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“In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
Introductory Prayer
My God, I offer You this Rosary for Your Glory, that I may honor Your Holy Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, by following and sharing her suffering. I humbly beg You to give me true repentance for all my sins. Give me wisdom and the grace of true humility, that I may receive all the indulgences contained in this prayer. Amen.
Act of Contrition
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend You, my God, You Who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.
In remembrance of the tears that Mary shed because of the suffering of her Divine Son, and to obtain true sorrow for our sins:
Hail Mary (3x)
At the Cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus at the last.
Though her soul, of joy bereaved,
Bowed with anguish, deeply grieved,
Now at length the sword hath passed.
First Sorrow: The Prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:22-35)
According to the law of Moses, the Blessed Virgin Mary took Jesus to the temple to present Him to the Lord. Simeon recognized Jesus as the promised Messiah and said: “Now, Master, you may let Your servant go in peace, according to Your word, for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for Your people Israel.”
Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
Prayer:
Holy Mother Mary, whose heart suffered beyond bearing because of us, help us to suffer with you, and to accept all the suffering God permits to come our way. Imitating you, may our suffering be known to God alone.
To you, Immaculate Mother, who suffered with the Savior of the world, we offer our suffering and the suffering of the world. Join our sorrows to your own and to those of your Son Jesus; and then, offer them to the Eternal Father for the good of souls. You are a mother greater than all. Amen.
Our Father (1x)
Hail Mary (7x)
Oh how sad and sore distressed
Was that Mother, highly blest,
Of the sole begotten One!
Oh that silent, ceaseless mourning,
Oh those dim eyes, never turning
From that wondrous, suffering Son!
Most Merciful Mother, remind us always
of the sorrows of your Divine Son.
Second Sorrow: The Flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15)
The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.”
Joseph rose and took the Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt. The holy family stayed in Egypt until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” (Hosea 11:1)
Prayer:
Blessed Mother Mary, who has suffered so much, give us a courageous heart like yours. Help us to accept with love all the suffering God permits to come our way. Help us to accept all the suffering we inflict upon ourselves, and the suffering inflicted upon us by others.
You alone, Immaculate Mother, purify our suffering, that we may give glory to God, and save our souls. Amen.
Our Father (1x)
Hail Mary (7x)
In her trouble so amazing,
Born of woman would not weep?
Who on Christ’s dear Mother thinking,
Such a cup of sorrow drinking,
Would not share her sorrow deep?
Most Merciful Mother, remind us always
of the sorrows of your Divine Son.
Third Sorrow: The Loss of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52)
At age 12, Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem after the feast of Passover. Thinking that He was in the caravan, His parents journeyed for a day. Not finding Him among their relatives, they returned to Jerusalem.
After three days they found Him in the temple, “sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard Him were astounded at His understanding and His answers.” But Mary exclaimed, “Son, why have You done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for You with great anxiety.” Jesus answered, “Why were you looking for Me? Did you not know that I must be in My Father’s house?”
What pained Mary was that Jesus had decided to stay behind without her consent. She felt the same pain Jesus felt when He was abandoned by His disciples (apostles) during His Passion.
Prayer:
Holy Mary, Mother of God, help us to accept everything that will come in this life; help us to be able to carry our crosses. Prepare us to be ready every single moment to come before the Face of God. Amen.
Our Father (1x)
Hail Mary (7x)
Virgin Most Sorrowful, Pray for Us!
Most Merciful Mother, remind us always
of the sorrows of your Divine Son.
Fourth Sorrow: Mary Meets Jesus on the Way to Calvary
(Luke 23:27-31)
A large crowd followed Jesus, including many women who mourned for Him. Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children, for indeed, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.’ At that time people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall upon us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ for if these things are done when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?”
The Blessed Virgin witnessed Jesus carrying the cross on which He was to be crucified. But this was no surprise to Mary, for she already knew about the approaching death of her Son. Already weakened by the soldier’s cruel scourging, sharp thorns and numerous hard blows, Jesus’ body resembled a corpse carrying a cross.
Filled with anguish, Mary watched as Jesus fell once more, exhausted, unable to raise Himself. At that moment, Mary’s eyes full of love and compassion met her Son’s eyes, pained and covered in blood. She shared in the pain of His Passion.
