Wednesday, September 14, 2011

The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary


The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary

What words can ever describe the unspeakable anguish that rent the sacred heart of Mary as she looked upon her Divine Son hanging on the cross! Every wound in Jesus body was also a wound in her heart of Mary: ever fiber, every nerve throbbing in agony, every pang He suffered re-echoed in her heart. She endured by her compassion a share in all anguish of His Passion. Why did Mary suffer all this? That she might be our Mother, the Mother of mankind. She who brought forth her Divine Son without a pang mended to her the sinful sons of men. It was indeed a motherhood of sorrow that she suffered for our sins: for mine.

Commemoration of St. Nicomedes, Martyr

St. Nicomedes, a priest of Rome, was scourged to death under Domintian in the first century.

If the mass of St. Nicomedes is said


INTROIT
Jn. 19:25,26,27
Stabant juxta crucem Jesu mater ejus, et soror matris ejus Maria Cleophae, et Salome, et Maria Magdalene. (John) Mulier, ecce filius tuus: dixit Jesus; ad disci-pulum autem: Ecce Mater tua. Gloria Patri. Stabant... There stood by the cross of Jesus His Mother, and His Mother's sister Mary of Cleophas, and Salome, and Mary Magdalen. (Jn.)Woman, behold thy son, said Jesus; and to the disciple, Behold thy Mother. Glory be to the Father. There stood...

COLLECT(S)
Deus, in cujus passione, secundum Simeonis prophetiam, dulcissimam animam gloriosae; Virginis et Matris Mariae; doloris gladius per-transivit: concede propitius; ut, qui dolores ejus venerando recomlimus, pasionis tueae effectum felicem consequamur: Qui vivis et regnas. O God, in Whose Passion, according to the prophecy of Simeon, the sword of sorrow pierce the most sweet soul of the glorious Mary, Virgin and Mother; mercifully grant that we who with devotion honor her Sorrows, may obtain the happy fruits of Thy passion: Who livest and reignest.
Commemoration of St. Nicomedes
Adesto, Domine, populo tue: beati Nicomedis Martyris tui merita praeclara suscipiens, ad impetrandam misericordiam tuam semper ejus patrociniis adjuvemur. Per Dominum nostrum. Stand by Thy people, O Lord, that they may profit by the glorious merits of blessed Nicomedes, Thy Martyr and so be enable through his patronage ever to obtain Thy mercy. Through our Lord.

EPISTLE
Jud. 13:22,23-25
Benedixit te Dominus in virtute sua, quia per te ad nihilum redegit inimicos no-stros. Benedicta es tu filia a Domino Deo excelso, pra; omnibus mulieribus super terram. Benedicrus Dominus, qui creavit coelum et terram: quia hodie nomen tuum ita magnificavit, ut non recedat laus tua de ore hominum, qui memores fuerint virnitis Domini in sternum, pro quibus non pepercisti anima; tuae propter angiistias et tri-bulationem generis tui, sed subvenisti ruinae ante con-spectum Dei nostri. The Lord hath blessed thee by His power, because by thee He hath brought our enemies to nought. Blessed art thou, O daughter, by the Lord the most high God, above all women upon the earth. Blessed be the Lord Who made heaven and earth, because He hath so magnified thy name this day, that thy praise shall not depart out of the mouth of men, who shall be mindful of the power of the Lord for ever; for that thou hast not spared thy life by reason of the distress and tribulation of thy people, but hast prevented our ruin in the presence of our God.


GRADUAL
Dolorosa et lacrimabilis es, Virgo Maria, stans juxta crucem Domini Jesu Filii tui Redemptoris. Virgo Dei Ge-nitrix, quem torus non capit orbis, hoc crucis fert sup-plicium, auctor vita; factus homo. Thou art full of sorrow and of tears, O Virgin Mary, standing near the cross of the Lord Jesus, Thy Son, the Redeemer. O Virgin Mother of God, He Whom the whole world doth not contain, beareth this torment of the cross, the Author of life made man.


