How to Pray the Seven Sorrows

Last Updated: May 16, 2022 References

The Seven Sorrows Rosary allows you to reflect on the trials of Christ, the Savior, and Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary, our Lady of Sorrows, revealed the devotion of the Seven Sorrows to Saint Bridget of Sweden. Today, we pray the Seven Sorrows Rosary to gain empathy for Mary’s suffering, to understand the suffering of others, and to recognize our own suffering. To meditate on the Seven Sorrows, all you need is a rosary and seven passages from Scripture. This article will walk you through how to pray the Seven Sorrows Rosary so you honor how Mary suffered with love.

Section 1 of 6:

Begin the Seven Sorrows Rosary

1
Take out your rosary. Make sure it has seven "sets"—or sections—with seven beads each. A “Seven Sorrows Chaplet” rosary will also work. As you begin your Seven Sorrows Rosary, start at the "Antiphon" beads, the three beads directly above the pendant of the crucifix.^{[1]
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- A “Seven Sorrows Chaplet” rosary has seven beads to say seven Hail Marys and seven sections to reflect on Mary’s Sorrows.^{[2]
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- Some “Seven Sorrows Chaplet” rosaries have seven pendants to depict each Biblical scene of Mary’s Sorrows.
- A “The Franciscan Crown” rosary can also work since it has seven “decades,” which are sections with ten beads each.
2
Begin with the Sign of the Cross. Touch your forehead and say, “In the name of the Father.” Then, touch the center of your chest and declare, “...and of the Son…” Press your right shoulder and say, “...and of the Holy…” Tap your left shoulder and say, “Spirit.” End by placing your hands together and announcing, “Amen.”^{[3]
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- Use your right hand to symbolize that Jesus sits on the right hand of the Father.^{[4]
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3
Make the Introductory Prayer. Say, "My God, I offer you this Rosary in honour of the seven principal Sorrows of Mary, for your greatest glory, for my conversion and that of all people through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our salvation and our unique way to come to you, in union with the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen!"^{[5]
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4
Recite the Act of Contrition Prayer. Say, "O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because of thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of Thy grace to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen."^{[6]
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5
Say three Hail Marys. Move up one "Antiphon" bead with each Hail Mary. Recite, “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen."^{[7]
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Section 2 of 6:

Recite the Sorrows

1
The First Sword of Sorrow, The Prophecy of Simeon Declare the first episode of Mary's sacred journey. "With this confidence in my heart, I meditate on the First Sorrow, when Mary, Virgin Mother of my God, presented Jesus her only Son in the Temple, laid Him in the arms of holy and aged Simeon, and heard his prophetic word, 'The sword of grief shall pierce thy soul,' foretelling thereby the Passion and Death of her Son Jesus.^{[8]
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- Recite Luke 2:34–35: “Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too'."
- Pray the Our Father Prayer.
- Pray seven Hail Marys. With each Hail Mary, move your fingers up one bead on the rosary.^{[9]
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- Pray the Most Merciful Mother.
2
The Second Sword of Sorrow, The Flight into Egypt Announce the Second Sorrow. “The Second Sorrow of the Blessed Virgin was when she was obliged to fly into Egypt by reason of the persecution of cruel Herod, who impiously sought to slay her well beloved Son.”
- Recite Matthew 2:13-14: “When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, 'take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.' So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt.”
- Pray the Our Father Prayer.
- Pray seven Hail Marys. With each Hail Mary, move your fingers up one bead on the rosary.
- Pray the Most Merciful Mother.
3
The Third Sword of Sorrow, The Loss of Jesus in the Temple Announce the third episode of Mary’s Sorrows. “The Third Sorrow of the Blessed Virgin was when, after having gone up to Jerusalem at the Paschal Feast with Joseph her spouse and Jesus her beloved Son, she lost Him on the way back to her poor house, and for three days bewailed the loss of her only Love.”
- Recite Luke 2:43-45: "After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him."
- Pray the Our Father Prayer.
- Pray seven Hail Marys. With each Hail Mary, move your fingers up one bead on the rosary.
- Pray the Most Merciful Mother.
4
The Fourth Sword of Sorrow, Mary Meets Jesus on the Way to Calvary Announce the Fourth Sorrow. “The Fourth Sorrow of the Blessed Virgin was when she met her dear Son Jesus carrying to Mount Calvary on his tender shoulders the heavy Cross whereon He was to be crucified for our salvation.”
- Recite Luke 23:27-29: “A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. Jesus turned and said to them, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’”
- Pray the Our Father Prayer.
- Pray seven Hail Marys. With each Hail Mary, move your fingers up one bead on the rosary.
- Pray the Most Merciful Mother.
5
The Fifth Sword of Sorrow, Mary Stands at the Foot of the Cross Declare the fifth episode of Mary’s journey. “The Fifth Sorrow of the Blessed Virgin was when she saw her Son Jesus raised upon the hard tree of the Cross, and blood flowing from every part of his sacred Body, and then beheld Him die after three hours agony.”
- Recite John 19:25-27: “Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, ‘Woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.”
- Pray the Our Father Prayer.
- Pray seven Hail Marys. With each Hail Mary, move your fingers up one bead on the rosary.
- Pray the Most Merciful Mother.
6
The Sixth Sword of Sorrow, Mary Embraces the Dead Body of Jesus Announce the Sixth Sorrow. “The Sixth Sorrow of the Blessed Virgin was when she saw the lance pierce the sacred Side of Jesus, her beloved Son, the nails withdrawn, and his holy Body laid in her purest bosom.”
- Recite John 19:38-40: “Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.”
- Pray the Our Father Prayer.
- Pray seven Hail Marys. With each Hail Mary, move your fingers up one bead on the rosary.
- Pray the Most Merciful Mother.
7
The Seventh Sword of Sorrow, The Body of Jesus is Placed in the Tomb Announce the final Sorrow in the Seven Sorrows. “The Seventh and last Sorrow of the Blessed Virgin, Queen and Advocate of us, her servants, miserable sinners, was when she saw the Holy Body of her Son buried in the grave.”
- Recite John 19:41-42: “At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.”
- Pray the Our Father Prayer.
- Pray seven Hail Marys. With each Hail Mary, move your fingers up one bead on the rosary.
- Pray the Most Merciful Mother.

Section 3 of 6:

The Our Father Prayer

"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."^{[10]
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- Recite the Our Father Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) after you recite each sorrow.
- There is a short version of the Our Father prayer in the Gospel of Luke (Luke: 11:1-13).

Section 4 of 6:

The Hail Mary Prayer

“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen."^{[11]
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- Say 7 Hail Marys per sorrow, after the Lord's prayer.

Section 5 of 6:

The Most Merciful Mother

"Most Merciful Mother, remind us always about the Sorrows of your Son, Jesus." ^{[12]
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- Pray the Most Merciful Mother at the end of every Sorrow.

Section 6 of 6:

Conclude the Seven Sorrows Rosary

1
After you've prayed every Sorrow, recite the Hail Holy Queen prayer. Hold the centerpiece of your rosary and say, “Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears Turn then, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us, and after this exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.”^{[13]
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2
Say three Hail Marys. With every Hail Mary, move down an "Antiphon" bead to pay homage to the Tears of our Sorrowful Mother.^{[14]
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3
Make the Sign of the Cross. Touch your forehead and say, “In the name of the Father.” Move your hand to the center of your chest, declaring, “...and of the Son…” Touch your right shoulder and say, “...and of the Holy…” Tap your left shoulder and say, “Spirit.” End by placing your hands together and announcing, “Amen.”^{[15]
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