The sermon of Saint John the Baptist
Pieter Bruegel the Elder.
1566
Posted on 09/18/2018 9:50:32 PM PDT by Salvation
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From: 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
[31] But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you still a more excel-
lent way.
Hymn to Charity
[8] Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they
will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. [9] For our knowledge is imper-
fect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect
will pass away. [11] When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child,
I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. [12] For
now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I
shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. [13] So faith, hope,
love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
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Commentary:
31. “Earnestly desire the higher gifts”: according to some Greek manuscripts
this can be translated “earnestly seek the greater gifts.” St Paul is encouraging
his Christians to put greater value on those gifts of the Holy Spirit which contri-
bute most to the goal of the Church than on those which are spectacular. He
probably has in mind the teaching he will develop (chap. 14) about the superio-
rity of graces and charisms to do with teaching and catechesis.
“A still more excellent way”: this undoubtedly refers to charity, which he goes on
to describe and praise (chap. 13). Therefore, what is called his “hymn to charity”
is not a digression, much less a later addition, but an outpouring of the Apostle’s
soul, which perfectly explains why charity is the greatest of all gifts, a sure route
to holiness and salvation, and the identifying mark of the Christian: “the first and
most necessary gift is charity, by which we love God above all things and our
neighbor because of him. [...] This is because love, as the bond of perfection and
fullness of the law (cf. Col 3:14, Rom. 13:10), governs, gives meaning to, and per-
fects all the means of sanctification. Hence the true disciple of Christ is marked
by love both of God and of his neighbor” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 42).
1-13. This wonderful hymn to charity is one of the most beautiful pages in Pau-
line writing. The literary style of the chapter is designed to present charity in all
its splendor. St Paul sings the praises of love as seen from three points of view
— the superiority and absolute need of this gift (vv. 1-3); its features and practical
expression (vv. 4-7); and the fact it endures for ever (vv. 8-13).
Love, the charity of which St Paul is speaking, has nothing to do with selfish de-
sire for physical passionate possession; nor is it restricted to mere philanthropy,
whose motivation is purely humanitarian: charity is a love which is to be found in
the new order of things established by Christ; its origin, context and purpose are
radically new; it is born of the love of God for men, a love so intense that he sacri-
ficed his only-begotten Son (In 3:16). The Christian is enabled to respond to this
love of God by this gift of the Holy Spirit, charity (cf. Gal 5:22; Rom 15:30), and
by virtue of this divine love he discovers God in his neighbor: he recognizes that
all are children of the one Father and brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ: “Our
love is not to be confused with sentimentality or mere good fellowship, nor with
that somewhat questionable zeal to help others in order to convince ourselves of
our superiority. Rather, it means living in peace with our neighbor, venerating the
image of God that is found in each and every person and doing all we can to get
them in their turn to contemplate that image and learn to turn to Christ” (St. J.
Escriva, “Friends of God”, 230).
To make this clear St Paul mentions those gifts which appear to be most excep-
tional — the gift of tongues; knowledge; and heroic actions.
Firstly, the gift of tongues. St Thomas Aquinas comments that the Apostle “right-
ly compares words lacking in charity to the sound of lifeless instruments, to the
sound of a bell or cymbals, whose sound though clear is a dead sound. The
same occurs in the speech of someone who has no charity; no matter how bril-
liant it be, it comes across as something dead, because it is of no help as far
as meriting eternal life is concerned” (”Commentary on 1 Cor, ad loc.”). By way
of emphasis St Paul speaks of the tongues of angels as the highest degree of
the gift of tongues.
“I am nothing”: this conclusion could not be more emphatic. A little further on (1
Cor 15:10), St Paul will himself say that “by the grace of God I am what I am”, to
make us see that from God’s love for man (grace) derives man’s love for God and
for his neighbor for God’s sake (charity).
Knowledge and faith, which need not ever be separated, also acquire their full
meaning in the Christian who lives by love: “Each one according to his own gifts
and duties must steadfastly advance along the way of a living faith, which arou-
ses hope and works through love” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 41).
