|
Month of September: Dedicated to The Seven Sorrows of Mary
01 September 2020
“Most merciful mother, remind us always about the sorrows of your Son, Jesus”
September is the month devoted to the Seven Sorrows of Mary, mainly due to the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows on the 15th of September. The feast is preceded by another important feast, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on the 14th of September which commemorates the discovery of the True Cross by Saint Helena and the dedication of the Basilica that was built on the site of the Crucifixion. Together, these two feasts remind us to reflect on the intense spiritual sorrows and martyrdom of the Blessed Virgin Mary that began when she heard the prophecy of holy Simeon and reached a high point at the foot of the Cross, during the agony of Our Lord Jesus on the Cross. She suffered her spiritual martyrdom along-with her Beloved Son Jesus for the salvation of all mankind.
In a vision to Saint Bridget of Sweden, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared with the holy prophet Simeon and an angel bearing a long sword, red with blood. Our Lady revealed that she will grant those who daily honor her by saying seven Hail Marys while meditating on her tears and sorrows the following seven graces:
1. I will grant peace to their families
2. They will be enlightened about the divine mysteries
3. I will console them in their pains and I will accompany them in their work.
4. I will give them as much as they ask for as long as it does not oppose the adorable will of my Divine Son or the sanctification of their souls.
5. I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of their lives.
6. I will visibly help them at the moment of their death – they will see the face of their Mother.
7. I have obtained this grace from my Son that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and sorrows will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness, since all their sins will be forgiven and my Son will be their eternal consolation and joy.
Similarly according to St. Alphonsus Liguori, Our Lord revealed to Saint Elizabeth of Hungary that He will grant those who are devoted to the Seven Sorrows of His Blessed Mother the following graces :
1) Those who before death, invoked the divine Mother by her sorrows, will merit to obtain true repentance of all their sins.
2) That He will protect all who have this devotion in their tribulations, especially at the hour of their death.
3) That He will impress upon their minds the remembrance of His Passion, and that they will have their reward for it in Heaven.
4) That He will commit such devout servants to the hands of Mary, that she may dispose of them according to her pleasure, and obtain for them all the graces she desires.
Let us therefore spend this month in meditating on the Sorrows of our beloved Mother and obtain all the graces promised to us. Praying the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady is a good way to contemplate on her sorrows.
This month we also celebrate another important feast i.e. the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 8. In preparation for the feast, abstinence from meat, special prayers and penances are observed by the faithful beginning from today.
Mother dear, we place all our needs and petitions before you, drawing strength to endure our sufferings by meditating on your Sorrows and the Passion of your Beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus. We beseech you to obtain for us all the graces we need from your Beloved Son. Amen.