Although the entire month of September is dedicated to the Sorrowful Heart of Our Blessed Mother, on the 15th we observed the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. On this day we contemplate the seven swords that pierced the Heart of Our Blessed Mother and caused Her a great deal of suffering and agonizing pain. It is a pious practice for us to contemplate these seven sorrowful swords and unite ourselves with Our Dear Blessed Mother in Her suffering.

The Seven Sorrows, or Seven Swords that pierced the Heart of Our Lady are:

1. The prophecy of Simeon: “You yourself shall be pierced with a sword – so that the thoughts of many hearts may be laid bare.” (Luke 2:35).
2. The flight into Egypt; “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt.” (Mt 2:13).
3. Losing of the Child Jesus “You see that your father and I have been searching for you in sorrow.” (Luke 2:48).
4. Meeting Jesus as He carries His Cross on His way to Calvary.
5. Standing at the foot of the Cross as Jesus is Crucified “Near the cross of Jesus there stood His mother.” (John 19:25).
6. Jesus being taken from the Cross.
7. Jesus is laid in the tomb.

We can unite ourselves to Our Blessed Mother with our prayers, our penances, and our sufferings. Our Blessed Mother also wishes for us to spend time consoling the Heart of Her Son, by spending time with Him in Eucharistic Adoration. This adoration not only unites us with Our Blessed Mother, but unites us with Her Son who is so often forgotten and abandoned in the Tabernacle. As faithful Catholics, we must remember that anything we do for Our Lady, we do for Her Son. She takes nothing for Herself. Everything is given to Jesus. The surest way for any of us to grow closer to Jesus is to grow closer to His Mother. And today the Church gives us an opportunity to do both.