit in order to make time for us to watch a video by Bishop Baron or Scott Hahn perhaps
Last evening we prayed the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows of Mary. Thank you Joan for printing up these meditations for us
Because it is the month of the rosary and because these meditations by Bishop McCaig are so beautiful, I thought I would share them with you
Maureen
Rosary of
the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady
Meditations
by the Bishop Scott McCaig, Companions of the Cross
Simeon
blessed them
and said
to Mary his mother,
“Behold,
this child is destined
for the
fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be
a sign that will be contradicted
and you
yourself a sword will pierce
so that
the thoughts of many hearts
may be
revealed.”
- Luke 2:34-35
Prayers
and meditations composed by Fr. Scott McCaig,
CC,
Moderator (General Superior) of the Companions of
the Cross.
A convert to the Catholic Church, he was
ordained
to the priesthood in 1995. In his priestly ministry
he has
served as pastor, hospital chaplain, and Director of
Seminarian
Formation for the Companions of the Cross.
Scripture
texts in this work are taken from the New
American
Bible with Revised New Testament and Revised Psalms © 1991,
1986, 1970
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine,
Washington,
D.C. and are used by permission of the
copyright
owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New
American Bible may be reproduced
in any form without
permission
in writing from the copyright owner.
This
booklet is published in celebration of the
Year for
Priests (“Anno Sacerdotale”) from June
2009 to
June 2010. Pope Benedict XVI
highlighted
the “necessary, indeed indispensable,
aspiration
to moral perfection that must dwell in
every
authentically priestly heart.”
We
encourage those who embrace this devotion
to pray
that all priests strive for “spiritual
perfection,
on which, above all, the effectiveness
of their
ministry depends” (Address to the
Congregation for the Clergy, 16 March
2009).
HISTORY
This
devotion to Our Sorrowful Mother
originated
in the thirteenth century. It recalls the
Sorrows
the Virgin Mother of God endured in
compassion
for the suffering and death of her
Divine
Son.
The Litany
of the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady
found at
the end of this booklet was composed by
Pope Pius
VII (1740-1823) while held in captivity
during the
Napoleonic Wars.
These
devotions are particularly appropriate for
the
spiritual children of Fr. Bob Bedard, CC,
Founder of
the Companions of the Cross.
We
cultivate a profound devotion to the Cross of
our Lord
Jesus Christ and to Our Lady, who at
Calvary
became the first companion of the Cross.
PROMISES
St.
Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373) reported that
Our Lady
promised to grant seven graces to those
who honor
her and draw near to her and her Son
every day
by meditating on her dolors (sorrows):
1. I will
grant peace to their families.
2. They
will be enlightened about the divine Mysteries.
3. I will
console them in their pains and will accompany
them in
their work.
4. I will
give them as much as they ask for as long as it
does not
oppose the adorable will of my divine Son
or the
sanctification of their souls.
5. I will
defend them in their spiritual battles with the
infernal
enemy and I will protect them at every
instant of
their lives.
6. I will
visibly help them at the moment of their death-
- they
will see the face of their mother.
7. I have
obtained this grace from my divine Son: that
those who
propagate this devotion to my tears and
sorrows
will be taken directly from this earthly life to
eternal
happiness, since all their sins will be forgiven
and my Son
will be their eternal consolation and joy.
How to pray
the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows
1. Pray
the Introductory Prayers (on the medal or Cross).
2.
Announce the First Sorrow; then pray the Our
Father.
3. Pray
seven Hail Mary’s while meditating on the Sorrow
4. At the
conclusion of each Sorrow, pray “Holy Mother
hear my
prayers, and renew in my heart each wound of
Jesus my
Savior.”
5. Repeat
steps 2 - 4 for all seven Sorrows.
6. Pray
three Hail Mary’s in honor of the tears of Our
Sorrowful
Mother (on the three final beads).
7. Pray
the Closing Prayers.
8. You may
also wish to pray the Litany of the Seven
Sorrows of
Our Lady.
INTRODUCTORY PRAYERS
In the
Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy
Spirit. Amen.
