How to Pray the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows of Mary

Rosary of the Seven Sorrows at Laude Arts and Gifts

This rosary is particularly meaningful to me because it allows me to enter into the sufferings of Our Blessed Mother and by so doing; she is able to enter into mine.   I can not tell how or why this happens, but that it does happen and is one of the deepest mysteries of our spiritual life.

Because it has almost as many beads as a regular rosary, the Seven Sorrows chaplet is also known as the Seven Sorrows Rosary. Another name for this rosary is the Servite rosary because it originated with the order of Servites.

Because the book: My Treasury of Chaplets by Patricia S. Quintiliani does an excellent job of explaining how to pray the Seven Sorrows rosary, I have shamelessly lifted her description word for word.   This can be found on pages 183 – 190 of her book.  I am putting it on my blog for the convenience of people who may not own this book and who may not have access to it.  The only changes I have made is to simplify the language and make it more readable for the modern English reader.   Nevertheless, it is important to me to acknowledge my dept to Ms. Quintiliani. 

The Seven Sorrows or Seven Dolors rosary consists of a ring of seven groups of seven beads separated by small medals or decorative beads. A further series of three beads and a medal are also attached to the chain (before the first dolor) and these are dedicated to prayer in honor of Mary's Tears, as well as to indicate the beginning of the chaplet. Traditionally, the beads are of black wood or some other black material indicating sorrow.  But now, the beads can be any color.  The seven groups of seven Hail Marys are recited in remembrance of the Seven Sorrows of Mary, namely:

1. The prophecy of Simeon
2. The flight into Egypt
3. The loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple
4. Mary meets Jesus carrying His cross
5. The crucifixion
6. Mary receives the body of Jesus from the Cross
7. The body of Jesus is placed in the tomb

Three Hail Marys are added in remembrance of the tears Mary shed because of the suffering of her Divine Son.   These are said to obtain true sorrow for our sins.   Following is the concluding prayer

   

       V. Pray for us, O most sorrowful Virgin

       R. That we may be made worth of the promises of Christ. 

Prayer

Lord Jesus, we now implore, both for the present and for the hour of our death, the intercession of the most Blessed Virgin Mary, Thy Mother, whose holy soul was pierced at the time of Thy passion by a sword of grief.   Grant us this favor, O Savior of the world, Who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

Prayers for the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows of Mary – The Long Version

With meditations by St. Alphonsus Liguori

            V. God come to my assistance

            R. O Lord, make haste to help me.

            Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is                 now, and ever shall be world without end.  Amen.

Strophe:

My mother, share your grief with me,

And let me bear your company

To mourn Jesus’ death with you.

Meditations on the First Dolor

I pity you, O afflicted Mother, on account of the first sword of sorrow which pierced you, when in the Temple all the outrages which men would inflict on your beloved Jesus were presented before you by Saint Simeon, and which you already knew by the Sacred Scriptures; outrages which were to cause Him to die before your eyes, on an infamous Cross, exhausted of His blood, abandoned by all, all while you were unable to defend or help Him.   By that bitter knowledge, then, which for so many years afflicted your heart, I beseech you, my Queen, to obtain for me the grace that during my .life and at death, I may ever keep the Passion of Jesus and your sorrows impressed upon my heart.

            Our Father, seven Hail Marys, and the Strophe are repeated after each Dolor.

Meditation on the Second Dolor:

I pity you my afflicted Mother, for the second sword which pierced you, when soon after His birth you beheld your innocent Son threatened with death by those very men for whose salvation He had come into the world, so that in darkness of night, thou were obliged to fly secretly with Him into Egypt.   By the many hardships, then, which you, a delicate young woman, in company with your exiled Child, endured a long and fatiguing journey through rough and desert countries, and during your residence in Egypt, where, being unknown and a stranger, you lived for so many years in poverty and contempt.   I beseech you, my beloved Lady, to obtain for me the grace to suffer in your company with patience until death all of the trials of this miserable life, that I may thus in the next life escape the eternal punishments of Hell, which I have deserved.

