Seasonal Marian Hymn - Salve Regina
St. Michael's Lent Countdown
Countdown to Michaelmas:
Our Lady of Sorrows
Today, September 15th, we celebrate the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows.
According to CatholicSaints.info:
“This
feast probably originated after the
Council of Ephesus in
431, which established her right to the title of “Mother of God.” It was first mentioned in a
hymn composed by
Saint Romanus, an ecclesiastical lyrist of the Greek Church; adopted by the Roman Church in the
17th century.”
The Seven Sorrows of Mary, are similar to the mysteries of the Rosary. The Mysteries of the Rosary walk us through the major events in the life of Jesus. The Seven Sorrows are based off of 7 times Mary suffered during her life. Usually, a picture of Mary with her heart pierced with 7 swords is depicted to represent the Seven Sorrows.
The 7 Sorrows of Mary are:
- The Prophecy of Simeon over the Infant Jesus (Luke 2:34): “and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted”
- The Flight into Egypt of the Holy Family (Matthew 2:13): “When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt,and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.’”
- The Loss of the Child Jesus for Three Days (Luke 2:43): “After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it.”
- The Meeting of Jesus and Mary along the Way of the Cross (Luke 23:26): “As they led him away they took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus.”
- The Crucifixion, where Mary stands at the foot of the cross (John 19:25): “Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala.”
- The Descent from the Cross, where Mary receives the dead body of Jesus in her arms (Matthew 27:57): “When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who was himself a disciple of Jesus.”
- The Burial of Jesus (John 19:40): “They took the body of Jesus and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom.”
Simple ways to observe the Memorial:
- Go to Mass
- Pray the Divine Office
- Pray the Seven Sorrows Chaplet
- If you're feeling crafty, make a 7 Sorrows Chaplet out of paracord and beads
St. Hildegard (September 17th)
I wrote about a fun St. Hildegard Science activity here. If you would like to do the activity, you will need basic supplies and spices (ground and whole). The spices you will need are cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. If you are in baking mood, you may want to make sure you have the ingredients for this recipe on hand.
St. Januarius (September 19th)
St. Januarius was a courageous and faithful bishop who lived during the Diocletian Persecutions and was martyred for his faith. I came up with 7 science activities inspired by this brave saint. Grab some baking soda, vinegar, a balloon, jar, and red food coloring if you want to do some fun science for his feast day.
Ember Days Preparation (in case you missed it)
There are 4 sets of Ember Days – one in each season. The fall Ember Days begin on the Wednesday following the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (which always falls on September 14). This year, the fall Ember Days are on September 17, 19, and 20.
Each season, we give thanks for a specific crop that grows in that season on that season’s particular Ember Days. The crop that we give thanks for during the fall Ember Days is grapes. Each Ember Days crop is also paired with a certain sacramental symbol. For fall, we give thanks for grapes which are used to make the Precious Blood. You can learn about why chalices must be made of precious metal to hold the Precious Blood here!
The Ember Days are a time dedicated to voluntary penance. They are not required by the church, but a little extra intentional penance and thanksgiving can do a lot of good! For the Ember Days, we are to fast on Wednesday (reminding us of Judas’s betrayal) and Saturday (reminding us of the tomb), and fast and abstain from meat on Friday (reminding us of the crucifixion). Meat is allowed for dinner on Ember Wednesday and Ember Saturday.
Please note: If you are nursing, pregnant, or cannot fast and/or abstain from meat for ANY reason, please do not fast and abstain, as listed above! You can abstain from other things such as: non-essential food (dessert, sweets, coffee, soda), screens, other vices/bad habits, etc. If your pregnancy or condition causes you physical suffering, you can also offer that up for your Ember Days Intentions.
Here is an excellent summary and explanation of Ember Days.
I am also including a sample meal plan for these days. In order to be successful on Ember Days fasting and abstinence, I like to keep our meals as simple as possible. I just serve the same thing for the fasting days, but I have included a blank plan if you would like to switch it up! This fasting bread recipe is nice and hearty, and it makes 3 loaves which is great to last the 3 days (they freeze well, so I would freeze 1 or 2 of them). You can also double or triple this soup recipe to last you the 3 days, or add in another meal that your family enjoys. Keeping the meals and meal prep simple gives me more time for observing the day and praying!
Talk with you this week for Ember Days, St. Hildegard, and St. Januarius!
To Jesus through Mary,
Alexandra
Remember: To make your Liturgical Living Alerts easier to find in your inbox, I will be adding a heart emoji 💚 in the color of the Liturgical Season. So, just look out for the heart emoji to easily find your alerts!
Also, these alerts are for both Holy Days of Obligation and Optional devotions and practices. Feel free to pick and choose the Optional Feasts that you would like to observe!
Simply add the Optional Feasts to your planner or calendar to remind yourself.
