WHO can have a heart so hard that it will not melt on hearing of a most lamentable event which once happened in the world? There was a noble and holy mother who had but one only Son; and he was the most amiable that could be imagined, innocent, virtuous, beautiful, and most loving towards his mother; so much so, that he never had caused her the least displeasure, but always had showed her all respect, obedience, and affection. Hence the mother had placed on this Son all her earthly affections. Now what happened? It happened that this Son, through envy, was falsely accused by his enemies and the judge, although he knew and confessed his innocence, yet, that he might not offend his enemies, condemned him to an infamous death, precisely as they had requested him to do. And this poor mother had to suffer the affliction of seeing that amiable and beloved Son so unjustly taken from her, in the flower of his age, by a barbarous death; for he was made to die in torment, drained of his blood before her own eyes in a public place, upon an infamous cross. Devout souls, what do you say? Is this case and this unhappy mother worthy of compassion? Already you know of whom I speak. This Son so cruelly slain was our loving Redeemer, Jesus, and his mother was the Blessed Virgin Mary, who, for love of us, was willing to see him offered up to the divine justice by the barbarity of men. This great pain, then, which Mary suffered for us a pain which was more than a thousand deaths, merits our compassion and gratitude. And if we can return nothing else for so much love, at least let us for a little time today stop to consider the severity of the suffering by which Mary became queen of martyrs; for her great martyrdom exceeded in suffering that of all the martyrs being, in the first place the longest martyrdom; and in the second place, the greatest martyrdom. This comes mainly from 'The Glories of Mary' by Saint Alphonsus Ligouri with additions from the Raccolta and other pious sources at the end.

Many Catholics are unaware of our holy traditions on and powerful devotions to the Sorrows of Mary. Based on Scripture and the lives of the Saints, this little book will open eyes and hearts to the Sorrows of Our Lady.

How can joy and sorrow go together? After all, you usually don't find grieving widows laughing, nor newlyweds weeping. Joy and sorrow are so far removed from each other on the spectrum of human emotion that it seems illogical to stick them together. Yet there is a deep mystery here to unlock... Your life has sorrows. You are meant for joy. Facing the reality of sorrow, we can either live in denial of the pain or dig deeper for meaning... and joy. In contemplating the seven sorrows of the Mother of Jesus, we can discover what so many Christians over the centuries have found: in Mary's sorrows we find a model of faith and how to discover happiness in the midst of suffering. A way to transform sadness into gladness? That is revolutionary! Discovering Mary's method for converting sorrow to joy may just be the single most important step in your spiritual life. Launch into these pages and begin your journey to joy: to the meaning, peace, and happiness for which you thirst.

The liturgical year invites us to walk with Jesus through the most wonderful story ever told: the Gospel. In Through the Year with Jesus: Gospel Readings and Reflections for Children, catechist and popular blogger Katherine Bogner reveals the rich mystery of the seasons we celebrate in the Church. With Gospel readings for each week of the liturgical year, along with tools for reflection, discussion, and prayer, Through the Year with Jesus offers endless opportunities for discovering who Jesus is and better understanding Catholic teaching about his life and mission. Promote prayer and conversation about the life of Christ with children through Weekly readings from the Gospels Lectio Divina prompts to nurture personal prayer or journaling Sacred art to accompany the Gospel reading Stories of saints and many rich Catholic traditions for the liturgical year The easy-to-use format of Through the Year with Jesus helps adults lead children to an intimate encounter with the heart of Jesus through the rhythm of the liturgical year and the powerful words of Scripture.

A Rosary of the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady is a guided journey with Fr. Frederick Faber in his own words. The reader walks step by step, prayer by prayer beside the Blessed Virgin Mary through each of her Sorrows as the Mother of God. This text-based rosary comes alive through excerpts taken directly from Fr. Faber's 400-plus page treatise, The Foot of the Cross, The Sorrows of Mary, written in the 1850s. Fr. Faber was the English theologian who translated St. Louis de Montfort's, True Devotion to Mary into English. If you desire to deepen your relationship with the sorrowful Mother, this collection of pearls from Fr. Faber's mystical teaching is a good start. Now with the Daily Meditation to honor Our Sorrowful Mother as she requested.