A dear sister recently gave me an opportunity to write out how I pray the chaplet of Our Lady of Sorrows. In my life, I have known few prayers which feel into grief as well as these.

As you pray these prayers, hold each of the contemplations in your heart. The images given are nothing more than stepping stones to let her grief pierce your heart. Feel into these seven textures of sorrow and loss, then release into space.

Preliminaries

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

In the space before me, standing upon a billowing cloud is Our Lady of Sorrows. Robed in red and royal blue, her hands clasped in prayer–seven swords stab her heart, quivering with each breath. A host of angels, vast and innumerable, pierce the darkness as dazzling stars.

Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of Sorrows, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. 3x

Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen

The First Sorrow of Our Lady

Consider the sorrow that struck Our Lady’s Heart when St. Simeon recognized the Christ Child and said a sword shall pierce you also.

In the Name…

Hail Mary… 7x

Our Father…

The Second Sorrow of Our Lady

Consider the sorrow that struck Our Lady’s Heart when she and Joseph and their infant son fled to Egypt. What rumors of distant slaughter dogged their heels.

In the Name…

Hail Mary… 7x

Our Father…

The Third Sorrow of Our Lady

Consider the sorrow that struck Our Lady’s Heart walking back to Jerusalem. Her son lost somewhere along the way. The city scarcely a smudge on the horizon. Where every passing hour settles in the pit of the stomach.

In the Name…

Hail Mary… 7x

Our Father…

The Fourth Sorrow of Our Lady

Consider the sorrow that struck Our Lady’s Heart when Christ had shouldered up the cross on the long march to Calvary. How rough wood tore at shoulder flesh.

In the Name…

Hail Mary… 7x

Our Father…

The Fifth Sorrow of Our Lady

Consider the sorrow that struck Our Lady’s Heart when at the foot of the cross he hung there. Just out of reach. If you only looked at his legs he might have been turning in his sleep.

In the Name…

Hail Mary… 7x

Our Father…

The Sixth Sorrow of Our Lady

Consider the sorrow that struck Our Lady’s Heart, how his body weighed in her arms. How her breath set his flesh a-tremble, like a pulse. Almost.

In the Name…

Hail Mary… 7x

Our Father…

The Seventh Sorrow of Our Lady

Consider the sorrow that struck Our Lady’s Heart when the tomb door had shut and at the last there was silence. And then there was nothing.

In the Name…

Hail Mary… 7x

Our Father…

Closing

Our Lady of Sorrows, as you have held grief through all her seasons, so too hold our grief. As you have held sorrow in all her many forms, so too hold our grief. As we have shared in your grief, even for the space of half an hour, bring your peace to ours.

As these prayers carried my grief through the plague years, the gutter tantrika Soror Amrta placed them as a garland of roses at Her feet. May all beings benefit, may all sorrows cease, until not even the name of grief is known.