Seven Prayers to Our Lady of Sorrows
Opening Prayer
O God, come to my assistance;
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
Meditations
The Hail Mary is prayed seven times, once after each meditation.
First Sorrow: The Prophecy of Simeon
I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful,
in the affliction of your tender heart
at the prophecy of the holy and aged Simeon.
Dear Mother, by your heart so afflicted,
obtain for me the virtue of humility
and the gift of the holy fear of God.
Hail Mary…Second Sorrow: Flight into Egypt
I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful,
in the anguish of your most affectionate heart
during the flight into Egypt and your sojourn there.
Dear Mother, by your heart so troubled,
obtain for me the virtue of generosity,
especially toward the poor, and the gift of piety.
Hail Mary…Third Sorrow: The Loss of Jesus for Three Days
I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful,
in those anxieties which tried your troubled heart
at the loss of your dear Jesus.
Dear Mother, by your heart so full of anguish,
obtain for me the virtue of chastity
and the gift of knowledge.
Hail Mary…Fourth Sorrow: Carrying of the Cross
I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful,
in the consternation of your heart
at meeting Jesus as He carried His Cross.
Dear Mother, by your heart so troubled,
obtain for me the virtue of patience
and the gift of fortitude.
Hail Mary…Fifth Sorrow: Crucifixion of our Lord
I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful,
in the martyrdom which your generous heart endured
in standing near Jesus in His agony.
Dear Mother, by your afflicted heart
obtain for me the virtue of temperance
and the gift of counsel.
Hail Mary…Sixth Sorrow: Taking Down our Lord from the Cross
I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful,
in the wounding of your compassionate heart,
when the side of Jesus was struck by the lance
before His Body was removed from the Cross.
Dear Mother, by your heart thus transfixed,
obtain for me the virtue of fraternal charity
and the gift of understanding.
Hail Mary…Seventh Sorrow: Burial of Jesus
I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful,
for the pangs that wrenched your most loving heart
at the burial of Jesus.
Dear Mother, by your heart sunk in the bitterness of desolation,
obtain for me the virtue of diligence
and the gift of wisdom.
Hail Mary…
Closing Prayer
Let intercession be made for us, we beseech You, O Lord Jesus Christ,
now and at the hour of our death,
before the throne of Your mercy,
by the Blessed Virgin Mary, Your Mother,
whose most holy soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow
in the hour of Your bitter Passion.
Through You, O Jesus Christ, Savior of the world,
Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit
lives and reigns world without end. Amen.