The Seven Sorrows Novena
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor
Day Five – The Fifth Sorrow
Jesus Dies on the Cross
Opening Prayer
V/. O God +, come to my assistance
R/. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Gloria Patri …
Reflection (St Alphonsus de Liguori)
Meditation:
With John, Mary stands at the foot of the Cross. “A sword shall pierce thy soul,” Simeon told her. Truly her heart is pierced with sorrow. Her beloved Son is dying and she shares in His suffering. She does not ask God to take away this agony. She is His Mother, so close to Him that His pain is hers, too. And now He speaks from the Cross: “Woman, behold thy son.” Jesus give His Mother to John, and to us. For all eternity she is our Mother.
I grieve for thee O Mary, most sorrowful,
in the martyrdom which thy generous heart endured
in standing near Jesus in His agony.
Dear Mother, by thy afflicted heart,
obtain for me the virtue of temperance
and the gift of counsel.
And this my special intention
……………………. (mention your intention)
Amen
Ave Maria …
Prayer of St Alphonsus:
O Mother, the most afflicted of all mothers,
thy Son, then, is dead;
thy Son so amiable
and who loved thee so much!
Weep, for thou hast reason to weep.
Who can ever console thee?
Nothing can console thee
but the thought that Jesus,
by His death, hath conquered hell,
hath opened paradise which was closed to men
and hath gained so many souls.
From that throne of the Cross
He was to reign over so many hearts,
which, conquered by His love,
would serve Him with love.
Do not disdain, O my Mother,
to keep me near to weep with thee,
for I have more reason than thou to weep
for the offences that I have committed against thy Son.
O, Mother of mercy,
I hope for pardon and my eternal salvation,
first through the death of my Redeemer
and then through the merits of thy dolors.
Amen
AnaStpaul 