            Our Father, seven Hail Marys, and the Strophe

Meditation on the Third Dolor:

I pity you my sorrowful Mother, on account of the third sword which pierced you in the loss of they dear Son Jesus, who remained absent from you in Jerusalem for three days.  No longer seeing your Beloved by your side and not knowing the cause of His absence, I can well imagine, my loving Queen, that during those nights you did not sleep and only sighed for Him, Who was your treasure.  By the sighs, then, of those three days which for you were so long and bitter, I beseech you to obtain for me the grace that I may never lose my God, that so, always clinging to Him, I may leave the world united to Him.

            Our Father, seven Hail Marys, and the Strophe

Meditation on the Fourth Dolor:

I pity you, my sorrowful Mother, for the fourth sword which pierced you in seeing your Son condemned to death, bound with cords and chains, covered with blood and wounds, under the heavy weight of the Cross which He carried on His wounded shoulder, going as an innocent Lamb to die for love of us.  Your eyes met His, and His met yours; and your glances were as so many cruel arrows which wounded your loving hearts.  By this great sorrow, then, I beseech you to obtain for me the grace to live in all things resigned to the will of my God and to carry my cross cheerfully in company with Jesus, until my last breath.

         Our Father, seven Hail Marys, and the Strophe

Meditation on the Fifth Dolor:

I pity you my afflicted Mother, for the fifth sword which pierced you, when on Mount Calvary you beheld your beloved Son Jesus slowly dying before your eyes, amid so many torments and insults, on the hard bed of the Cross, where you were unable to give Him even the least of those comforts which are granted to the greatest criminals at the hour of death.  I beseech you by the agony which you, my most loving Mother, endured, together with your dying Son, and by the sadness which you felt when, for the last time, He spoke to you from the Cross and bade you farewell and left all of us in the person of Saint John to you as your children; by that constancy with which you saw Him bow down His head and expire, I beseech you to obtain for me the grace from the crucified Love to live and die crucified to all earthly things, that I may spend my life for God alone and thus one day enter Paradise to enjoy Him face to face.

            Our Father, seven Hail Marys, and the Strophe

Meditation on the Sixth Dolor:

I pity you my afflicted Mother, for the sixth sword which pierced your heart when you saw the sweet Heart of your Son pierced through and through.   He was already dead and had died for those ungrateful creatures who, even after His death, were not satisfied with the torments they had inflicted upon Him.   By this cruel sorrow, which was completely yours, I beseech you to obtain for me the grace to dwell in the Heart of Jesus, wounded and open for me; in that Heart, I say, which is the beautiful abode of love, in which all souls who love God repose; and that, living there, I may never think of or love anything but God.   Most sacred Virgin, you can obtain this for me; from you do I hope for it.

            Our Father, seven Hail Marys, and the Strophe

Meditation on the Seventh Dolor:

I pity you my afflicted Mother, for the seventh sword which pierced your heart on seeing your Son already dead in your arms, no longer fair and beautiful as He was when you received Him in the stable of Bethlehem, but covered with blood, livid and all lacerated with wounds, so that even His bones could be seen.  At that time, you said, “My Son, my Son, to what has love reduced You!”  And when He was borne to the sepulcher, you accompanied Him and placed Him with your own hands in the tomb; and bidding Him your last farewell, you left your loving heart buried with your Son.   By this martyrdom of your beautiful soul, obtain for me, O Mother of Fair Love, the forgiveness of the offenses which I have committed against my beloved God, and or which I repent with my whole heart.   Please defend me in temptations and assist me at the moment of my death, that, saving my soul through the merits of Jesus and you, I may one day, after this miserable exile, go to Paradise to sing the praises of Jesus and of you for all eternity.   Amen

           

            Our Father, seven Hail Marys, and the Strophe

            V.  Pray for us, O most sorrowful Virgin,

            R.  That we made be made worth of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray

O Lord, at Whose Passion, according to the prophecy of Simeon, a sword of sorrow pierced through the sweetest soul of the glorious Virgin and Mother Mary, grant that we who commemorate and reverence her Dolors may experience the blessed effect of Your Passion, You who live and reign, world without end.  AMEN.

Please click here to view this rosary in my shop, Laude Arts and Gifts.

