Litany of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows

The Litany of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows*
Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
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 Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.
Mother of the Crucified, pray for us.
Sorrowful Mother, pray for us.
Mournful Mother, pray for us.
Sighing Mother, pray for us.
Afflicted Mother, pray for us.
Desolate Mother, pray for us.
Mother most sad, pray for us.
Mother set around with anguish, pray for us.
Mother overwhelmed by grief, pray for us.
Mother transfixed by a sword, pray for us.
Mother crucified in thy heart, pray for us.
Mother bereaved of thy Son, pray for us.
Sighing Dove, pray for us.
Mother of Dolors, pray for us.
Fount of tears, pray for us.
Sea of bitterness, pray for us.
Field of tribulation, pray for us.
Mass of suffering, pray for us.
Mirror of patience, pray for us.
Rock of constancy, pray for us.
Remedy in perplexity, pray for us.
Joy of the afflicted, pray for us.
Ark of the desolate, pray for us.
Refuge of the abandoned, pray for us.
Shield of the oppressed, pray for us.
Conqueror of the incredulous, pray for us.
Solace of the wretched, pray for us.
Medicine of the sick, pray for us.
Help of the faint, pray for us.
Strength of the weak, pray for us.
Protectress of those who fight, pray for us.
Haven of the shipwrecked, pray for us.
Calmer of tempests, pray for us.
Companion of the sorrowful, pray for us.
Retreat of those who groan, pray for us.
Terror of the treacherous, pray for us.
Standard-bearer of the martyrs, pray for us.
Treasure of the faithful, pray for us.
Light of confessors, pray for us.
Pearl of virgins, pray for us.
Comfort of widows, pray for us.
Joy of all saints, pray for us.
Queen of thy servants, pray for us.
Holy Mary, who alone art unexampled, pray for us.
Pray for us, most Sorrowful Virgin, 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 Thy Passion, who lives and reigns world without end. Amen.

The Seven Sorrows or Seven Dolors 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 on the Road to Calvary
  5. The Crucifixion
  6. Mary Receives the Dead Body of Her Son
  7. The Burial of Her Son and the Closing of the Tomb

Those who wish to pray the Chaplet of The Seven Sorrows of Our Lady can find instructions on how to do so by clicking here on last year’s post for this memorial.

* This litany was composed by Servant of God Pope Pius VII.

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Art for this post on the litany of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows: Icon “Siedmiostrzelna” [Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows] is similar to another form of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, “a mitigating Bad Heart”. It shows Mary with hands folded in prayer gesture and attacks against seven swords in her heart. Thus refers to the words of Simeon to Mary on the day of bringing Jesus to the temple, “A sword will pierce your soul”. Number seven swords indicates the fullness of suffering that has come to the Mother of God on earth.Depending on the variant, swords icon are arranged three on the left and right, or (rarely) three symmetrically, with one driven in Mary’s heart from the bottom, by an unknown iconographer, date unknown, PD-US author’s life plus 70 years or less, Wikimedia Commons.

About Liz Estler

Liz holds a Master of Arts in Ministry Degree (St. John’s Seminary, Brighton, Massachusetts), Graduate Certificate in Spiritual Theology (Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation), Liturgy Certificate (Boston Archdiocese), and a BS degree in Biology and Spanish (Nebraska Wesleyan University – Lincoln). She has served as hospital chaplain associate, sacristan, translator and in other parish ministries. She was a regular columnist for a military newspaper in Europe and has been published in a professional journal. She once waded in the Trevi Fountain!

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