Day 11 -- Our Lady of Sorrows

Today we celebrate a Marian feast: Our Lady of Sorrows. The feast is based on the seven sorrows in the life of Mary (see below). The feast of the Our Lady of Sorrows was originated by a provincial synod of Cologne in 1413. Over the centuries several devotions and orders, arose around meditation on Mary's Sorrows. Mother of Sorrows (Mater Dolorosa) is one of the three common artistic representations of a sorrowful Virgin Mary, the other two are the Stabat Mater (here stands the mother) which is the song sung at the Stations of the Cross and Pieta. The picture to the right depicts Mary and the seven sorrows.

• The Prophecy of Simeon over the Infant Jesus (Luke 2:34)
• The Flight into Egypt of the Holy Family (Matthew 2:13)
• The Loss of the Child Jesus for Three Days (Luke 2:43)
• The Meeting of Jesus and Mary along the Way of the Cross (Luke 23:26)
• The Crucifixion, where Mary stands at the foot of the cross (John 19:25)
• The Descent from the Cross, where Mary receives the dead body of Jesus in her arms (Matthew 27:57)
• The Burial of Jesus (John 19:40)

Prayer for Our Lady of Sorrows

Our mother of sorrows,
with strength from above you stood by the cross,
sharing in the sufferings of Jesus,
and with tender care
you bore Him in your arms, mourning and weeping.

We praise you for your faith,
which accepted the life God planned for you.
We praise you for your hope,
which trusted that God would do great things in you.
We praise you for your love
in bearing with Jesus the sorrows of His passion.

Holy Mary, may we follow your example,
and stand by all your children
who need comfort and love.

Mother of God, stand by us in our trials
and care for us in our many needs.
Pray for us now and at the hour of our death.  Amen!

Mary, I pray that you be with me and my family and friends as we grow closer to your son, Jesus Christ!

Day 4 -- Nativity of Blessed Virgin 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 at the hour of our death. Amen!

Today we celebrate the birthday of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. What else could be said that we have not already read about or heard about Mary? Mary is special and unique from the day of her Immaculate Conception. She had to be as the Mother of God, the Mother of the world, the Mother of us all. She was predestined from all eternity. I wonder what Anne and Joachim thought!

I have always had a hard time "praying" to Mary, and only until recently I have come to realize that I am not praying "to" her (we only pray to God), but I can pray with her and through her asking her to help me on my journey. There are so many prayers to Mary: Haily Mary, Salve Regina, Remember..., The Angelus. But maybe the best prayer to Mary is the one we just let come naturally from the deepest part of our hearts. Here is mine today: "Dear Mary, help me to be like you in more ways in my life. Help me to be gentle with those who love me. Help me to be caring for the poor and less fortunate. Help me to have confidence, courage, and trust in myself and trust in others. Help me to say yes to your Son when he calls me. Let me shout my FIAT. Allow me to surrender--let it be done to me according to your word. Amen!" Thank you, Mary!

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Our Lady comes to us in many forms. Here are just a few of the many:
1. Our Lady of Tears
2. Our Lady of Lourdes
3. Our Lady of Fatima
4. Our Lady of Good Counsel
5. Our Lady of Guadalupe
6. Our Lady of Knock
7. Our Lady of Sorrows
8. Our Lady of Perpetual Help
9. Our Lady of the Snow
10. Our Lady, Cause of our Joy
11. Our Lady of Walsingham
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"And if we say yes, like Mary, by the very measure of our 'yes', that mysterious exchange also happens to and in us: we are assumed in the divinity of He who assumed our humanity." Pope Benedict XVI

"Hence, all creation sings with joy, exults, and participates in the joy of this day.... This is, in fact, the day on which the Creator of the world constructed His temple; today is the day on which by a stupendous project a creature becomes the preferred dwelling of the Creator." -Saint Andrew of Crete (660-740) Monk, Bishop of Gortyna, On the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Happy Birthday Mary!!