(Picture: Statue of Our Lady of Sorrows in Saint Mungo’s Church, Glasgow)
Our annual Novena in honour of Our Lady of Sorrows begins today and continues until the Feast Day on 15 September. Click here for the times of services during the Novena. Novena Mass is offered each day at lunch time and in the evening with a sermon on the Sorrows of Mary and Novena Prayers (see below). The evening Mass is followed by an hour of Eucharistic Adoration, during which confessions are heard; the adoration concludes with Night Prayer (Compline). This year the sermons are being given by Father Augustine, Father Anthony and myself.
The Novena is always a busy time for us, but it is a time of special grace for the Passionist community here and for the people who take part in these nine days of prayer in honour of the Sorrows of Mary. During these days we remember the intentions of all who are making the Novena, those present and those united with us in prayer. Here are the prayers we offer during the Novena:
First Day of the Novena
Prayer in honour of the First Sorrow of Mary
Most sorrowful Virgin,
sorrow filled your heart when,
on offering your divine Son in the temple,
holy Simeon told you that a sword would pierce yur soul,
and you knew then that you would be asked to suffer with Jesus.
I wish to join with you in this sorrow,
and I ask you, O Queen of Martyrs, to obtain for me
the grace that I may always remember my death, which will help to keep me form all sin.
Hail Mary…
The two prayers which follow are recited each day of the Novena
Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother for a particular grace
O most holy and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs, who stood on Mount Calvary when your Son was in agony: by the sword of sorrow which pierced your heart, by the sufferings of your whole life on earth, by your unspeakable joy in Heaven; look down with maternal pity and tenderness as I kneel before you to sympathise with your sorrows, and to place my petition, with childlike confidence, in your wounded heart.
I beg of you, dear Mother, to plead for me with your divine Son, since he can refuse you nothing, and, through the merits of his most sacred Passion and Death, together with your own suffering at the foot of his Cross, so to move his Sacred Heart that I may obtain this request….
To whom shall I go in my need and misery, if not to you, O Mother most merciful, you who pity us poor exiles still sighing in this valley of tears? Offer to Jesus for us but one drop of his most precious blood, but one pang of his loving heart; remind him that you are our life, our sweetness and our hope, and your prayer on my behalf will be heard. Amen.
The Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of Virgins, my Mother. To you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your clemency, hear and answer me. Amen.
Second Day of the Novena
Prayer in honour of the Second Sorrow of Mary
Most holy and sorrowful Virgin,
sorrow filled your motherly heart when you saw your divine Son hated by Herod
and you had to flee with him to Egypt, to save him.
I wish to jon with you in this sorrow
and ask you, O Queen of Martyrs, to obtain for me
the grace to avoid all the temptations of my enemies
on the difficult road to heaven.
Hail Mary…
Here add the Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother for a particular grace and the Memorare (see above).
Third Day of the Novena
Prayer in honour of the Third Sorrow of Mary
Most sorrowful Virgin,
sorrow filled your heart when you were separated from your divine Son,
who remained lost for three days in Jerusalem
while you looked everywhere for him.
I wish to join with you in the sorrow you felt then,
and I ask you, O Queen of Martyrs,
to obtain for me the grace never to lose Jesus your Son,
but always to remain united to him by the help of his grace.
Hail Mary…
Here add the Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother for a particular grace and the Memorare (see above).
Fourth Day of the Novena
Prayer in honour of the Fourth Sorrow of Mary
Most sorrowful Mother, sorrow filled your motherly heart
when you followed your dear Son to Calvary, and saw him falling under the wieght of the Cross.
I wish to join with you in this sorrow,
and I ask you, O Queen of Martyrs, to obtain for me the grace
to bear with patience whatever cross it will please God to send me.
Hail Mary…
Here add the Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother for a particular grace and the Memorare (see above).
Fifth Day of the Novena
Prayer in honour of the Fifth Sorrow of Mary
Most sorroful Mother,
the greatest sorrow filled your heart
when you stood near the Cross of Jesus,
and watched him die in suffering for the sins of the world,
without being able to do anything to help him.
I wish to join with you in this sorrow,
and ask you, O Queen of Martyrs,
to obtain for me the grace to fight against all my temptations,
even though it costs me effort and suffering and death,
so that, strengthened by his love when I am dying,
I may obtain the grace of a happy death.
Hail Mary…
Here add the Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother for a particular grace and the Memorare (see above).
Sixth Day of the Novena
Prayer in honour of the Sixth Sorrow of Mary
Most Sorrowful Mother,
sorrow filled your heart
when the adorable body of your divine Son
was taken down from the Cross and laid in your arms.
I wish to join with you in this sorrow,
and ask you to obtain for me the grace to receive Jesus into my soul before I die,
so that I may be perfectly inited to him for ever in heaven.
Hail Mary…
Here add the Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother for a particular grace and the Memorare (see above).
Seventh Day of the Novena
Prayer in honour of the Seventh Sorrow of Mary
Most sorrowful Virgin,
sorrow again filled your heart when the sacred body of Jesus
was taken from your arms and placed in the grave.
I wish to join with you in this last sorrow of yours, and ask you to obtain for me,
through the sufferings of Jesus, which were the cause of all your sorrow,
a sincere sorrow for my sins, a burning love for God,
and a tender and practical devotion towards you.
Hail Mary…
Here add the Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother for a particular grace and the Memorare (see above).
Eighth Day of the Novena
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Today we pray the Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother for a particular grace and the Memorare (see above).
Ninth Day of the Novena
Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Sorrows
Today we pray the Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother for a particular grace and the Memorare (see above).
