Pray the Seven Sorrows Rosary with the App
As the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary suffered with her Divine Son throughout His life but, in particular, during His Passion. Through private revelation, the seven sorrows of Mary became known to the world so that we might unite ourselves with the sufferings of Christ through the sufferings His dear Mother.
By recalling the sufferings of Mary, we honor her and her Immaculate Heart, thereby honoring and entering into Jesus’ own Heart. The Seven Sorrows devotion calls upon Our Lady of Sorrows for her intercession in our journey to obtain eternal life. The rosary chaplet consists of a meditation on each of her seven sorrows, following by an Our Father and seven Hail Mary’s. Her seven sorrows are:
- The Prophecy of Simeon
- The Flight into Egypt
- The Loss of Jesus for Three Days
- The Carrying of the Cross
- The Crucifixion of Jesus
- The Body of Jesus being taken down from the Cross
- The Burial of Jesus
Our Lady of Sorrows is especially remembered during September, which is the month dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows with her feast day on September 15th. It is also a popular devotion to practice during Lent.
History of the Seven Sorrows Rosary
The Rosary of the Seven Sorrows dates back to the 14th century when the Blessed Virgin Mary revealed to St. Bridget of Sweden her seven sorrows. A faithful devotion to these sorrows would bring about a great deal of graces, Mary promised. The Seven Sorrows of Mary are based upon Scripture. Yet, the devotion was not formally approved by the Church until 1668 when Pope Pius VII gave the Servite Order permission to celebrate the Feast of the Seven Dolors.
It is the Servite Order, also known as the Servite Friars or the Order of the Servants of Mary, who spread the devotion of the Seven Sorrows of Mary. The devotion remained relatively small until Mary appeared again in the 20th Century. In an apparition to Marie-Claire Mukangango, Mary told Marie-Claire to spread the devotion of her Seven Sorrows throughout the world. This apparition has been approved by the Church as an authentic Marian apparition. Marie Claire was obedient to Mary and taught thousands of people the devotion until she was killed in the Rwandan genocide.
Benefits of the Devotion
The devotion of praying the Seven Sorrows Rosary chaplet unites us closely with Christ’s passion through our honoring of His Mother. However, Mary also promised that with a faithful devotion to the chaplet and the rosary, we would obtain forgiveness of our sins. We would also come to know ourselves better, gaining a deeper understanding of our sins so as to fight temptation and resist sin. Furthermore, Mary also promised seven graces to those who held the devotion to her Seven Sorrows:
- Peace in the family
- Enlightenment about the Divine mysteries
- Consolation in pains and accompaniment in every work of life
- Special requests granted as long as those requests do not oppose the will of her Divine Son or endanger the sanctification of the soul
- Defense in spiritual battles and protection at every moment of life
- Visible assistance at death, being granted the ability to see Mary’s face
- A special grace at the hour of death that will carry them directly from earth to eternal happiness.
Aside from the promises of Mary of the seven graces associated with this devotion, there are more ways that this devotion benefits us.
- In recalling Mary’s sorrows, we recognize the value of each and every soul, a value that whose worth was proven by the Perfect Sacrifice on Calvary.
- We pray for sinners, especially their conversion, along with the strength, courage, and knowledge to evangelize so as to work for the salvation of souls.
- We unite ourselves to God, Jesus and Mary.
Features of the Seven Sorrows Rosary App
This app features:
- Audio and text of the Seven Sorrows Rosary
- A full history of the devotion