The feast of our Lady of Sorrows

Pic Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

On September 15th, the Holy Catholic Church celebrates the feast of our Lady of Sorrows. The title “Lady of Sorrows” is given to our Blessed Mother Mary, which focuses on the intense sufferings and trials she had endured, especially from the moment of the Birth of our Lord Jesus. This feast honors the Seven Dolors (Sorrows) that Mother Mary that she endured which were: 

1. The Prophecy of Simeon 
2. The Flight to Egypt 
3. Search for the Child Jesus in Jerusalem 
4. Mother Mary Meets Jesus Carrying His Cross 
5. The Crucifixion of Jesus 
6. Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross 
7. Jesus is Laid in the Tomb 

What do we learn about our Blessed Mother during this feast? 

Our Blessed Mother’s sorrow exceeds anyone else’s because she is the Mother of Jesus, who was not only Her Son, but Her Lord and Savior; she truly suffered with Her Son. She teaches us how to respond to suffering; our Blessed Mother received the suffering with courage, love, and trust in the Lord. In these moments, she was still saying “Yes” to God’s will, just as how she said “Yes” during Annunciation. Even in the midst of suffering, she knew that God had a greater plan, she knew the suffering of our Lord Jesus is the plan of salvation of all souls; she held onto great hope, knowing God will give His goodness. We do see His goodness; our Lord Jesus has risen from the dead, defeating sin and death! 

Rosary of the Seven Sorrows of our Lady

The Church meditates on these Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Mother Mary through the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady. 

Our Blessed Mother revealed to St. Bridget of Sweden of seven promises that will be fulfilled in souls to those who pray and meditate on Her tears and sorrows daily wholeheartedly. These are: 

• I will grant peace to their families. 

• They will be enlightened about the divine Mysteries. 

• I will console them in their pains and will accompany them in their work. 

• 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. 

• I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy, and I will protect them at every instant of their lives. 

• I will visibly help them at the moment of their death; they will see the face of their Mother. 

• I have obtained this grace from my divine Son: that those who propagate this devotion to My tears and sorrows will be taken from this earthly life to eternal happiness, since all their sins will be forgiven, and My Son will be their eternal consolation and joy. 

I invite you to pray with your families this Rosary of the Seven Sorrows of our Lady daily! 

Here are the instructions on how to pray this rosary: 

Rosary of the Seven Sorrows of our Lady 

By Tina Makkanal

A CROWN FOR MOTHER MARY

Crowning of Mother Mary at Bethany Chapel
 in the Archdiocese of Boston. Photo credit: George Martell

The month of May is dedicated to Mother Mary. The Catholic church has a tradition of crowning Mother Mary in the month of May acknowledging her as the Queen of Heaven. Every year, catholic churches around the world have a celebration honoring Mother Mary by placing a crown on her statue. This year, since churches are closed to public, we cannot go to the crowning. But staying home, we can still celebrate the May crowning!

Do you have a statue or a picture of Mother Mary at home? We can make a paper crown and give the work of our hands to her and dedicate the month to her. Follow the steps given below to make a crown for Mother Mary.

Use any size of paper - 3in. x 3in. to make a small crown or 6in. x  6in. to make a bigger one. We used plain 8in. x 11in. construction paper in our example since it is easily available. You can use any colored or patterned paper. We also made 12 crown pieces to make a big crown to present to our Mother! You can make a smaller crown by reducing the number of crown pieces.

How to make a crown for Mother Mary

Supplies Needed

• 12 sheets of Origami paper or any plain or patterned paper cut to squares of equal length
• Scissors
• Adhesive Gems or other embellishments
• Glue

Steps

• Follow steps 1-7 in the pictures below to make a crown piece. We made 12 crown pieces for our crown. 

• Now that you have the crown pieces ready, follow these steps to assemble them.

• You are almost there! It's time to decorate the crown. 

Your crown is now ready. Dedicate it to Mother Mary by placing it on her statue or in front of her picture. Don't forget to say the "Hail Mary" prayer. Mother Mary will now wear this crown all month!

Mother's Day Flowers for Mama Mary

Want to learn how to make flowers for Mama Mary and your mom for Mothers's day? Check out this new Young Disciples Youtube video. In honor of Mother's Day this year, we will be dedicating these little flowers for our Mother in Heaven! The Rosary can be translated to "Garland of Roses," meaning that every Hail Mary we pray will help create this beautiful garland! This Mother's Day, along with the flowers we will be making, let us make our Blessed Mother a beautiful garland through our prayers!

For more such videos, subscribe to the Young Disciples Youtube channel!