Pray the Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows

The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows occurs on the 15th of September – on this great feast day we remember the sorrows of Our Blessed Mother during her life. Through her sorrows she obtained for us poor sinners countless graces to save our souls. On the 7th of September we can begin to pray this Novena to Our Lady in preparation for the feast day. The ninth day of the Novena is on the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. Another way to practice devotion to Our Lady is by praying the Rosary.

Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows

First Day

Prayer in honour of the First Sorrow of Mary: The Prophecy of Simeon

Most Sorrowful Mother, grief filled was your heart when, on offering your divine Son
at the temple, Holy Simeon foretold that a sword would pierce your soul. There and
then you knew you would suffer with Jesus.
Queen of Martyrs, let me unite my heart to yours in this pain, and ask you the grace
to keep the thought of my death in mind, so I may always avoid sin.

Hail Mary…

Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother for a particular grace

O, Mother most holy and sorrowful, Queen of Martyrs, you who stood by your Son as
He agonized on the cross; by the sufferings of your life, by that sword of pain that
pierced your heart, by your perfect joy in heaven, look down on me kindly as I kneel
before you, sympathizing with your sorrows and offering you my petition with
childlike trust.

Dear Mother, since your Son refuses you nothing, ask of His Sacred Heart to
mercifully grant what I ask, through the merits of His sacred passion, along with
those of your sufferings at the foot of the cross.

Mother most merciful, to whom shall I go in my misery if not to you who pities us
poor sinful exiles in this valley of tears? In our name, offer Jesus but one drop of His
most precious blood, but one pang of His loving heart. Remind Him that you are our
sweetness, our life and our hope, and your prayer will be heard. Amen

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, my 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.

Second Day

Prayer in honour of the Second Sorrow of Mary: The Flight into Egypt

Most sorrowful Mother, Your mother’s heart brimmed over with sorrow at the hate of
Herod for your innocent Son. To save Him from the king’s jealousy, you had to flee
with Him to Egypt. Your heart also suffered at seeing the suffering of your holy
spouse, Saint Joseph, at the prospect of taking the divine babe and you, his delicate
spouse, into the wilderness and the unknown.
Queen of Martyrs let me unite my heart to yours in this sorrow, and obtain for me the
grace to avoid those who wish me evil, above all evil to my soul. Let me avoid
temptations and never leave the difficult but royal road to heaven.

Hail Mary…

Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother for a particular grace

O, Mother most holy and sorrowful, Queen of Martyrs, you who stood by your Son as
He agonized on the cross; by the sufferings of your life, by that sword of pain that
pierced your heart, by your perfect joy in heaven, look down on me kindly as I kneel
before you, sympathizing with your sorrows and offering you my petition with
childlike trust.

Dear Mother, since your Son refuses you nothing, ask of His Sacred Heart to
mercifully grant what I ask, through the merits of His sacred passion, along with
those of your sufferings at the foot of the cross.

Mother most merciful, to whom shall I go in my misery if not to you who pities us
poor sinful exiles in this valley of tears? In our name, offer Jesus but one drop of His
most precious blood, but one pang of His loving heart. Remind Him that you are our
sweetness, our life and our hope, and your prayer will be heard. Amen

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, my 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.

Third Day

Prayer in honour of the Third Sorrow of Mary: The Loss of the child Jesus in the Temple

Most sorrowful Mother, grief, sorrow and anxiety filled your immaculate heart when
you found you were separated from your Son on leaving Jerusalem.
For three days He remained lost to you and to your holy spouse. For three days you
sought Him who was the light of your life. And for three days you failed to find Him.
Let me join you in this pain, O Queen of Martyrs, and obtain for me the grace to
never lose Jesus through sin, but to stay united to Him by the help of His grace. If I
have the misfortune of falling, may I never doubt His mercy and always return
through the Sacrament of Confession, which He instituted.

Hail Mary…

Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother for a particular grace

O, Mother most holy and sorrowful, Queen of Martyrs, you who stood by your Son as
He agonized on the cross; by the sufferings of your life, by that sword of pain that
pierced your heart, by your perfect joy in heaven, look down on me kindly as I kneel
before you, sympathizing with your sorrows and offering you my petition with
childlike trust.

Dear Mother, since your Son refuses you nothing, ask of His Sacred Heart to
mercifully grant what I ask, through the merits of His sacred passion, along with
those of your sufferings at the foot of the cross.

