Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows

Traditional

25 min

Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In nómine Patris, et Fílii, et Spíritus Sancti. Amen.

We begin with three Hail Marys in memory of the tears of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Hail Mary ×3

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.

Ave María, grátia plena, Dóminus tecum.

Benedícta tu in muliéribus,

et benedíctus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.

Sancta María, Mater Dei,

ora pro nobis peccatóribus,

nunc et in hora mortis nostræ.

Amen.

First Sorrow: The Prophecy of Simeon

We grieve for thee, O Mary, for this thy sorrow,

Have mercy on us and on the souls in Purgatory.

When the holy elder Simeon took the Child Jesus in his arms and announced that He would be a sign of contradiction and that a sword of sorrow would pierce Mary's heart, her joy as Mother was overshadowed by grief. She accepted this prophetic sorrow in union with her Son's redeeming mission.

Hail Mary ×7

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.

Ave María, grátia plena, Dóminus tecum.

Benedícta tu in muliéribus,

et benedíctus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.

Sancta María, Mater Dei,

ora pro nobis peccatóribus,

nunc et in hora mortis nostræ.

Amen.

Second Sorrow: The Flight into Egypt

We grieve for thee, O Mary, for this thy sorrow,

Have mercy on us and on the souls in Purgatory.

An angel warns Joseph to flee with Mary and the Child to Egypt to escape Herod's massacre. Mary, far from her homeland, is a refugee carrying God Himself. She trusted in Providence even in exile and uncertainty.

Hail Mary ×7

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.

Ave María, grátia plena, Dóminus tecum.

Benedícta tu in muliéribus,

et benedíctus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.

Sancta María, Mater Dei,

ora pro nobis peccatóribus,

nunc et in hora mortis nostræ.

Amen.

Third Sorrow: The Loss of Jesus in the Temple

We grieve for thee, O Mary, for this thy sorrow,

Have mercy on us and on the souls in Purgatory.

On returning from Jerusalem, Mary and Joseph discover that the twelve-year-old Jesus is not in their company. For three days they search in grief and anxiety, until they find Him in the Temple. This sorrow purified their faith and trust.

Hail Mary ×7

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.

Ave María, grátia plena, Dóminus tecum.

Benedícta tu in muliéribus,

et benedíctus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.

Sancta María, Mater Dei,

ora pro nobis peccatóribus,

nunc et in hora mortis nostræ.

Amen.

Fourth Sorrow: Mary Meets Jesus on the Way to Calvary

We grieve for thee, O Mary, for this thy sorrow,

Have mercy on us and on the souls in Purgatory.

Mary encounters her Son as He carries the Cross through the streets of Jerusalem. Their eyes meet, sharing a love deeper than words. She walks with Him on the way of sorrow, uniting her maternal suffering to His redemptive Passion.

Hail Mary ×7

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.

Ave María, grátia plena, Dóminus tecum.

Benedícta tu in muliéribus,

et benedíctus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.

Sancta María, Mater Dei,

ora pro nobis peccatóribus,

nunc et in hora mortis nostræ.

Amen.

Fifth Sorrow: The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus

We grieve for thee, O Mary, for this thy sorrow,

Have mercy on us and on the souls in Purgatory.

Mary stands at the foot of the Cross as her Son is crucified. She does not flee; she remains, offering her own soul in union with the sacrifice of Calvary. No human suffering has ever equaled the compassion of the Mother of God at the Cross.

Hail Mary ×7

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.

Ave María, grátia plena, Dóminus tecum.

Benedícta tu in muliéribus,

et benedíctus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.

Sancta María, Mater Dei,

ora pro nobis peccatóribus,

nunc et in hora mortis nostræ.

Amen.

Sixth Sorrow: Jesus Is Taken Down from the Cross

We grieve for thee, O Mary, for this thy sorrow,

Have mercy on us and on the souls in Purgatory.

When Jesus is taken down from the Cross, His lifeless body is placed in Mary's arms. This moment — the Pietà — is the consummation of all her sorrows. She holds in her arms the same body she bore in her womb, now broken for our salvation.

Hail Mary ×7

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.

Ave María, grátia plena, Dóminus tecum.

Benedícta tu in muliéribus,

et benedíctus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.

Sancta María, Mater Dei,

ora pro nobis peccatóribus,

nunc et in hora mortis nostræ.

Amen.

Seventh Sorrow: The Burial of Jesus

We grieve for thee, O Mary, for this thy sorrow,

Have mercy on us and on the souls in Purgatory.

Mary watches as the body of her Son is wrapped in a shroud and placed in the sealed tomb. She is left in the silence of Holy Saturday — stripped of everything, clinging only to faith and hope. Her perseverance in this darkness is a model for all who suffer.

Hail Mary ×7

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.

Ave María, grátia plena, Dóminus tecum.

Benedícta tu in muliéribus,

et benedíctus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.

Sancta María, Mater Dei,

ora pro nobis peccatóribus,

nunc et in hora mortis nostræ.

Amen.

Pray for us, Virgin most sorrowful.

Ora pro nobis, Virgo dolorosíssima.

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Ut digni efficiámur promissiónibus Christi.

Let us pray.

Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, that the most blessed Virgin Mary, Thy Mother, may intercede for us before the throne of Thy mercy, now and at the hour of our death, whose most holy soul was transfixed with the sword of sorrow in the hour of Thine own Passion. Through Thee, Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost for ever and ever. Amen.

Intervéniat pro nobis, quǽsumus, Dómine Jesu Christe, nunc et in hora mortis nostræ, apud tuam cleméntiam beáta Virgo María Mater tua, cujus sacratíssimam ánimam in hora tuæ Passiónis dolóris gládius pertransívit. Per te, Jesu Christe, Salvátor mundi, qui cum Patre et Spíritu Sancto vivis et regnas in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.