The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary

History
Devotion to the Sorrowful Mother began on Calvary when Our Dying Lord gave us His Mother, saying to St. John "Behold Thy Mother".  By the middle ages devotion to Our Lady's Sorrows had become very popular and in 1233 Our Lady of Sorrows appeared to the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order, her eyes streaming with tears, she said "SPREAD EVERYWHERE THE MEMORY OF MY DOLORS AND THE PASSION OF MY JESUS".  To date devotion to Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows has been fostered by way of the Seven Sorrows Rosary and the novena to Our Sorrowful Mother, the Via Matris (Way of the Mother) which is similar to the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) or Via Dolorosa (Sorrowful Way).

September 15th is the Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin.

The Seven Sorrows

1.   The Prophecy of Simeon:  "And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother: Behold this Child is set for the fall and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted; And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed." (Luke 2:34-35)

2.   The Flight into Egypt:  "And after they (the wise men) were departed, behold an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: Arise and take the Child and His mother and flee into Egypt: and be there until I shall tell thee.  For it will come to pass the Herod will seek the Child to destroy Him.  Who arose and took the Child and His mother by night, and retired into Egypt:  and He was there until the death of Herod." (Matt. 2:13-14)

3.   Jesus is Lost in the temple:  "And having fulfilled the days, when they returned, the Child Jesus remained in Jerusalem; and His parents knew it not.  And thinking that He was in the company, they came a day's journey, and sought Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.  And not finding Him, they returned into Jerusalem, seeking Him." (Luke 2:43-45)

4.   Mary and Jesus Meet on the Way to Calvary:  "And there followed Him a great multitude of people, and of women, who bewailed and lamented Him." (Luke 23:27)

5.   Mary Sees Jesus Die on the Cross:  "They crucified Him.  Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, His Mother.  When Jesus therefore had seen His Mother and the disciple standing whom He loved, He saith to His Mother: Woman, behold thy son.  After that He saith to the disciple, Behold thy Mother." (John 19:18, 25-27)

6.   Mary Receives the Dead Body of Jesus in Her Arms:  "Joseph of Arimathea, a noble counsellor, came and went in boldly to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.  And Joseph buying fine linen, and taking Him down, wrapped Him up in the fine linen." (Mark 15:43-46)

7.   Mary Accompanies Jesus to the Tomb:  "Now there was in the place where He was crucified, a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein no man yet had been laid.  There, therefore, because of the parasceve of the Jews, they laid Jesus, because the sepulchre was nigh at hand." (John 19:41-42)