The Seven Dolours of the BVM

Today is the feast of the Seven Dolours of the  Blessed Virgin Mary.  It is one of the few occasions that the Mass includes a Sequence: the Stabat Mater. The other Sequences in the Liber Usualis are the Dies Irae, the Lauda Sion, the Veni Sancte Spiritus, and the Victimae Paschali - distinguished company by any standard! Perhaps that is a mark of the importance our forefathers attached to this feast.

Here is the Sequence:

If you are unfamiliar with the Latin text, you may know the English: At the Cross her station keeping, which is often sung at the Stations of the Cross.  I include both below (the translation is by Caswell; the original may well have been written by Jacopo da Todi in the thirteenth century.)

Today's gospel is the one about Our Lady standing at the foot of the Cross - and, in that moment when her heart is being pierced as foretold by Simeon, being given to us as our Mother.

Stabat mater dolorósa juxta Crucem lacrimósa, dum pendébat Fílius. Cuius ánimam geméntem, contristátam et doléntem pertransívit gládius. O quam tristis et afflícta fuit illa benedícta, mater Unigéniti! Quae mœrébat et dolébat, pia Mater, dum vidébat nati pœnas ínclyti. Quis est homo qui non fleret, matrem Christi si vidéret in tanto supplício? Quis non posset contristári Christi Matrem contemplári doléntem cum Fílio? Pro peccátis suæ gentis vidit Iésum in torméntis, et flagéllis súbditum. Vidit suum dulcem Natum moriéndo desolátum, dum emísit spíritum. Eia, Mater, fons amóris me sentíre vim dolóris fac, ut tecum lúgeam. Fac, ut árdeat cor meum in amándo Christum Deum ut sibi compláceam. Sancta Mater, istud agas, crucifíxi fige plagas cordi meo válide. Tui Nati vulneráti, tam dignáti pro me pati, pœnas mecum dívide. Fac me tecum pie flere, crucifíxo condolére, donec ego víxero. Juxta Crucem tecum stare, et me tibi sociáre in planctu desídero. Virgo vírginum præclára, mihi iam non sis amára, fac me tecum plángere. Fac, ut portem Christi mortem, passiónis fac consórtem, et plagas recólere. Fac me plagis vulnerári, fac me Cruce inebriári, et cruóre Fílii. Flammis ne urar succénsus, per te, Virgo, sim defénsus in die iudícii. Christe, cum sit hinc exíre, da per Matrem me veníre ad palmam victóriæ. Quando corpus moriétur, fac, ut ánimæ donétur paradísi glória. Amen. At the Cross her station keeping, stood the mournful Mother weeping, close to her Son to the last. Through her heart, His sorrow sharing, all His bitter anguish bearing, now at length the sword has passed. O how sad and sore distressed was that Mother, highly blest, of the sole-begotten One. Christ above in torment hangs, she beneath beholds the pangs of her dying glorious Son. Is there one who would not weep, whelmed in miseries so deep, Christ's dear Mother to behold? Can the human heart refrain from partaking in her pain, in that Mother's pain untold? For the sins of His own nation, She saw Jesus wracked with torment, All with scourges rent: She beheld her tender Child, Saw Him hang in desolation, Till His spirit forth He sent. O thou Mother! fount of love! Touch my spirit from above, make my heart with thine accord: Make me feel as thou hast felt; make my soul to glow and melt with the love of Christ my Lord. Holy Mother! pierce me through, in my heart each wound renew of my Savior crucified: Let me share with thee His pain, who for all my sins was slain, who for me in torments died. Let me mingle tears with thee, mourning Him who mourned for me, all the days that I may live: By the Cross with thee to stay, there with thee to weep and pray, is all I ask of thee to give. Virgin of all virgins blest!, Listen to my fond request: let me share thy grief divine; Let me, to my latest breath, in my body bear the death of that dying Son of thine. Wounded with His every wound, steep my soul till it hath 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 Thou shalt call me hence, be Thy Mother my defense, be Thy Cross my victory; While my body here decays, may my soul Thy goodness praise, Safe in Paradise with Thee. -- In these troubled times, we should have incessant recourse to our Blessed Mother...--