Strictly speaking, martyrdom is the supreme act of love. St Paul is referring here
as in the previous points to hypothetical cases or merely external gestures,
which seem to be token detachment and generosity, but are in fact mere appea-
rances: “If someone does not have charity”, St Augustine says, “even though he
may have these gifts at the moment, they will be taken away from him. What he
has will be taken away because he is missing the main thing, that whereby he
will have everything and which will keep him safe [...]. He has the power to pos-
sess, but he has no charity in what he does; and because he lacks charity, what
he has in his possession will be taken from him” (”Enarrationes in Psalmos”,
146, 10).
4-7. In his listing of the qualities of charity, St Paul, under the inspiration of the
Holy Spirit, begins with two general features — patience and kindness—which the
Bible attributes to God. Both of these lead on to thirteen particular ways in which
love expresses itself.
Patience is a quality often praised in the Bible: in the Psalms God is said to be
slow to anger (Ps 145:8); patience means great serenity in the face of injury;
kindness has to do with being inclined to do good to others. St Thomas Aquinas
explains this by starting with the etymology of the word: “Kindness [”benignitas”,
benignity] is like good fuel [”bona igneitas”]: just as fire causes solid substances
to become liquid and start to melt, charity sees to it that a person does not keep
his things for himself but distributes them to others” (”Commentary on 1 Cor, ad
loc.”). Since to charity are attributed qualities which in the first instance apply to
God, we can see the excellence of this virtue: “Charity towards our neighbor is
an expression of our love of God. Accordingly, when we strive to grow in this
virtue, we cannot fix any limits to our growth. The only possible measure for the
love of God is to love without measure: on the one hand, because we will never
be able to thank him enough for what he has done for us; and on the other, be-
cause this is exactly what God’s own love for us, his creatures, is like: it over-
flows without calculation or limit” (St. J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 232).
“Love is patient”, St Gregory the Great comments, “because it bears serenely
the injury it suffers. It is kind, because it repays evil with good. It is not jealous,
because it covets nothing in this world: it does not know what it is to envy world-
ly prosperity. It is not boastful, because it yearns only for spiritual reward and it
is not carried away by external things. It is not arrogant, because it thrives only
on the love of God and neighbor and avoids whatever would take it from the path
of righteousness. It is not covetous, because although it ardently pursues its
own spiritual goals, it does not desire the goods of others. It does not insist on
its own way, because it scorns as alien those things it temporarily possesses
here below: it seeks to hold on only to what is enduring. It is not irritable, and
even though injuries seek to provoke it, it does not let itself have any desire for
vengeance, for no matter how difficult a time it may have in this life, it hopes for
greater rewards in the next. It is not resentful, because it has invested its thought
in the love of purity, and having rooted out all hatred it is incapable of harboring in
its heart any type of aversion. It does not rejoice at wrong, because it feels affec-
tion for others and does not rejoice at seeing the ruin of its enemies. It rejoices
in the right, because by loving others as it loves itself, it is as pleased to see
goodness in them as if it were indeed something to its own personal advantage”
(”Moralia”, X, 7-8, 10).
7. The repetition of the word “all” reinforces the absolute, essential, value of cha-
rity. This is not hyperbole, much less a depiction of utopia: it is recognition of the
fact, as the Word of God confirms, that love lies at the very source of all Christian
virtue. “Since we are all children of God,” the founder of Opus Dei reminds us,
“our fraternity is not a cliché or an empty dream; it beckons as a goal which,
though difficult, is really ours to achieve.
“As Christians we must show that affection of this kind is in fact possible, what-
ever cynics, skeptics, those disappointed in love or those with a cowardly out-
look on life might say. It may be quite difficult to be truly affectionate, for man
was created free and he can rebel against God in a useless and bitter way. But
it is possible and people can attain it, because it flows as a necessary conse-
quence of God’s love for us and our love for God. If you and I want it, Jesus also
wants it. Then we will obtain a full and fruitful understanding of the meaning of
suffering, sacrifice and unselfish dedication in ordinary life” (”Friends of God”,
233).
