At the cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.
Virgin of all virgins blest!
Listen to my fond request:
Let me share your grief divine.
Let me to my latest breath,
In my body bear the death
Of that dying Son of yours.
Wounded with his every wound,
Steep my soul till it has swooned
In his very blood away.
Be to me, O Virgin nigh,
Lest in flames I burn and die
In his awful judgment day.
Christ when you shall call me hence,
Be your mother my defense,
Be your cross my victory.
While my body here decays,
May my soul your goodness praise,
Safe in heaven eternally. Amen
Or another suitable hymn approved by ecclesiastical authority.
Ant. 1 In the blood of the Cross,
God has made you spouse and mother,
ever a virgin.
PSALM 122 Greeting to the Holy City of Jerusalem
You have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22).
I rejoiced when they said to me, *
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
And now our feet are standing *
within your gates, Jerusalem.
Jerusalem, built as a city,*
walled round about.
Here the tribes have come, the tribes of the Lord, †
as it was decreed for Israel, *
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
Here are the thrones of justice, *
the thrones of the house of David.
For the peace of Jerusalem pray: *
“May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your ramparts, *
prosperity within your towers.”
For family and friends *
I say, “May peace be yours.”
For the house of the Lord, our God,*
I pray, “May blessings be yours.”
Ant. 1 In the blood of the Cross,
God has made you spouse and mother,
ever a virgin.
Ant. 2 You were the chosen one of God,
O Virgin Mary;
all peoples will praise you forever.
PSALM 127 All toil is useless without the Lord
Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth. You are God's field, God's building. (1 Corinthians3:7,9)
Unless the Lord build the house, *
they labor in vain who build.
Unless the Lord guard the city, *
in vain does the guard keep watch.
It is vain for you to rise early *
and put off your rest at night,
To eat bread earned by hard toil-- *
all this God gives to his beloved in sleep.
Children too are a gift from the Lord,*
the fruit of the womb, a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior *
are the children born in one's youth.
Blessed are they *
whose quivers are full.
They will never be shamed *
contending with foes at the gate.
Ant. 2 You were the chosen one of God,
O Virgin Mary;
all peoples will praise you forever.
Ant. 3 The beauty of your Son Jesus
has made you resplendent.
CANTICLE cf Ephesians 1:3-10 God our Savior
In the Virgin Mother, Christ has revealed to us the mystery of the Father.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, †
who has blessed us in Christ *
with every spiritual blessing in the heavens.
God chose us in him, †
before the foundation of the world, *
to be holy and without blemish before him.
In love he destined us †
for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, *
in accord with the favor of his will,
for the praise of the glory of his grace *
that he granted us in the beloved.
In Christ we have redemption by his blood, *
the forgiveness of transgressions,
in accord with the riches of his grace *
that he lavished upon us.
In all wisdom and insight †
God has made known to us the mystery of his will *
in accord with his favor that he set forth in him,
as a plan for the fullness of times, *
to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth.
Ant. 3 The beauty of your Son Jesus
has made you resplendent.
READING 2 Timothy 2:10-12a
I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, together with eternal glory. This saying is trustworthy: If we have died with him we shall also live with him; if we persevere we shall also reign with him.
RESPONSORY
R. Mary was standing * near the cross of her Son.
-- Mary was standing near the cross of her Son.
V. She faced the martyrdom of her heart with strength,
-- near the cross of her Son.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
-- Mary was standing near the cross of her Son.
Magnificat Ant. We rejoice with you, Woman of the New Covenant;
through the Cross of your Son, death has been defeated.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; *
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
For he has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness; *
behold, from now on all ages will call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me, *
and holy is his name.
His mercy is from age to age *
to those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm, *
dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.
He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones*
but lifted up the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things; *
the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped Israel his servant, *
remembering his mercy,
according to his promise to our fathers, *
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.
Magnificat Ant. We rejoice with you, Woman of the New Covenant;
through the Cross of your Son, death has been defeated.
INTERCESSIONS
With Our Lady of Sorrows, let us look lovingly at the crucified Christ and pray to our heavenly Father saying:
Reveal to us, Father, the mysterious glory of the Cross.
God of love, in the blood of your Son, poured out on the Cross, you ratified the eternal covenant with your people,
- grant that we may live it as Mary did, faithful to your loving plan and in solidarity with all our sisters and brothers.
God of compassion, in view of Christ’s Paschal Mystery, you preserved the Virgin Mary undefiled,
- keep us free from sin.
God of life, you strengthened Mary at the foot of the Cross and filled her with joy at the resurrection of her Son,
- support us amid the trials of life and strengthen us in hope.
God of peace, in the blood of your Son you reconciled humanity to yourself and restored harmony in creation,
- make us builders of peace, generous in service and solicitous in love.
God of kindness, through your Son, the sole Mediator, who died and rose for us,
- grant to our deceased brothers and sisters a share in the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Our Father.
Prayer
Father most holy, who willed to associate Our Lady of Sorrows, Woman of the New Covenant, to the sacrifice of your Son; through the merits of his precious blood, grant, we pray, that your Church, born of Christ’s pierced side, may always celebrate the memorial of his work of redemption with the love of our Mother Mary showed. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
