September — Monthly prayer to Our Lady of Sorrows

The month of September is traditionally dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, whose universal liturgical memorial is celebrated on 15 September, the day after the Exaltation of the Holy Cross — to show that Mary’s sorrow is indissolubly united to the Passion of her Son. The feast was extended to the universal Church by Benedict XIII in 1727 and fixed by St Pius X on 15 September (decree of 1913). The devotion of the Seven Sorrows of Mary, codified by the Servites in the 13th century and indulgenced by Pius VII in 1814, contemplates: (1) the prophecy of Simeon; (2) the flight into Egypt; (3) the loss of the Child in the Temple; (4) the meeting with Jesus on the way of Calvary; (5) the crucifixion and death of Jesus; (6) Jesus taken down from the Cross and given into Mary’s arms; (7) the burial of Jesus. The hymn Stabat Mater Dolorosa, by Jacopone da Todi († 1306), is the proper canticle of this devotion and is included as the optional sequence of the Mass of 15 September.

Holy Mary, Mother of Sorrows, who stood at the foot of the Cross of your Son on Calvary, bearing with invincible faith the sorrow of your seven swords: teach us to remain steadfast at the foot of the crosses that weigh upon our life and upon the life of our family; obtain for us the grace to unite our sufferings to the Eucharistic Sacrifice of your Son; and let us, in this month of September consecrated to you, repeat with you the Stabat Mater: Iuxta crucem tecum stare et me tibi sociare in planctu desidero — close to the Cross with you I long to stand, and to be joined to you in weeping.

Amen.

Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be.