Our Lady of Sorrows: The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Our Lady of Sorrows: The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary
A devotion that contemplates Mary’s suffering from the prophecy of Simeon to the burial of Christ
The devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows invites Catholics to contemplate the profound suffering of the Blessed Virgin Mary as she remained united to Jesus throughout His earthly life and especially during His Passion.
The Holy See explains that, just as Christ is contemplated as the Man of Sorrows, Mary is remembered as the Woman of Sorrows, united in a unique way to the suffering of her Son.
Over time, Christian devotion identified seven particular moments of sorrow in the life of Mary, giving rise to the traditional devotion known as the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Meaning of the Seven Sorrows
The Seven Sorrows are not simply seven sad events.
They are seven moments in which Mary’s faith, love, obedience, and union with Christ were tested in a profound way.
The traditional image of the seven swords piercing or surrounding the heart of Mary represents these seven sorrows.
Each sword symbolizes one of the sufferings that Mary endured in union with Jesus.
1. The Prophecy of Simeon
The first sorrow is the prophecy of Simeon in the Temple.
When Mary and Joseph presented the Child Jesus, Simeon foretold that Jesus would be a sign of contradiction and that a sword would pierce Mary’s own soul.
This prophecy reveals from the beginning that Mary’s motherhood would include not only joy but also deep suffering.
Her love for Jesus would lead her to share spiritually in His rejection and Passion.
2. The Flight into Egypt
The second sorrow is the flight into Egypt.
Mary and Joseph were forced to flee with the Child Jesus because His life was threatened.
The Holy Family became refugees, leaving their homeland in order to protect the life of the Savior.
For Mary, this meant fear, uncertainty, separation from home, and the burden of protecting the Child entrusted to her.
3. The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple
The third sorrow is the loss of Jesus in Jerusalem.
Mary and Joseph searched for Him for three days before finding Him in the Temple.
This experience reveals the anguish of a mother searching for her missing child.
It also points toward a deeper mystery: Jesus belongs first to the Father and must fulfill the mission entrusted to Him.
Mary does not always fully understand what is happening, yet she continues to trust in God.
4. Mary Meets Jesus on the Way to Calvary
The fourth sorrow is Mary’s encounter with Jesus as He carries the Cross.
The Gospels do not describe every detail of this encounter, but Christian devotion has long contemplated Mary seeing her Son wounded, rejected, humiliated, and condemned.
A mother who had once held Him as a child now sees Him carrying the instrument of His execution.
This sorrow reflects Mary’s complete union with the suffering of Christ.
5. The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus
The fifth sorrow is the Crucifixion and death of Jesus.
Mary stood at the foot of the Cross.
She did not abandon her Son.
There, she witnessed His suffering and death.
This moment stands at the center of the devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows.
Mary’s suffering is not separate from Christ’s sacrifice. She remains beside Him in faith, love, and obedience.
At the Cross, Jesus also entrusted Mary to the beloved disciple, and the disciple to Mary.
For Catholic tradition, this moment has profound significance for Mary’s spiritual motherhood toward the disciples of Christ.
6. Jesus Is Taken Down from the Cross
The sixth sorrow is the moment when the body of Jesus is taken down from the Cross.
Christian art has often represented this mystery in the image of the Pietà—Mary holding the body of her dead Son.
The Child she once carried in Bethlehem is now placed again in her arms after the Crucifixion.
This image expresses the immense depth of Mary’s grief while also revealing her continued surrender to the will of God.
7. The Burial of Jesus
The seventh sorrow is the burial of Jesus.
Mary witnesses the body of her Son being placed in the tomb.
From a human perspective, everything seems to have ended.
Yet Mary’s faith remains.
The silence of the tomb prepares for the mystery of the Resurrection.
The final sorrow therefore leads toward Christian hope.
Suffering and death will not have the final word.
The Seven Swords
The traditional representation of Our Lady of Sorrows often shows Mary with seven swords piercing her heart.
These swords symbolize the seven sorrows:
- The Prophecy of Simeon
- The Flight into Egypt
- The Loss of Jesus in the Temple
- Mary Meets Jesus on the Way to Calvary
- The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus
- Jesus Is Taken Down from the Cross
- The Burial of Jesus
The image of the sword comes especially from Simeon’s prophecy that a sword would pierce Mary’s soul.