Mother most merciful, to whom shall I go in my misery if not to you who pities us
poor sinful exiles in this valley of tears? In our name, offer Jesus but one drop of His
most precious blood, but one pang of His loving heart. Remind Him that you are our
sweetness, our life and our hope, and your prayer will be heard. Amen

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, my 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.

Fourth Day

Prayer in honour of the Fourth Sorrow of Mary: The Meeting of Jesus and Mary on the Way to Calvary

Most sorrowful Mother, who can fathom the grief of your heart when you saw your
Son fall, wounded and bleeding under the crushing weight of the cross, on the way
to Calvary?
Queen of Martyrs, let me unite my heart to yours in this sorrow, and obtain for me
the grace to bear patiently whatever cross God may see fit to send me.

Hail Mary…

Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother for a particular grace

O, Mother most holy and sorrowful, Queen of Martyrs, you who stood by your Son as
He agonized on the cross; by the sufferings of your life, by that sword of pain that
pierced your heart, by your perfect joy in heaven, look down on me kindly as I kneel
before you, sympathizing with your sorrows and offering you my petition with
childlike trust.

Dear Mother, since your Son refuses you nothing, ask of His Sacred Heart to
mercifully grant what I ask, through the merits of His sacred passion, along with
those of your sufferings at the foot of the cross.

Mother most merciful, to whom shall I go in my misery if not to you who pities us
poor sinful exiles in this valley of tears? In our name, offer Jesus but one drop of His
most precious blood, but one pang of His loving heart. Remind Him that you are our
sweetness, our life and our hope, and your prayer will be heard. Amen

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, my 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.

Fifth Day

Prayer in honour of the Fifth Sorrow of Mary: The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus

Most sorrowful Mother, standing by the cross of Jesus, your heart was one great
knot. And yet, you did not sit, you did not even lean, but stood as you watched Him
suffer for the sins of the whole world – for my sins. Like Abraham, you offered the
sacrifice standing up, consciously and willingly. In your case, you offered it for me,
and for every sinner. Still, unlike Abraham, you stood and watched Him die. In your
case, your perfect Son was not spared.
Queen of Martyrs, let me join you in this sorrow, and obtain for me the grace to fight
against temptation and sin at the cost of effort, suffering and even life. When my turn
comes, grant me, Mother, by your Jesus’ death and your sacrifice, the grace to die in
His holy Grace – the grace of a happy death.

Hail Mary…

Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother for a particular grace

O, Mother most holy and sorrowful, Queen of Martyrs, you who stood by your Son as
He agonized on the cross; by the sufferings of your life, by that sword of pain that
pierced your heart, by your perfect joy in heaven, look down on me kindly as I kneel
before you, sympathizing with your sorrows and offering you my petition with
childlike trust.

Dear Mother, since your Son refuses you nothing, ask of His Sacred Heart to
mercifully grant what I ask, through the merits of His sacred passion, along with
those of your sufferings at the foot of the cross.

Mother most merciful, to whom shall I go in my misery if not to you who pities us
poor sinful exiles in this valley of tears? In our name, offer Jesus but one drop of His
most precious blood, but one pang of His loving heart. Remind Him that you are our
sweetness, our life and our hope, and your prayer will be heard. Amen

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, my 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.

Sixth Day

Prayer in honour of the Sixth Sorrow of Mary: The Piercing of the Side of Jesus and His Descent from the Cross

Most Sorrowful Mother, when your Son’s body was lowered from the cross and laid
in your arms, sorrow filled your heart.
Though now this sorrow had a note of relief, how painful it was for you to gaze on
that body, formerly the seat of perfect life, health and beauty, gruesomely scarred,
pale and lifeless.
Mother, Queen of Martyrs, let me join my heart to yours in this grief, and obtain for
me to receive Jesus into my soul before I die, so I may join Him in heaven forever.

Hail Mary…

Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother for a particular grace

O, Mother most holy and sorrowful, Queen of Martyrs, you who stood by your Son as
He agonized on the cross; by the sufferings of your life, by that sword of pain that
pierced your heart, by your perfect joy in heaven, look down on me kindly as I kneel
before you, sympathizing with your sorrows and offering you my petition with
childlike trust.

Dear Mother, since your Son refuses you nothing, ask of His Sacred Heart to
mercifully grant what I ask, through the merits of His sacred passion, along with
those of your sufferings at the foot of the cross.

Mother most merciful, to whom shall I go in my misery if not to you who pities us
poor sinful exiles in this valley of tears? In our name, offer Jesus but one drop of His
most precious blood, but one pang of His loving heart. Remind Him that you are our
sweetness, our life and our hope, and your prayer will be heard. Amen

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, my 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.