My God, I
offer you this rosary for your glory. I
want to
honor your Holy Mother, the Blessed
Virgin, by
meditating upon and sharing in her
suffering.
O my Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ, trusting in
your
infinite love I turn to you for forgiveness
and mercy.
I am truly sorry for the pains you
suffered
in your most bitter Passion because of
my sins.
For love of you, and before your holy
presence,
I utterly renounce and forsake all the
sins of my
whole life. I ask pardon of you with all
my heart.
I firmly resolve to amend my life and
would
rather die than offend you again.
O Blessed
Virgin Mary, you are our tender
Mother and
the refuge of sinners. I run to you
with
confidence and love. Hide me under your
mantle of
love and protection. As I meditate upon
the swords
of sorrow that pierced your
Immaculate
Heart, obtain for me the forgiveness
of my sins
and the grace to live a life of heroic
holiness.
O Blessed
Mother, I unite my heart to yours and
offer this
rosary for priests: for their growth in
holiness,
obedience to the Magisterium, boldness
in the
proclamation of the Gospel, and a
profound
love for the people of God. May all
priests
humbly lead the souls entrusted to their
care into
an intimate relationship with the Lord.
[I also
pray for the following particular
intentions…]
V. Come,
Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your
faithful
and enkindle in them the fire of your
love.
R. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created,
and you shall renew the face of the earth.
The First Sword of Sorrow
Simeon
announces
the
suffering destiny of Jesus
(Luke
2:34-35)
O Mother
of Sorrows, how deeply your heart was
pierced
with sorrow when Simeon announced
that
Jesus, your beloved Child, was to be a sign
that would
be rejected. Your heart knew that He
was to be
the suffering Messiah the prophets had
foretold,
the man of sorrows, who would carry all
our sins
and heal us by His wounds. Through this
bitter
sorrow obtain for us the grace never to
reject
Jesus or refuse Him anything. Help us to
completely
surrender our lives to Him and to live
according
to His most holy will in everything.
Our Father & seven Hail Mary’s
Holy Mother hear my prayers, and renew in my heart
each wound of Jesus my Savior.
The Second Sword of Sorrow
Mary
escapes into Egypt
with Jesus
and Joseph
(Matt
2:13-15)
O Mother
of Sorrows, what pain filled your heart
as you
fled your home and country knowing that
the tyrant
Herod was intent on murdering your
little
Child whom you loved above all else. The
hardships
of travel, the long journey, and life as a
refugee
was nothing compared to the torment of
such
demonic malice directed toward Jesus.
Through
this bitter sword of sorrow obtain for us
the grace never
to risk the life of Jesus in our
souls
through deliberate sin.
Our Father & seven Hail Mary’s
Holy Mother hear my prayers, and renew in my heart
each wound of Jesus my Savior.
The Third Sword of Sorrow
Mary seeks
Jesus lost in Jerusalem
(Luke
2:41-51)
O Mother
of Sorrows, what grief filled your heart
as you and
Joseph searched desperately for Jesus
when you
could not find Him among your
relatives
and friends returning home from
Jerusalem.
When your Son replied that He must
be about
His Father’s business, you accepted that
He had
begun the mission that would lead to His
sacrificial
death. The sorrow of those three days
of
separation prepared you for the three days of
suffering
you endured while His body lay lifeless
in the
tomb. Through this bitter sword of sorrow
obtain for
us the grace to accept the ways of
Divine
Providence even when we do not
understand
them.
Our Father & seven Hail Mary’s
Holy Mother hear my prayers, and renew in my heart
each wound of Jesus my Savior.
The Fourth Sword of Sorrow
Mary meets
Jesus as He carries
His Cross
to Calvary
(cf. Luke
23:26-31)
O Mother
of Sorrows, how it must have wounded
your
tender maternal heart to see your beloved
Son Jesus
carrying His Cross to Calvary, the place
of
execution! How it must have pained you to see
Him so
bloodied, beaten, and reviled as He
strained
to fulfill His deepest desire: to give His
life as a
ransom for us. Through this bitter sword
of sorrow
obtain for us the grace to deny
ourselves,
pick up our crosses, and follow Jesus
with
perseverance and love.