8-13. Love is enduring; it will never disappear. In this sense it is greater than all
God’s other gifts to man; each of those gifts is designed to help man reach per-
ection and eternal beatitude; charity, on the other hand, is beatitude, blessed-
ness, itself. A thing is imperfect, St Thomas comments, for one of two reasons —
either because it contains certain defects, or because it will later be superseded.
In this second sense knowledge of God and prophecy are overtaken by seeing
God face to face. “Charity, on the other hand, which is love of God, does not
disappear but, rather, increases; the more perfect one’s knowledge of God, the
more perfectly does one love him” (St Thomas Aquinas, “Commentary on 1 Cor,
ad loc.”).
St Paul is constantly reminding us to pursue the goal of charity, the bond of per-
fection (cf. Col. 3:14). Following his example the saints teach the same mes-
sage; St Teresa of Avila puts it in this way: “I only want you to be warned that, if
you would progress a long way on this road and ascend to the mansions that we
desire, it is not a matter of thinking much, but of loving much; do, then, whatever
most arouses you to love. Perhaps we do not know what it is to love; that would
not greatly surprise me; for love consists, not in what most pleases us, but in the
strength of our determination to desire to please God in everything and to endea-
vor to do everything we can not to offend him, and to pray him ever to advance
the honor and glory of his Son and the growth of the catholic Church” (”Interior
Castle”, IV, 1, 7).
11-12. “Then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood”: the
Old Testament usually avoids mentioning God by name; these words in effect
mean “Then I will know God as he knows me.” The knowledge which God has
of men is not merely speculative: it involves an intimate, personal union which
embraces a person’s mind and will and all his or her noble aspirations. Thus in
Sacred Scripture God is said to know someone when he shows a preferential
love for him (1 Cor 8:3), particularly when he chooses him out to be a Christian
(Gal 4:8).
Happiness in heaven consists in this direct knowledge of God. To explain this
better St Paul uses the simile of the mirror: in those times mirrors were made
of metal and produced a reflection which was blurred and dark; but it is still easy
for us to understand what St Paul means; as St Thomas explains, in heaven “we
shall see God face to face, because we shall see him directly, just as we see a
man face to face. And by seeing in this way we become very like God, becoming
sharers in his beatitude: for God has knowledge of his own substance in its very
essence and therein his happiness lies. Therefore does St John (1 Jn 3:2) write:
‘When he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is”’ (”Summa
Contra Gentiles”, III, 51).
In this connection the Church’s Magisterium teaches that “in the usual provi-
dence of God, the souls of all the saints who departed this world [...] see the di-
vine essence with an intuitive and even face-to-face vision, without the interposi-
tion of any creature in the function of object seen; rather, the divine essence im-
mediately manifests itself to them plainly, clearly, openly [...]. We also define
that those who see the divine essence in this way take great joy from it, and that
because of this vision and enjoyment the souls of those who have already died
are truly blessed and possess life and eternal rest” (Benedict XII, “Benedictus
Deus, Dz-Sch”, 1000f).
13. Faith, hope and charity are the most important virtues in the Christian life.
They are called “theological” virtues, “because they have God as their direct and
principal object” (”St Pius X Catechism”, 859), and it is he himself who infuses
them into the soul together with sanctifying grace (cf. ibid., 861).
When discussing the superiority of charity over faith and hope, St Thomas Aqui-
nas says that the greatest of these virtues is that which most directly unites one
to good: “Faith and hope attain God in so far as we derive from him the knowledge
of truth or the acquisition of good; whereas charity attains God himself that it may
rest in him, not that something else should come to us from him” (”Summa Theo-
logiae”, II-II, q. 23, a.6).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Luke 7:31-35
Jesus Reproaches His Contemporaries
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Commentary:
31-34. See the note on Matthew 11:16-19.
[The note on Matthew 11:16-19 states:
16-19. Making reference to a popular song or a child’s game of His time, Jesus
reproaches those who offer groundless excuses for not recognizing Him. From
the beginning of human history the Lord has striven to attract all men to Himself:
“What more was there to do for My vineyard, that I have not done in it?” (Isaiah
5:4), and often He has been rejected: “When I looked for it to yield grapes, why
did it yield wild grapes?” (Isaiah 5:4).