ALLELUIA
Alleluia, alleluia. Stabat sancta Maria coeli Regina, et mundi Domina, juxta crucem Domini nostri Jesu Christi dolorosa. Alleluia. Alleluia. alleluia, HOLY Mary, the Queen of heaven and mistress of the world, stood by the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, full of sorrows. Alleluia.

SQUENCE
Stabat Mater dolorosa
iuxta Crucem lacrimosa,
dum pendebat Filius.
At, the Cross her station keeping,
stood the mournful Mother weeping,
close to Jesus to the last.
Cuius animam gementem,
contristatam et dolentem
pertransivit gladius.
Through her heart, His sorrow sharing,
all His bitter anguish bearing,
now at length the sword has passed.
O quam tristis et afflicta
fuit illa benedicta,
mater Unigeniti!
O how sad and sore distressed
was that Mother, highly blest,
of the sole-begotten One.
Quae maerebat et dolebat,
pia Mater, dum videbat
nati poenas inclyti.
Christ above in torment hangs,
she beneath beholds the pangs
of her dying glorious Son.
Quis est homo qui non fleret,
matrem Christi si videret
in tanto supplicio?
Is there one who would not weep,
whelmed in miseries so deep,
Christ's dear Mother to behold?
Quis non posset contristari
Christi Matrem contemplari
dolentem cum Filio?
Can the human heart refrain
from partaking in her pain,
in that Mother's pain untold?
Pro peccatis suae gentis
vidit Iesum in tormentis,
et flagellis subditum.
Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,
she beheld her tender Child
All with scourges rent:
Vidit suum dulcem Natum
moriendo desolatum,
dum emisit spiritum.
For the sins of His own nation,
saw Him hang in desolation,
Till His spirit forth He sent.
Eia, Mater, fons amoris
me sentire vim doloris
fac, ut tecum lugeam.
O thou Mother! fount of love!
Touch my spirit from above,
make my heart with thine accord:
Fac, ut ardeat cor meum
in amando Christum Deum
ut sibi complaceam.
Make me feel as thou hast felt;
make my soul to glow and melt
with the love of Christ my Lord.
Sancta Mater, istud agas,
crucifixi fige plagas
cordi meo valide.
Holy Mother! pierce me through,
in my heart each wound renew
of my Savior crucified:
Tui Nati vulnerati,
tam dignati pro me pati,
poenas mecum divide.
Let me share with thee His pain,
who for all my sins was slain,
who for me in torments died.
Fac me tecum pie flere,
crucifixo condolere,
donec ego vixero.
Let me mingle tears with thee,
mourning Him who mourned for me,
all the days that I may live:
Iuxta Crucem tecum stare,
et me tibi sociare
in planctu desidero.
By the Cross with thee to stay,
there with thee to weep and pray,
is all I ask of the to give.
Virgo virginum praeclara,
mihi iam non sis amara,
fac me tecum plangere.
Virgin of all virgins blest!,
Listen to my fond request:
let me share thy grief divine;
Fac, ut portem Christi mortem,
passionis fac consortem,
et plagas recolere.
Let me, to my latest breath,
in my body bear the death
of that dying Son of thine.
Fac me plagis vulnerari,
fac me Cruce inebriari,
et cruore Filii.
Wounded with His every wound,
steep my soul till it hath swooned,
in His very Blood away;
Flammis ne urar succensus,
per te, Virgo, sim defensus
in die iudicii.
Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,
lest in flames I burn and die,
in His awful Judgment Day.
Christe, cum sit hinc exire,
da per Matrem me venire
ad palmam victoriae.
While my body here decays,
may my soul Thy goodness praise,
safe in paradise with Thee. Amen.

GOSPEL
Jn. 19:25-27
In illo tempore: Stabant juxta crucem Jesu mater ejus, et soror matirs ejus Maria Ckeophae, et Maria Magdalene. Cum vidisset ergo Jesus matrem, et dicipulum stantem, quem diligebat, dicit matri suae: Mulier, ecce filius tuus. Deinde dicit discipulo: Ecce mater tua. Et exilla hora accepit eam discipulus in sua. At that time, there stood by the cross of Jesus, His Mother and His Mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen. When Jesus therefore had seen His Mother and teh disciple standing whom He loved, He saith to His Mother: Woman, behold thy son. After that He saith to the disciple: Behold thy Mother. And from that hour the disciple took her to his own.