Unbreakable Padre Pio Rosary

Padre Pio Unbreakable Rosary at Laude Arts and Gifts

This rosary features the San Damiano crucifix. This is the crucifix that St Francis was gazing upon when he had the vision which changed his life. Since that time, this crucifix has been associated with St Francis and theFrancisacn Order he founded. Padre Pio was a Franciscan and for that reason I have paired an image of Padre Pio and the crucifix of San Damiano. Both of these pieces are silver colored metal.

The Ave beads in this handsome rosary are 8mm white howlite beads. Contrasting these beads are 10mm Pater beads made of Picasso Jasper. Accenting these beads are Indian Red seed beads. This rosary is substantial and has a nice weight to it. It would make a wonderful gift or would be great to keep for yourself.   Please click here to learn more about this rosary.

ABOUT UNBREAKABLE ROSARIES: This rosary was constructed in such a manner as to make it unbreakable with normal wear and tear. The tarnish resistant, silver plated wire is coiled 2 1/2 times at either end of each bead.Furthermore, the interlocking loops prevent the type of breakage you find with most rosaries. It is the last rosary you will ever need to buy. You may want to buy another rosary...hopefully from me...but you won't ever need to buy another rosary. In fact, you will be able to hand it down to your children and they in turn will be able to hand it down to their children.

Please visit my shop, Laude Arts and Gifts, to see more of my unbreakable rosaries and rosary bracelets.

Just in time for Father's Day!

St. Joseph Onyx and Lampwork Rosary at Laude Arts and Gifts

The show stealers in this unbreakable rosary are the large 20mm x 14mm lampwork Pater Noster beads. These beads have been worked by hand as well as by machine and no two beads are exactly alike. Brown seed beads provide a striking accent at either end of the Pater Nosters and in the connectors as well. Finishing the rosary off are the 6.5mm black onyx Avé beads. The medal honoring St Joseph and the crucifix are silver colored metal.  The back of the medal says "Pray for Us" in script. This rosary is 30 3/4 inches long.  This handsome rosary would make a wonderful Father's Day gift. It would also be great to keep for yourself.  Please click here to learn more about this handsome rosary. 

ABOUT UNBREAKABLE ROSARIES: This rosary was constructed in such a manner as to make it unbreakable with normal wear and tear. The tarnish resistant, silver plated wire is coiled 2 1/2 times at either end of each bead. Furthermore, the interlocking loops prevent the type of breakage that occurs with most traditional linked rosaries. It is the last rosary you will ever need to buy. You may want to buy another rosary...hopefully from me...but you won't ever need to buy another rosary. In fact, you will be able to hand it down to your children and they in turn will be able to hand it down to their children.  Please visit my shop, Laude Arts and Gifts, to view more of my unbreakable rosaries and to see my rosary bracelets as well.  

Unbreakable Amazonite and Howlite Rosary

The striking 8mm by 14mm howlite Pater beads are the focal point of this beautiful rosary. These beads have a beautiful brown matrix on an off white background. Complimenting these beads are the 8mm round amazonite Avé beads. These beads are slightly different shades of blue and are accented by a swirl of silver wire going up one side. The heart shaped center features a Miraculous Medal and is made of lead free pewter. The crucifix is also lead free pewter.   This rosary is 32 1/2 inches long.  The crucifix is just a smidgen over 2 inches high including the bail.  This is a substantial rosary and it has a nice weight. It would make a wonderful gift or would be great to keep for yourself! :)

It is important to note that howlite is often mistaken for white turquoise. They are two entirely different stones. To learn more, please check my blog: http://strengthen-your-brethren.blogspot.com/2012/05/white-turquoise-vs-howlite.html

ABOUT UNBREAKABLE ROSARIES: This rosary was constructed in such a manner as to make it unbreakable with normal wear and tear. The tarnish resistant, silver plated wire is coiled 2 1/2 times at either end of each bead. Furthermore, the interlocking loops prevent the type of breakage you find with most rosaries. It is the last rosary you will ever need to buy. You may want to buy another rosary...hopefully from me...but you won't ever need to buy another rosary. In fact, you will be able to hand it down to your children and they in turn will be able to hand it down to their children.