Our Lord also condemns calumny: some people do try to justify their own beha-
vior by seeing sin where there is only virtue. “When they find something which is
quite obviously good,” St. Gregory the Great says, “they pry into it to see if there
is not also some badness hidden in it” (”Moralia”, 6, 22). The Baptist’s fasting
they interpret as the work of the devil; whereas they accuse Jesus of being a
glutton. The evangelist has to report these calumnies and accusations spoken
against our Lord; otherwise, we would have no notion of the extent of the malice
of those who show such furious opposition to Him who went about doing good
(Acts 10:38). On other occasions Jesus warned His disciples that they would
be treated the same as He was (cf. John 15:20).
The works of Jesus and John the Baptist, each in their own way, lead to the ac-
complishment of God’s plan for man’s salvation: the fact that some people do not
recognize Him does not prevent God’s plan being carried into effect.]
35. The wisdom referred to here is divine Wisdom, especially Christ Himself (cf.
Wisdom 7:26; Proverbs 8:22). “Children of Wisdom” is a Hebrew way of saying
“wise men”; he is truly wise who comes to know God and love Him and be
saved by Him—in other words, a saint.
Divine wisdom is revealed in the creation and government of the universe, and,
particularly, in the salvation of mankind. Wise men “justifying” wisdom seems
to mean the wise, the saints, bear witness to Christ by living holy lives: “Let your
light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to
your Father who is in Heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
Liturgical Colour: Green.
| First reading |
|---|
| 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13 © |
| The supremacy of charity |
|---|
| Responsorial Psalm |
|---|
| Psalm 32(33):2-5,12,22 © |
| Gospel Acclamation | cf.1Th2:13 |
|---|
| Or: | cf.Jn6:63,68 |
|---|
| Gospel | Luke 7:31-35 © |
|---|
| 'We played the pipes, and you wouldn't dance' |
|---|
| Luke | |||
| English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
| Luke 7 |
|||
| 31. | And the Lord said: Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like? | Ait autem Dominus : Cui ergo similes dicam homines generationis hujus ? et cui similes sunt ? | τινι ουν ομοιωσω τους ανθρωπους της γενεας ταυτης και τινι εισιν ομοιοι |
| 32. | They are like to children sitting in the marketplace, and speaking one to another, and saying: We have piped to you, and you have not danced: we have mourned, and you have not wept. | Similes sunt pueris sedentibus in foro, et loquentibus ad invicem, et dicentibus : Cantavimus vobis tibiis, et non saltastis : lamentavimus, et non plorastis. | ομοιοι εισιν παιδιοις τοις εν αγορα καθημενοις και προσφωνουσιν αλληλοις και λεγουσιν ηυλησαμεν υμιν και ουκ ωρχησασθε εθρηνησαμεν υμιν και ουκ εκλαυσατε |
| 33. | For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and you say: He hath a devil. | Venit enim Joannes Baptista, neque manducans panem, neque bibens vinum, et dicitis : Dæmonium habet. | εληλυθεν γαρ ιωαννης ο βαπτιστης μητε αρτον εσθιων μητε οινον πινων και λεγετε δαιμονιον εχει |
| 34. | The Son of man is come eating and drinking: and you say: Behold a man that is a glutton and a drinker of wine, a friend of publicans and sinners. | Venit Filius hominis manducans, et bibens, et dicitis : Ecce homo devorator, et bibens vinum, amicus publicanorum et peccatorum. | εληλυθεν ο υιος του ανθρωπου εσθιων και πινων και λεγετε ιδου ανθρωπος φαγος και οινοποτης φιλος τελωνων και αμαρτωλων |
| 35. | And wisdom is justified by all her children. | Et justificata est sapientia ab omnibus filiis suis. | και εδικαιωθη η σοφια απο των τεκνων αυτης παντων |
What’s the story behind the couple with the child in the foreground? There are two “Dutch” guys distracted from the Sermon and staring at them.
