Praying the Clausular Rosary on the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
“Let us adore Christ, the Savior of the world, who called his mother to share in his passion.” – Liturgy of the Hours
Last year when this solemn memorial emerged I was unprepared. The Liturgy of the Hours helped me to enter into the memorial a bit but I felt like I needed it to permeate my day. I remembered, years before, a moment of profound sorrow in Mass on this day. Tears flowed in abundance with shame as I recalled how I had held the teachings of the Catholic Church about Mary in derision – how I held her memory in derision. Today I wanted to, in some small way, make up for my past failures and better honor her.
As I began my rosary it occurred to me that I could pray the Sorrowful Mysteries in clausular form, for each mystery, in a way that would honor Mary’s suffering.
For those unfamiliar with a clausular approach to the Rosary* it can be a powerful way to:
- Keep the mystery in mind during the ten “Hail Mary’s”
- Slow down the Rosary and make it more meditative, and
- Ensure that the repetition doesn’t result in a forgetfulness regarding our prayer – a forgetfulness of God and Mary as we simply move our lips without any real prayer coming fourth.
How does it work?
All of the normal preliminary prayers are said and only one aspect is added to each “Hail Mary.” At the apex of the prayer when it is focused on Christ, the clause is inserted, and then it descends to its normal conclusion.
This brings another benefit, a focus on the true center of the prayer which is Christ Himself – the one to whom Mary draws our attention – the one we see through Mary’s eyes.
Here’s what it looks like in each of the five Sorrowful Mysteries with the clauses in red.
1st Sorrowful Mystery – Jesus in Agony in the Garden
Our Father…
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus – with whom you suffered at His torment in the garden. – Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Glory Be…
O My Jesus…
2nd Sorrowful Mystery – Jesus Scourged at the Pillar
Our Father…
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus – with whom you agonized at His torture at the pillar. – Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Glory Be…
O My Jesus…
3rd Sorrowful Mystery – Jesus Crowned With Thorns
Our Father…
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus – with whom you mourned at His ridicule. – Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Glory Be…
O My Jesus…
4th Sorrowful Mystery – Jesus Takes up the Cross
Our Father…
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus – with whom you offered yourself as he embraced the cross. – Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Glory Be…
O My Jesus…
5th Sorrowful Mystery – Jesus is Crucified
Our Father…
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus – with whom your heart was pierced as He was crucified. – Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Glory Be…
O My Jesus…
Hail Holy Queen…
May your heart bleed with Mary’s heart…and through her eyes come to more fully know what Jesus has done for you.
*See Blessed Paul VI’s 1974 Apostolic Exhortation Marialis Cultus 46, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments’ 2001 Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy: Principles and Guidelines 201, and St. John Paul II’s 2002 Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (Rosary of the Virgin Mary) 33.
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Art: Nossa Senhora das Dores (Our Lady of Pains or Our Lady of Sorrows), Domingos Sequeira (1768-1837), 18th to 19th century, PD-US, Wikimedia Commons.
Editor’s Note: One of our readers mentioned the Chaplet of Our Lady of Sorrows also known as the Seven Dolors Chaplet. It can be found on site by clicking here.