Please visit my shop, Laude Arts and Gifts, to learn more about this rosary and to view my other rosaries

White Turquoise vs. Howlite

White Turquoise from the Dry Creek Mine
note the slightly green hue

 For a long time, I referred to the howlite in my rosaries and jewelry as white turquoise.   I knew it really wasn't actual turquoise, but I thought it was okay to call it that because I thought genuine white turquoise was non-existent.   I thought of it in much the same way as I thought of that sweet white candy made from milk solids which is often called “white chocolate”.   In reality, the candy doesn't have any relationship to chocolate whatsoever.  But, since genuine white chocolate does not exist, and since everyone calls it that, it has come to be known as white chocolate.  In my mind, the same concept was true when it came to referring to howlite as “white turquoise”.

White Buffalo Turquoise

Then one day I got curious and googled “white turquoise” and to my surprise discovered that genuine white turquoise does exist and it is much different from howlite.   Genuine white turquoise, at this point, is quite rare and only comes from mines in Arizona and Nevada.  Some of those mines are the Dry Creek or Sacred Buffalo Mine, the Tortoise Turquoise Mine, and the New Landers Mine to name a few. 

Genuine white turquoise will test the same as blue and green turquoise and will register 5-6 on the Mohs scale…which is the same register for blue and green turquoise.  Also, white turquoise, in reality, is not truly white.   In general, it will have a slight blue or green hue.    This comes from the minerals that actually identify it as genuine turquoise.  Furthermore, the matrix or chert in white turquoise is the same as the matrix found in colored turquoise.  To learn more about this beautiful stone, please visit this site hosted by Durango Silver.

Example of white howlite beads which has been stabilized

Howlite on the other hand is a completely different stone.   Often used as a substitute for turquoise and sometimes passed off as turquoise, it is tempting to overlook its inherent beauty.  But let’s take a closer look.   In its natural state, howlite is generally white with a brown and/or gray-black matrix. The contrast between the white stone and the brown/black matrix is quite attractive making it a desirable stone in its own right.   Rarely, deposits of natural tan howlite can be found.   In this case, the matrix is a beautiful bluish-gray color. 

Howlite is much softer than genuine turquoise, registering only 3.5 on the Mohs scale.  Because of its softness, Howlite can easily be dyed and often is dyed almost every color of the rainbow.   Because of this, dyed howlite can go with almost anything making it an extremely versatile stone.  Also, because of its softness, it is usually stabilized with resin to give it extra hardness and also to fill in the little dings and dimples found in the natural stone.   Because howlite is less expensive than turquoise, it has greater availability making it accessible to almost anyone who would like to have it.   To learn more, please visit this site hosted by WiseGeek.

Natural tan Howlite which has not been stabilized with resin
Note the dimples and dings and the softness of the stone

Both turquoise and howlite are beautiful stones in their own right and both can be used to make exceptional jewelry, rosaries and other items.   As consumers, it is important that we be able to make informed decisions regarding the items that we purchase.   To this end, I have tried to share what I have recently learned about these two similar, but very different stones.

Got Milk?

I don't!  At least I'm not supposed to have milk.   Truth be told, I have a quart of that wonderful, white liquid tucked secretly away in a dark corner of my refrigerator just waiting for that moment when I simply can not handle another cup of tea mixed with that substance affectionately known as "alternative milk".   You know...that stuff they make with soy beans or almonds or some such that they try to convince us is as good as milk?   It isn't.   I can honestly say that I don't mind the taste of almond milk...but it leaves one heck of an after taste.  Yuk! 


Honestly, I never realized what a big part of my diet included milk and milk by-products, and I truly never realized how much I love that white stuff in all its many and varied forms.  So why, you may ask, am I writing this lament?   It isn't because I am lactose intolerant...that's the hard part.   I can tolerate lactose quite well thank you very much.   It's because, according to my chiropractor, milk causes inflammation.   Who knew?  Apparently, I didn't.   My doctor delivered this information after I had pinched the L5 nerve in my back and was in so much pain I could barely walk.  Apparently, inflammation and arthritis is running ruin with my spinal column rendering me structurally unsound.  