OFFERTORY
Jn. 19:25-27
Recordare, Virgo Mater Dei, dum steteris in conspectu Domini, ut loquaris pro nobis bona' et ut avertat indignationem suam a nobis. Be mindful, O Virgin Mother of God,
when thou standest in the sight of the
Lord, to speak good things for us, and
to turn away His anger from us.

SECRET(S)
Offerimus tibi preces et hostias, Domine Jesu Christe, supplicantes: ut, qui Transfixionem dulcissimi spiritus beatae Mariae. Matris suae precibus recensemus; suo suorumque sub cruce Sanctorum consortium multiplicato piissimo interventu, meritis mortis tuae, meritum cum beatis habeamus: Qui vivis et regnas. We offer unto Thee our prayers and O Lord Jesus Christ, and humbly beseech Thee that, even as in our prayers we recall the piercing of the most sweet soul of Thy blessed Mother Mary, so through the merits of Thy death, and the repeated loving intercession of Thy Mother and her holy companions at the foot of the cross, we may share in the reward of the blessed: Who livest and reignest.
Commemoration of St. Nicomedes
Suscipe, Domine, munera propitius oblata: quae majestati tuae beati Nicomedis Martyris commendet oratio. Per Dominum nostrum. Graciously accept, O Lord, the gifts now offered, and may the prayer of blessed Nicomedes, Thy Martyr, commend them to Thy Majesty. Through our Lord.

PREFACE
Preface of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Vere dignum et justum est, aequum et salutare, nos tibi semper, et ubique gratias agere: Domine sancte, Pater omnipotens, aeterne Deus. Et te in Transfixione beatae Mariae semper Virginis collaudare, benedicere, et praedicare. Quae et Unigenitum tuum Sancti Spiritus obumbratione concepit: et virginitatis gloria permanente, lumen aeternum mundo effudit, Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum. Per quem majestatem tuam laudant Angeli, adorant Dominationes, tremunt Potestates. Coeli, coelorumque Virtutes, ac beata Seraphim, socia exsultatione concelebrant. Cum quibus et nostras voces, ut admitti jubeas deprecamur, supplici confessione dicentes: It it truly meet and just, right and for our salvation, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God: and that we should praise and bless, and proclaim Thee, in the Transfixion of the Blessed Mary, ever-Virgin: Who also conceived Thine only-begotten Son by the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost, and the glory of her virginity still abiding, gave forth to the world the everlasting Light, Jesus Christ our Lord. Through whom the Angels praise Thy Majesty, the Dominations worship it, and the Powers stand in awe. The Heavens and the heavenly hosts together with the blessed Seraphim in triumphant chorus unite to celebrate it. Together with these we entreat Thee that Thou mayest bid our voices also to be admitted while we say with lowly praise:

COMMUNION
Felices sensus beatae Mariae Virginis, qui sine morte me-ruerunt martyrii palmam sub cruce Domini. Happy the Heart of the blessed Virgin Mary, who without dying earned the palm of martyrdom beneath the cross of our Lord.

POSTCOMMUNION(S)
Adesto nobis, Domine Deus noster, et quos sanctae Crucis laetari facis honore, eius quoque perpetuis defende subsidiis. Per Dominum nostrum. Be present with us, O Lord our God, and do Thou, who makest us to rejoice in honor of the holy Cross, defend us evermore by its help. Through our Lord.
Commemoration of St. Nicomedes
Purificent nos, Domine, sacramenta quae sumpsimus: et intercedente beato Nicomede Martyr tuo, a conctis effeciant vittiis absolutos. Per Dominum nostrum. May the Sacraments which we have received cleanse us, O Lord, and through the intercession of blessed Nicomedes, Thy Martyr, bring about our release from all the bonds of sin. Through our Lord.