Pray for Pope Francis.
50 Boko Haram Islamic Radicals Killed; 1,000 Hostages, Women and Children, Rescued in Nigeria
Nigeria: In the Face of Ongoing Islamist Attacks, the Faith is Growing
US Promises to Help Nigeria Exterminate Boko Haram
Is This Bishop Right about the Rosary Conquering Boko Haram? [Catholic Caucus]
Why Boko Haram and ISIS Target Women
Report reveals scale of Boko Haram violence inflicted on Nigerian Catholics
Military evacuating girls, women rescued from Boko Haram
Echos of Lepanto Nigerian bishop says rosary will bring down Boko Harm
After vision of Christ, Nigerian bishop says rosary will bring down Boko Haram (Catholic Caucus)
Nigerian Bishop Says Christ Showed Him How to Beat Islamic Terror Group
We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.
Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.
Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.
Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.
Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.
Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.
O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.
Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests
This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.
The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.
The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.
Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.
St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.
1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)
5. Glory Be: 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.
6. Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.
Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.
End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Final step -- The Sign of the Cross
The Mysteries of the Rosary By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary. The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.
The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]
St. Michael the Archangel
~ PRAYER ~
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+
Sea of Sorrow
Oh! on what a sea of sorrow
Was the Virgin-Mother cast,
When her eyes with tears o'erflowing
Gazed upon her Son aghast,
From the bloodstained gibbet taken,
Dying in her arms at last.
In her bitter desolation,
His sweet mouth, His bosom too,
Then His riven side beloved,
Then each hand, both wounded through,
Then His feet, with blood encrimsoned,
Her maternal tears bedew.
She, a hundred times and over,
Strains Him closely to her breast
Heart to Heart, arms arms enfolding,
Are His wounds on her impressed:
Thus, in sorrow's very kisses,
Melts her anguished soul to rest.
Oh, dear Mother! we beseech thee,
By the tears thine eyes have shed,
By the cruel death of Jesus
And His wounds' right royal red,
Make our hearts o'erflow with sorrow
From thy heart's deep fountainhead.
To the Father, Son, and Spirit,
Now we bend on equal knee:
Glory, sempiternal glory,
To the Most High Trinity;
Yea! perpetual praise and honor
Now and through all ages be.
Novena Prayer To Our Sorrowful Mother
Most Blessed and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs, who didst stand generously beneath the cross, beholding the agony of thy dying Son; by the sword of sorrow which then pierced thy soul, by the sufferings of thy sorrowful life, by the unutterable joy which now more than repays thee for them; look down with a mother's pity and tenderness, as I kneel before thee to compassionate thy sorrows, and to lay my petition with childlike confidence in thy wounded heart. I beg of thee, O my Mother, to plead continually for me with thy Son, since He can refuse thee nothing, and through the merits of His most sacred Passion and Death, together with thy own sufferings at the foot of the cross, so to touch His Sacred Heart, that I may obtain my request,
For to whom shall I fly in my wants and miseries, if not to thee, O Mother of mercy, who, having so deeply drunk the chalice of thy Son, canst most pity us poor exiles, still doomed to sigh in this vale of tears? Offer to Jesus but one drop of His Precious Blood, but one pang of His adorable Heart; remind Him that thou art our life, our sweetness, and our hope, and thou wilt obtain what I ask, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hail Mary
Virgin Most Sorrowful, pray for us
(Seven times each)
Mary, most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, accept the sincere homage of my filial affection. Into thy Heart, pierced by so many swords, do thou welcome my poor soul. Receive it as the companion of thy sorrows at the foot of the Cross, on which Jesus died for the redemption of the world. With thee, O sorrowful Virgin, I will gladly suffer all the trials, contradictions, and infirmities which it shall please Our Lord to send me. I offer them all to thee in memory of thy sorrows, so that: every thought of my mind and every beat of my heart may be an act of compassion and of love for thee. And do thou, sweet Mother, have pity on me, reconcile me to thy Divine Son, Jesus; keep me in His grace and assist me in my last agony, so that I may be able to meet thee in Heaven and sing thy glories.