Seventh Day

Prayer in honour of the Seventh Sorrow of Mary: The Burial of Jesus

Most sorrowful Virgin, sorrow again filled your heart when the sacred body of your
Son was taken from your arms, and placed in a cold grave. Yet you did not doubt
that He would rise again.
Queen of Martyrs, let me join you in your sorrow, and grant me your own deep,
trusting faith in the word of your Son. Let me trust that even in suffering, even when
all seems lost, with Jesus there is always a way out.
Obtain for me too, a sincere sorrow for all my sins, a burning love for my God, a
tender devotion to you, so that one day, I may die in His grace and, with Him, rise to
eternal life.

Hail Mary…

Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother for a particular grace

O, Mother most holy and sorrowful, Queen of Martyrs, you who stood by your Son as
He agonized on the cross; by the sufferings of your life, by that sword of pain that
pierced your heart, by your perfect joy in heaven, look down on me kindly as I kneel
before you, sympathizing with your sorrows and offering you my petition with
childlike trust.

Dear Mother, since your Son refuses you nothing, ask of His Sacred Heart to
mercifully grant what I ask, through the merits of His sacred passion, along with
those of your sufferings at the foot of the cross.

Mother most merciful, to whom shall I go in my misery if not to you who pities us
poor sinful exiles in this valley of tears? In our name, offer Jesus but one drop of His
most precious blood, but one pang of His loving heart. Remind Him that you are our
sweetness, our life and our hope, and your prayer will be heard. Amen

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, my 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.

Eighth Day

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, September 14

Sweet Mother of Sorrows, Providence wished that Saint Helena, like you the mother
of a king, find the cross of your Son and lavish honours on this relic of relics.**
Grant, me Sorrowful Queen and Mother that, like Saint Helena, I always honour the
symbol of our salvation, the cross. And like the Church, may I hold it high, display
and wear it with gratitude and pride.
Above all, may I unite my sufferings to that of Jesus on the cross, and carry my
crosses not in shame but in faith, love and patience as He did.
The Church teaches that suffering thus carried and united to His, is never in vain, but
a powerful, redemptive prayer.
May I always believe it, so my life will always have meaning.

Hail Mary…

Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother for a particular grace

O, Mother most holy and sorrowful, Queen of Martyrs, you who stood by your Son as
He agonized on the cross; by the sufferings of your life, by that sword of pain that
pierced your heart, by your perfect joy in heaven, look down on me kindly as I kneel
before you, sympathizing with your sorrows and offering you my petition with
childlike trust.

Dear Mother, since your Son refuses you nothing, ask of His Sacred Heart to
mercifully grant what I ask, through the merits of His sacred passion, along with
those of your sufferings at the foot of the cross.

Mother most merciful, to whom shall I go in my misery if not to you who pities us
poor sinful exiles in this valley of tears? In our name, offer Jesus but one drop of His
most precious blood, but one pang of His loving heart. Remind Him that you are our
sweetness, our life and our hope, and your prayer will be heard. Amen

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, my 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.

Ninth Day

Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Sorrows

O most holy Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ: by the overwhelming grief you
experienced when you witnessed the martyrdom, crucifixion, and death of your
divine Son, look upon me kindly, and awaken in my heart a tender sympathy for Our
Lord’s sufferings.
Grant me a sincere detestation of my sins, so that free from undue affection for the
passing joys of earth, I may set my sights higher on the eternal joys of heaven.
May all my thoughts and all my actions be directed towards this one great goal.
Honour, glory, and love to our Divine Lord Jesus, and to the Holy and Immaculate
Mother of God. Amen

Hail Mary…

Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother for a particular grace

O, Mother most holy and sorrowful, Queen of Martyrs, you who stood by your Son as
He agonized on the cross; by the sufferings of your life, by that sword of pain that
pierced your heart, by your perfect joy in heaven, look down on me kindly as I kneel
before you, sympathizing with your sorrows and offering you my petition with
childlike trust.

Dear Mother, since your Son refuses you nothing, ask of His Sacred Heart to
mercifully grant what I ask, through the merits of His sacred passion, along with
those of your sufferings at the foot of the cross.

Mother most merciful, to whom shall I go in my misery if not to you who pities us
poor sinful exiles in this valley of tears? In our name, offer Jesus but one drop of His
most precious blood, but one pang of His loving heart. Remind Him that you are our
sweetness, our life and our hope, and your prayer will be heard. Amen

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, my 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.