Devotions to the Seven Sorrows
| SEVEN SORROWS |
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The feast of the Our Lady of sorrows was originated by a provincial synod of Cologne in 1413 as a response to the iconoclast Hussites and was on the Friday after the third Sunday after Easter. It had the title: "Commemoratio angst et doloris B. Marix V.". Before the 16th century the feast was only applicable to parts of Northern Europe. Earlier, in 1233, seven youths in Tuscany founded the Service Order (also known as the "Service Friars", or the "Order of the Servants of Mary") and five years later took up the sorrows of Mary, standing under the Cross, as the principal devotion of their order. Over the centuries several devotions, and even orders, sprung up around meditation on Mary's Sorrows in particular. The Servite, however, were responsible for two of the most common devotions to Our Lady's Sorrows, namely the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows and the Black Scapular of the Seven Dolours of Mary. This Black Scapular is a symbol of the Confraternity of Our Lady of Sorrows which is associated with the Servite Order.In the case of most devotional scapulars there are some prescriptions regarding ornamentation or design. In the case of the Black Scapular, there are no such prescriptions, aside from the requirement that it be of black woolen cloth. |
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In this prayer to the Mother of Sorrows, we recognize that we rarely experience joy without first enduring adversity. We ask Mary, who experienced great sorrow in her own life, to pray for us, so that, in the midst of our trials and tribulations, we may look forward to the joy that comes from remaining faithful witnesses to Christ. |
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