Mater Dolorosa: Turning Sorrows to Joy

September 15 marks the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. The Seven Sorrows of Mary are a popular Roman Catholic devotion.These Seven Sorrows (Dolors) are events in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, namely: the Prophecy of Simon; the flight into Egypt; the loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple; Mary meets Jesus on the way to Calvary; Jesus dies on the cross; Mary receives the body of Jesus in her arms; and the body of Jesus is placed in the tomb.
The Blessed Virgin Mary is referred to the following names in relation to her sorrows in life:Our Lady of Sorrows (Latin: Beata Maria Virgo Perdolens), the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows (Latin: Mater Dolorosa, at times just Dolorosa), and Our Lady of Piety, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolors.
The feast was included in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints in 1814 and Pope Pius VII extended the festivity to the whole of the Latin Church. Meanwhile, it was Pope Pius X in 1913 that moved the feast to September 15, the day after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross.
In the Archdiocese of Davao, the Parish of the Our Lady of Sorrows in Babak, Island Garden City of Samal celebrates the feast on September 15 with the theme: “Maria: Inahan nato sa Pagtoo”. Different activities were lined up in order to make the celebration meaningful and joyful. Novena masses starts at 5:30 PM that started last September 6 and ended on September 14. Procession is done on the 14th after the 3 PM mass presided by Most Rev. George Rimando, D.D. (Auxilliary Bishop). Masses on the feast day are the following: 5:00 AM – Rev. Msgr. Nelson Lucas, PC,J.C.L.; 6:30 AM – Rev. Msgr. Nelson Lucas, PC,J.C.L.; 8:00 AM – Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, D.D.(Archbishop of Davao); 9:30 AM (Baptism Mass) – Rev. Fr. Arnold A. Balaquinto, D.C.D.; 5:00 PM – Rev. Msgr. Leonardo Vicente(Vicar General).Program and parlor games which is spearheaded by the Parish PYA will be played after the 8:00 AM mass.
Our Lady of Seven Sorrows is at times simply represented in a sad and anguished mode by herself, her expression being that of tears and sadness. In other representations the Virgin Mary is depicted with seven swords in her heart, a reference to the prophecy of Simeon at the Presentation.
It depicts the Virgin Mary at the moment that Simeon the Righteous says, “Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also….” (Luke 2:35) She stands with her hands upraised in prayer, and seven swords pierce her heart, indicative of the seven sorrows.