Laus Crucis 
I’ve given the Novena a plug here:
http://inhocsigno.blogspot.com/2006/09/place-to-be.html
Hope it is a great sucess for all the souls who partake.
Our Lady of Sorrows, Pray for us.
Thanks for the plug, Paulinus.
Dear Father, Laus Crucis is splendid! I invite you to visit my page sometime.
Vultus Christi: http://vultus.stblogs.org/
A prayer never known to fail:
Oh, Immaculate Mary, Virgin most Powerful, I beseech you, through that immense Power which you have received from the Eternal Father, obtain for me Purity of heart, – Strength to overcome all the enemies of my soul; -and the special favor I implore in my present necessity.
( Name It)
Mother most pure! Forsake me not, despise not my prayer, graciously hear me for God’s glory, your honor, and the welfare of my soul.
To obtain this favor I honor your Power by reciting:
Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among 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 death.
Amen.
Oh Virgin Mary, My Mother, through that ineffable Wisdom bestowed upon you by the Incarnate Word of God, I humbly beseech you, obtain for me Meekness and humility of heart; – a perfect knowledge of the divine Will and strength to accomplish it always.
Oh Mary, Seat of Wisdom; as a tender Mother lead me in the path of Christian Virtue and perfection; enlighten and enable me to do what is most pleasing to your beloved Son. and obtain my petition.
To obtain this grace I honor your Wisdom by reciting:
Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among 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 death.
Amen.
Oh, Mother of Mercy, Mother of penitent sinners, I stand before you sinful and sorrowful, beseeching you through the immense Love given to you by the Holy Spirit for us poor sinners, obtain for me true and perfect contrition for my sins, which I hate and detest with all my heart, because I love God.
Mother most Merciful, help me in my present necessity.
Turn, then those eyes of Mercy toward us, Oh Clement, Oh Loving oh Sweet Virgin Mary!
To obtain this precious gift, I honor Your Loving Mercy by reciting:
Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among 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 death.
Amen.
I promised to publish this novena on the ninth day.
~AB
Oh, most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven. Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity, Oh Star of the Sea, help me and show me here you are my Mother. Oh Holy Mary, Mother of God queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succor me in my necessity (make request). There are none that can withstand your power.
Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (say three times).
Holy Mary, I place this prayer in your hands (say three times). Amen.
Say this prayer for three consecutive days and then you must publish and it will be granted to you.
Oh, most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven. Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity, Oh Star of the Sea, help me and show me here you are my Mother. Oh Holy Mary, Mother of God queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succor me in my necessity (make request). There are none that can withstand your power.
Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (say three times).
Holy Mary, I place this prayer in your hands (say three times). Amen.
Saddened Mother of Sorrows, Virgin Mary, Our Lady that has arrived after tracing the steps of your only begotten son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Calvary Spirit to where the Holy Spirit hath invited you. Embrace oh Mother the sorrows that await thee and offer these to the Eternal Father so that my hardened heart can be softened. Grant me of your son the petiton (say request). Glory Be his.(7 Hail Marys.) Amen.
Thank you my merciful Lady of Mt. Carmel, thank you to Our Lady of Sorrows for hearing my fervent prayers,I await in joyful hope for your answer!
I thank you my Lord my God with all of our heart for your
Love and Mercy for us and our ever dearest mother of
Sorrow and mother of Mt. Carmel for the strength and
guidance you have bestowed upon me since I was a child
With my appreciation of your love I pray :
7 OUR FATHER &
7 HAIL MARY AND 7 GLORY BE
OFFERED FOR THE SOULS OF THE WORLD, FOR THOSE WHO
HAVE BEEN LOST AND DYING THEY MAY FIND GOD. AMEN.
Aloha and thank you Father Paul Francis for this post. I went for Kindergarten at Our Lady of Sorrows in the Philippines. Recent trials and tribulations are teaching me a lot. Please pray for me and my family. I’m forwarding this page to my parents and Ronald. God bless and take care and our best regards to Father Anthony too.
A friend saw this published and passed it on to me.
Oh, most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven. Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity, Oh Star of the Sea, help me and show me here you are my Mother. Oh Holy Mary, Mother of God queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succor me in my necessity (make request). There are none that can withstand your power.
Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (say three times).
Holy Mary, I place this prayer in your hands (say three times). Amen.
Say this prayer for three consecutive days and then you must publish and it will be granted to you.
In accordance with requirements I have published it. To my knowledge, at this moment, my petition has not been granted but I wait for my prayers to be ansewered with trust and faith.
I have had a devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows since Iwas taught The Rosary of Our Lady of Sorrows in the70’s by a Secular Franciscan. When I come to the sixth mystery or sorrow I have a special practice. I put my arms around a pillow. I say that since then you have constantly held out your son to world saying come to my son through me. I next ask her to hold me up to her son and ask him to heal me in soul,mind, and body as much as possible. I will be using the prayers and meditations here when I pray the Rosary of Our Lady of Sorrows
Please pray for me, to get out of my financial problem.
I needed God’s miraculous help for my desperate and seemingly impossible cases.
Thank you so very much.
prayers please during the novena, for the cunningham family, kilbeggan, friends, ireland, and cousins, god bless you all
patricia marie cunningham
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection implored your help or sought your intercession was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I come unto you, O Virgin of Virgins my mother to you I come, before you I kneel sinful and sorrowful, O Mother of the Word Incarnate despite not my petitions but in your mercy; hear and answer me Amen.
Holy Mary Mother of Christ Pray for us sinners. (7x) in honor of sorrowful Mother Mary.