Most holy Virgin and Mother, whose soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the Passion of thy Divine Son, and who in His glorious Resurrection wast filled with never ending joy at His triumph, obtain for us who call upon thee, so to be partakers in the adversities of Holy Church and the Sorrows of the Sovereign Pontiff, as to be found worthy to rejoice with them in the consolations for which we pray, in the charity and peace of the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Litany of the Seven Sorrows
| Lord, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God, the Father of heaven, God the Son, Redeemer of the world, . God the Holy Ghost, Holy Mary, Mother of God, Holy Virgin of virgins, Mother of the Crucified, Sorrowful Mother, Mournful Mother, Sighing Mother, Afflicted Mother, Foresaken Mother, . Desolate Mother, Mother most sad, Mother set around with anguish, Mother overwhelmed by grief, Mother transfixed by a sword, Mother crucified in thy heart, Mother bereaved of thy Son, Sighing Dove, Mother of Dolors, 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,. Shiled 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 thy Servants, Holy Mary, who alone art unexampled, Pray for us, most Sorrowful Virgin, |
Christ, have mercy on us. Christ, graciously hear us. |
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| 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. |
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| The Seven Sorrows 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 5. The Crucifixion 6. Mary Receives the Dead Body of Her Son 7. The Burial of Her Son and Closing of the Tomb. |
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| Consecration to Our Lady of Sorrows Most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, Mary, would that I could be in Heaven, there to contemplate the honors rendered to thee by the Most Holy Trinity and by the whole Heavenly Court! But since I am still a pilgrim in this vale of tears, receive from me, thy unworthy servant and a poor sinner, the most sincere homage and the most perfect act of vassalage a human creature can offer thee. In thy Immaculate Heart, pierced with so many swords of sorrow, I place today my poor soul forever; receive me as a partaker in thy dolors, and never suffer that I should depart from that Cross on which thy only begotten Son expired for me. With thee, O Mary, I will endure all the sufferings, contradictions, infirmities, with which it will please thy Divine Son to visit me in this life. All of them I offer to thee, in memory of the Dolors which thou didst suffer during thy life, that every thought of my mind, every beating of my heart may henceforward be an act of compassion to thy Sorrows, and of complacency for the glory thou now enjoyest in Heaven. Since then, O Dear Mother, I now compassionate thy Dolors, and rejoice in seeing thee glorified, do thou also have compassion on me, and reconcile me to thy Son Jesus, that I may become thy true and loyal son (daughter); come on my last day and assist me in my last agony, even as thou wert present at the Agony of thy Divine Son Jesus, that from this painful exile I may go to Heaven, there to be made partaker of thy glory. Amen. |
Litany of Sorrows
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Prayer To Our Lady of Sorrows, by St. Bridget
O Blessed Virgin Mary, Immaculate Mother of God, who didst endure a martyrdom of love and grief beholding the sufferings and sorrows of Jesus! Thou didst cooperate in the benefit of my redemption by thine innumerable afflictions and by offering to the Eternal Father His only begotten Son as a holocaust and victim of propitiation for my sins. I thank thee for the unspeakable love which led thee to deprive thyself of the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus, true God and true Man, to save me, a sinner. Oh, make use of the unfailing intercession of thy sorrows with the Father and the Son, that I may steadfastly amend my life and never again crucify my loving Redeemer by new sins, and that, persevering till death in His grace. I may obtain eternal life through the merits of His Cross and Passion. Amen.
Mother of love, of sorrow and of mercy, pray for us.
Saint Alphonsus Liguori's Prayer To The Mother Of Sorrows
O, my Blessed Mother, it is not one sword only with which I have pierced thy heart, but I have done so with as many as are the sins which I have committed. O, Lady, it is not to thee, who art innocent, that sufferings are due, but to me, who am guilty of so many crimes. But since thou hast been pleased to suffer so much for me, by thy merits, obtain me great sorrow for my sins, and patience under the trials of this life, which will always be light in comparison with my demerits; for I have often deserved Hell.
Amen.
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