Over time, the single sword became seven swords in devotional art to represent the fullness of Mary’s sorrows.
The Via Matris
The Holy See also recognizes the devotional tradition known as the Via Matris Dolorosae, or the Way of the Sorrowful Mother.
Like the Via Crucis, the Via Matris invites the faithful to meditate step by step on the mysteries of suffering.
In this devotion, however, the focus is specifically on the suffering of Mary as she accompanies the mission and Passion of her Son.
The Holy See explains that this devotion developed especially between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries and was approved by the Apostolic See.
It remains an important expression of Marian spirituality.
Mary at the Foot of the Cross
The deepest meaning of this devotion is found at Calvary.
Mary does not replace Christ.
She does not compete with His sacrifice.
She stands beside Him.
Her suffering comes from her love for Him.
By remaining faithful at the Cross, Mary becomes an example of discipleship.
She shows what it means to remain with Christ even when everything appears lost.
Her sorrow is therefore not a sign of despair.
It is a sorrow filled with faith.
A Mother Who Understands Human Suffering
The devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows has always spoken powerfully to Christians who suffer.
Mary experienced fear.
She experienced uncertainty.
She experienced separation.
She experienced helplessness.
She experienced the death of her Son.
Because of this, many Catholics turn to Our Lady of Sorrows when facing grief, illness, family suffering, persecution, loss, or moments when God seems silent.
Mary does not offer an easy explanation for suffering.
She offers something else:
Faithful presence.
She remained with Christ.
And she teaches Christians to remain with Him as well.
The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows
The Church celebrates the liturgical memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows on September 15.
This celebration follows immediately after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14.
The placement is deeply meaningful.
First, the Church contemplates the Cross of Christ.
Then she contemplates Mary standing beside that Cross.
The mystery of Christ’s suffering and Mary’s sorrow are therefore liturgically connected.
Sorrow That Leads to Hope
The devotion to the Seven Sorrows does not end in sadness.
Christian sorrow is always viewed in the light of the Resurrection.
Mary’s suffering was real.
The Cross was real.
The tomb was real.
But death did not have the final word.
The same Mother who stood at Calvary belonged to the community of disciples that awaited the fulfillment of Christ’s promises.
The Seven Sorrows therefore teach us to unite suffering with faith.
Mary shows us that even when we do not understand God’s plan, we can remain faithful.
Our Lady of Sorrows and the Christian Life
The devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows teaches Catholics several important lessons:
To remain faithful in suffering
To trust God when His plan is difficult to understand
To stay close to Christ in His Passion
To accompany those who suffer
To unite sorrow with prayer
And to live with hope in the Resurrection
Mary’s sorrow never separated her from God.
It drew her deeper into the mystery of Christ.
A Mother at the Cross
Our Lady of Sorrows reminds us that the Christian life is not free from suffering.
But suffering does not have to destroy faith.
Mary stood beneath the Cross.
She remained.
She believed.
She loved.
And she waited.
For this reason, the image of the seven swords in the heart of Mary remains one of the most powerful symbols of Catholic devotion.
It speaks of sorrow.
But it also speaks of courage, fidelity, love, and hope.
Source & Attribution
This article is an English-language adaptation prepared by San Benedetto Collections, based on official teachings and devotional guidance published by the Holy See (Vatican.va) concerning Our Lady of Sorrows, the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Via Matris Dolorosae.
Historical, liturgical, and devotional information presented in this article is credited to the Holy See.
This adaptation is provided for educational and devotional purposes, helping make the meaning of the Seven Sorrows of Mary accessible to our English-speaking Catholic community.
Official Vatican sources:
The Holy See — Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy
https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20020513_vers-direttorio_en.html
Pope Francis — Reflection on Our Lady of Sorrows
https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/cotidie/2020/documents/papa-francesco-cotidie_20200403_l-addolorata-discepola-emadre.html
Pope Pius XII — Ingruentium Malorum, September 15, 1951
https://www.vatican.va/content/pius-xii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xii_enc_15091951_ingruentium-malorum.html
Saint John Paul II — Homily on Mary at the Cross
https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/homilies/1998/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_19981113_argentina.html
English adaptation and presentation: San Benedetto Collectiond
https://youtu.be/q2X58THmTfg?si=aAv_UKdQgbKQKagm