Our Lady of Sorrows
September 15
Devotion to Mary’s sorrows developed from meditation on Simeon’s prophecy in Luke 2 and Mary’s presence at the Cross in John 19. By the Middle Ages, Christians reflected on the Seven Sorrows of Mary, including the flight into Egypt, the loss of the child Jesus, the Crucifixion, and the burial of her Son.
The Servite Order, founded in 13th-century Florence, helped spread devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows. The memorial, placed immediately after the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, teaches that Mary’s suffering is inseparable from her faithful love for Christ. She stands with all who grieve and shows how sorrow can be united to hope.
Prayer: Our Lady of Sorrows, stand with us in grief and help us unite our suffering to the Cross of Christ. Amen.
