THE SEVEN SORROWS
OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
(Part 1 of 3)
In order to show us what the Martyrs suffered, they are represented with the instruments of their Martyrdom: St. Andrew with a cross; St. Paul with a sword. Mary is represented with her dead Son in her arms, for He alone was the cause of her Martyrdom; compassion for Him made her Queen of Martyrs.
St. Laurence
Justinian considers Jesus on the road to Calvary with His Cross on His
shoulders, turning to His Mother and saying: “Alas, My own dear Mother, whither
goest thou? What a scene thou art going to witness! Thou wilt be agonized by My
sufferings, and I by thine.” But the loving Mother would follow Him all the
same, though she knew that by being present at His death she should have to
endure tortures greater than any death. She saw that her Son carried the Cross
to be crucified on it, and she also took up the cross of her Dolours and
followed her Son to be crucified with Him.
Blessed
Amadeus writes that “Mary suffered much more in the Passion of her Son than she
would have done had she herself endured it; for she loved her Jesus much more
than she loved herself.” Hence St. Ildephonsus did not hesitate to assert that
“the sufferings of Mary exceeded those of all Martyrs united.” St. Anselm,
addressing the Blessed Virgin, says: “The most cruel torments inflicted on the
holy Martyrs were trifling or as nothing in comparison with thy Martyrdom, O
Mary.” The same Saint adds: “Indeed, O Lady, in each moment of thy life thy
sufferings were such, that thou couldst not have endured them, and wouldst have
expired under them, had not thy Son, the source of life, preserved thee.” St.
Bernardine of Sienna even says, that the sufferings of Mary were such, that had
they been divided among all creatures capable of suffering, they would have
caused their immediate death. Who, then, can ever doubt that the Martyrdom of
Mary was without its equal, and that it exceeded the sufferings of all the
Martyrs; since, as St. Antoninus says, “they suffered in the sacrifice of their
own lives; but the Blessed Virgin suffered by offering the life of her Son to God,
a life which she loved far more than her own.”
Prayer
By this
Martyrdom of thy beautiful soul, do thou obtain for me, O Mother of fair love,
the forgiveness of the offenses I have committed against my beloved Lord and
God, and of which I repent with my whole heart. Do thou defend me in
temptations, and assist me at the hour of my death, that, saving my soul
through the merits of Jesus and thy merits, I may, after this miserable exile,
go to Paradise to sing the praises of Jesus and thee for all eternity. Amen.
At the Cross her station keeping
At the cross her station keeping
stood the mournful Mother weeping,
close to Jesus to the last.
Through her heart, His sorrow sharing,
all His bitter anguish bearing
now at length the sword had passed.
Oh, how sad and sore distressed
was that Mother highly blessed,
of the sole-begotten One!
Christ above in torment hangs,
she beneath beholds the pangs
of her dying, glorious Son.
Is there one who would not weep,
'whelmed in miseries so deep,
Christ's dear Mother to behold?
Can the human heart refrain
from partaking in her pain,
in that Mother's pain untold?
Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,
she beheld her tender Child
All with scourges rent.
For the sins of His own nation,
saw Him hang in desolation,
Till His spirit forth He sent.
O sweet Mother! fount of love!
Touch my spirit from above,
make my heart with thine accord.
Make me feel as thou hast felt;
make my soul to glow and melt
with the love of Christ, my Lord.
Holy Mother! pierce me through,
in my heart each wound renew
of my Savior crucified.
Let me share with thee His pain,
who for all our sins was slain,
who for me in torments died.
Let me mingle tears with thee,
mourning Him who mourned for me,
all the days that I may live.
By the Cross with thee to stay,
there with thee to weep and pray,
is all I ask of thee to give.
Virgin of all virgins blest!,
Listen to my fond request:
let me share thy grief divine;
Let me, to my latest breath,
in my body bear the death
of that dying Son of thine.
Wounded with His every wound,
steep my soul till it hath swooned,
in His very Blood away;
Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,
lest in flames I burn and die,
in His awful Judgment Day.
Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence,
by Thy Mother my defense,
by Thy Cross my victory;
While my body here decays,
may my soul Thy goodness praise,
safe in paradise with Thee. Amen.
Stabat Mater
Stabat Mater dolorósa
iuxta crucem lacrimósa,
dum pendébat Fílius.
Cuius ánimam geméntem,
contristátam et doléntem
pertransívit gládius.
O quam tristis et afflícta
fuit illa benedícta,
mater Unigéniti!
Quæ mærébat et dolébat,
pia Mater, dum vidébat
Nati poenas íncliti.
Quis est homo qui non fleret,
Matrem Christi si vidéret
tanto supplício?
Quis non posset contristári,
piam Matrem contemplári
doléntem cum Fílio?
Pro peccátis suæ gentis
vidit lesum in torméntis,
et flagéllis súbditum.
Vidit suum dulcem Natum
moriéndo desolátum,
dum emísit spíritum.
Eia, Mater, fons amóris
me sentíre vim dolóris fac,
ut tecum lúgeam.
Fac ut árdeat cor meum
in amándo Christum Deum,
ut sibi compláceam.
Sancta Mater, istud agas,
Crucifíxi fige plagas
cordi meo válide.
Tui Nati vulneráti,
tam dignáti pro me pati,
poenas mecum divide.
Fac me tecum pie flere,
Crucifíxo condolére,
donec ego víxero.
Iuxta crucem tecum stare,
ac me tibi sociáre
in planctu desídero.
Virgo vírginum præclára,
mihi iam non sis amára,
fac me tecum plángere.
Fac ut portem Christi mortem,
passiónis fac me sortem,
et plagas recólere.
Fac me plagis vulnerári,
cruce hac inebriári,
et cruóre Filii.
Flammis urar succénsus,
per te, Virgo, sim defénsus
in die iudícii.
Fac me cruce custodíri,
morte Christi præmuníri,
confovéri grátia.
Quando corpus moriétur,
fac ut ánimæ donétur
Paradísi glória.
No comments:
Post a Comment