However, not one to be easily duped and definitely not wanting to be parted from my substance of preference so quickly, I went to the internet to see if this alarming news could possibly be true.   Sadly, it is according to this website:  http://www.livestrong.com/article/348549-foods-that-cause-arthritis/    Reading this article brought no comfort whatsoever.    Imagine my surprise and alarm when I discovered there are other foods I deeply love that cause inflammation and arthritis.


Listed in this article are all of my top faves: potatoes, sweet potatoes, sweet peppers, the list goes on and on and sadly, on.  They described these foods as "nightshade" vegetables which led me to conjure up images of people furtively meeting in dark alleys for their veggie fix.  Even beef is considered to be a culprit in the conspiracy of foods that can cause pain and swelling in our joints.   It looks like my diet is about to change radically.


With that in mind, I trucked off on my weekly jaunt to the grocery store.   With a heavy heart, I bypassed my favorite brand of Raisin Bran.   I think I heard it sniffing as I reached for container of oatmeal and a box of something called Mixed Grain cereal with flax seed.  At least it sounds healthy!   According to the description, it is rich in Omega Fatty Acids, another substance my nutrition conscious chiropractor told me to take.   With strength and courage, I entered the produce department and forged past the potatoes, sweet potatoes and peppers and went to the broccoli, beans and spinach.   Well...at least no one can accuse me of not going green.  I left the market and drove with determination past my favorite hamburger stand on the way home.   I mean...why foil my all my valiant efforts in the market with a healthy...or should I say unhealthy...dose of cholesterol?


So now, here I sit at my computer, bidding a fond farewell to my delicious, but wretchedly unhealthy diet and welcome with open arms my new, healthier diet and, hopefully, pain free future.

Lot's Wife

Genesis 19:15-24

            When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Get up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or else you will be consumed in the punishment of the city.”  But he lingered; so the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and left him outside the city.  When they had brought them outside, they said: “Flee for your life; do not look back or stop anywhere in the Plain; flee to the hills or else you will be consumed.”   And Lot said to them; “Oh no, my lords; your servant has found favor with you, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life: but I cannot flee to the hills, for fear the disaster will overtake me and I die.   Look, that city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one.   Let me escape there-is it not a little one?- and my life will be saved!”   He said to him, “Very well, I grant you this favor too, and will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken.   Hurry, escape there, for I can do nothing until you arrive there.”  Therefore, the city was called Zoar.   The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar.
             Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out   of heaven: and he overthrew those cities, and all thePlain, and all the inhabitants of the cities and what grew on the ground.  But Lot’s wife behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

For years, I have wondered why the Lord turned Lot’s wife into a pillar of salt.   It seems to be an incredibly severe punishment for such a human and understandable behavior.  Who among us hasn’t looked back when we were leaving someone or something behind?   It seems almost as though we need to look back to have some kind of closure.   Yet, the angels were very clear: “Do not look back.”

Now, as I re-read the scripture, it doesn’t really say that the Lord turned Lot’s wife into a pillar of salt.  It says, “But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.”   Why on earth would that happen?   A fundamentalist might say “Because the Lord said it would.”  Perhaps that’s true.   However, I think there is a deeper, yet elegantly simple reason.   It is impossible to move forward if you are looking back.

When the Lord called Lot and his family to leave Sodom and Gomorrah, He was not only trying to save them from the physical destruction of the cities, He was also saving them from a destructive and deeply sinful culture.   He was calling them into a new life of trust in Him.   This type of call is difficult for anyone.   Lot himself struggled with leaving everything behind.  Yet, in the end, he managed to do it.  Sadly, his wife did not.  She needed to hold onto what was left behind and it immobilized her.

The underlying truth of this story has as much meaning for us today as it did for the people who experienced it thousands of years ago.  In our lives, we are often called to leave the old life behind, to grow and to move into a new life.   Sometimes this change takes the form of a new job, moving to a new city or state, getting married or having a child, to name a few things.   Other times the change comes in the form of a conversion experience, or simply an understanding that we have to allow ourselves to let go of our old behavior and to grow.   However, it is impossible for us to be successful in this transition if we do not let go of the past completely and, with trust in the Lord, move forward into the unknown.   Anyone who has experienced this knows how hard it is to do and how extremely difficult it is not to look back to see where we have been.   However, if we cling to the past, like Lot’s wife, we too will become immobilized.