Prayer:
Beloved Mother, so stricken with grief, help us to accept and bear our own suffering, that we may relieve your sorrowful heart and that of Jesus. In doing so, may we give glory to God Who gave you and Jesus to us. As you suffered, teach us to suffer silently and patiently. Grant unto us the grace of loving God in everything.
Immaculate Mother, Mother of Sorrows, most afflicted of all mothers, have mercy on us sinners, and on the sinners of the whole world. Amen.
Our Father (1x)
Hail Mary (7x)
O, thou Mother, fount of love!
Touch my spirit from above,
Make my heart with thine accord.
Make me feel as thou hast felt;
Make my soul to glow and melt
With the love of Christ my Lord.
Most Merciful Mother, remind us always
of the sorrows of your Divine Son.
Fifth Sorrow: Mary Stands at the Foot of the Cross
(John 19:25-27)
Standing at the foot of the Cross of Jesus were His mother, His mother’s sister (Mary), and Mary Magdalene (“out of whom He had driven seven demons”). When Jesus saw His mother and John (“the disciple whom He loved”), He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple John took the Blessed Virgin Mary into his home.
Prayer:
Beloved Mother, Immaculate Mother, Queen of Martyrs, give us the courage you had in all your sufferings so that we may unite our sufferings with yours and give glory to God. Help us to follow your example, so that Jesus’ sacrifice will not be in vain, and all sinners, the world over, will be saved. Amen.
Our Father (1x)
Hail Mary (7x)
Most Merciful Mother, remind us always
of the sorrows of your Divine Son.
Sixth Sorrow: Mary Receives the Dead Body of Jesus in Her Arms
(John 19:38-40)
After this, Joseph of Arimathea, secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. And Pilate permitted it. So he came and took His body. Nicodemus also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes. They took the body of Jesus and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom.
Mary knew better than anyone else that Jesus was God Incarnate — that God had taken a human body to become the Savior of the world. And looking at His broken body, the Holy Mother knew that His agonizing death was far worse than the torture reserved for the wickedest of criminals. Mary prayed for the world. She prayed for all of us, that all would truly follow God, so that Jesus’ torturous death would not be in vain.
Prayer:
Beloved Mother, we thank you for your courage as you stood beneath the Cross on which your Son was crucified, giving Himself up for our salvation. That is when you became Our Mother. We implore you to be our advocate before the throne of mercy and grace, so that we can truly become your children. We thank you for Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer, and we thank Jesus for giving you to us.
“Holy Mary, Mother of God (Mediatrix of all graces), pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”
Our Father (1x)
Hail Mary (7x)
Most Merciful Mother, remind us always
of the sorrows of your Divine Son.
Seventh Sorrow: Jesus Is Placed in the Tomb (John 19:41-42)
Now in the place where Jesus had been crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, they laid Jesus there.
With great pain and tremendous sorrow, the Mother of the Word Incarnate returned home knowing, “It is accomplished!” The earthly life of her Son Jesus — the work that the Eternal Father had given Him to do — is accomplished.
Prayer:
Most Beloved Mother, Mother of Mercy, Mother of Jesus, and Mother of us all, we are your children and we place our trust in you, as we place our trust in Jesus. Teach us to see God in all things and in all situations, even in our sufferings. Help us to understand the importance of redemptive suffering.
Immaculate Mother, although you were conceived without sin, you suffered more than others. You accepted suffering with love and with unsurpassed courage. You stood by your Son from the time He was arrested until He died. You suffered along with Jesus, accomplished the will of the Eternal Father, and hence became Mediatrix of all graces.
Mother Mary, we beg you to teach us to do as Jesus did. Teach us to accept our cross courageously. Help us to follow in His footsteps, even to be willing to lay down our lives for others. And when our end is upon us, may we also be able to say, “It is accomplished.” Amen.
Our Father (1x)
Hail Mary (7x)
Concluding Prayer
Mother Mary, Queen of Martyrs, your soul was immersed in the ocean of suffering. We beg you by the merits of the tears you shed in these terrible sorrowful mysteries, to obtain for us and all sinners of the world, the graces of complete sincerity, true repentance and conversion. Amen.
To wipe away our Sorrowful Mother’s tears shed
because of the suffering of her Divine Son:
Our Father (3x) and Hail Mary (3x)
“O Mary, conceived without sin,
pray for us who have recourse to thee.” (3x)
The Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, our Mother. To thee do I come; before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy, hear and answer me. Amen.
Amen.”