Our Father & seven Hail Mary’s
Holy Mother hear my prayers, and renew in my heart
each wound of Jesus my Savior.
The Fifth Sword of Sorrow
Mary
stands near the Cross
of her Son
Jesus
(John
19:25-27)
O Mother
of Sorrows, here the prophecy of
Simeon
comes to its ultimate fulfillment: the
sword of
sorrow impales your heart as you stand
beneath
the Cross of your Son. Crucified
spiritually
with your crucified Son, you offered
Him to the
Father and united yourself completely
to His
self-offering and sacrificial death. We
simply
cannot fathom the pain of your offering or
the depth
of love that inspired it. Through this
bitter
sword of sorrow obtain for us the grace to
unite all
our sufferings to our crucified Lord with
unselfish
generosity and love.
Our Father & seven Hail Mary’s
Holy Mother hear my prayers, and renew in my heart
each wound of Jesus my Saviour.
The Sixth Sword of Sorrow
Mary
receives into her arms
the body
of Jesus taken down from the
Cross
(cf. John
19:38)
O Mother
of Sorrows, your heart was drowned in
grief as
you embraced the lifeless corpse of your
Son. He
who was your very life was now dead.
Your light
in this life was extinguished. Yet you
accepted
this sorrow with love knowing that it
was all
part of the Father’s plan of salvation.
Through
this bitter sword of sorrow obtain for us
the grace
to accept with patience and love the
sorrows
that befall us in this vale of tears, firmly
believing
that God works all things to the good
for those who
love Him.
Our Father & seven Hail Mary’s
Holy Mother hear my prayers, and renew in my heart
each wound of Jesus my Savior.
The Seventh Sword of Sorrow
Mary helps
place the body of Jesus
in the
tomb
(cf. John
19:39-42)
O Mother
of Sorrows, who could express the
cruel
anguish of this moment? The same Child
that you
once wrapped in swaddling clothes
amidst
unspeakable joy, you now wrap silently in
His burial
shroud. Your tears mingle with the
blood and
dirt that covers His broken body. But
even in
this moment your trust in His promise did
not die.
Your mourning was not without hope,
for you
knew that He would rise again from this
grave just
as He promised. Through this bitter
sword of
sorrow obtain for us the grace to believe
with
unshakable hope in the victory of our Lord
even in
the darkest moments of life.
Our Father & seven Hail Mary’s
Holy Mother hear my prayers, and renew in my heart
each wound of Jesus my Savior.
Pray three
Hail Mary’s in honor of the tears of
Our
Sorrowful Mother.
Closing Prayers
O Mary,
you truly became the Queen of all
martyrs as
these seven bitter swords of sorrow
pierced
your Immaculate Heart! By the merits of
your
tearful distress obtain for us and for all
sinners
the graces of perfect contrition and
conversion.
Help us always, dear Mother, to
imitate
you by taking up our crosses and
following
Jesus with limitless love and generosity.
Amen.
Mary, who
was conceived without sin and who
suffered
for us, pray for us. (Say three times)
Litany of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows
by Pope
Pius VII
V. Lord, have mercy on us.
R. Christ, have mercy on us.
V. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.
R. Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the
Father of heaven, have mercy on us.
God the
Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy
on us.
God the
Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy
Virgin of virgins, pray for us.
Mother of
the Crucified, [etc.]
Sorrowful
Mother
Mournful
Mother
Sighing
Mother
Afflicted
Mother
Forsaken
Mother
Desolate
Mother
Mother
most sad
Mother set
around with anguish
Mother
overwhelmed by grief
Mother
transfixed by a sword
Mother
crucified in your heart
Mother
bereaved of your Son
Sighing
Dove
Mother of
Sorrows
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
Shield 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
your Servants
Holy Mary,
who alone are beyond compare
V. Pray for us, most Sorrowful Virgin,
R. That we may be made worthy of the
promises of Christ.
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 Your Passion, Who lives and
reigns world without end. Amen.
