The Seven Sorrows and Seven Joys of the Blessed Virgin Mary

                          Wrapped Up in the Shroud                                          

 

Many are familiar with Mary’s “Seven Sorrows.”

Many, too, with Her “Seven Joys.”

Here, we have put the two together, with a twist or two to compare the images of the Joyful vs. the Sorrowful.  How interesting, when seen in this Light, that the Joyful began with a linen cloth and the Sorrowful ended with a linen cloth!

In this comparison, we have taken the Joyful first, placing them in ascending order, and then matched them to the Sorrowful, placing them in descending order.  Our God does nothing by accident and these symbolic comparisons, once again, prove there is no mistake! He has extracted His Mother’s tears of Joy and Sorrow for the sake of sinners by granting them graces from the Hands of Mary, the Mediatrix of All Graces!

 

                                JOYS   vs.  SORROWS

     1.  Mary wraps Her Son in swaddling                   7.  Mary wraps Her Son in His
          clothes made of coarse linen.                                fine linen Shroud for burial.

     2.  Mary holds Her newborn Son after                  6.  Mary holds Her Son's lifeless
          His miraculous virginal birth.                                Body after He is taken down
                                                                                      from the Cross.

     3.  Mary kneels at the Foot of the Manger             5.  Mary stands at the Foot of
          as Her Son is worshipped.                                    the Cross as Her Son is
                                                                                     crucified before Her.

     4.  Mary brings Her Child to the Temple               4.  Mary meets Her Son on His
          of His Father where He will                                   Way to the Cross where
          shed His Blood for the first time.                          He will shed His Blood for the
                                                                                      last time.

     5. Mary is reunited with Her Child                        3.  Mary loses Her Son for three
         three days after the Passover feast.                      days after His Crucifixion.

     6.  Mary saves Her Son’s life by                           2.  Mary cannot save Her Son’s
          escaping from Herod's soldiers.                            life as She is decreed Mother
                                                                                      of all by Her Son before
                                                                                      Rome's soldiers.

     7.  Mary is crowned Queen of Heaven,               1.  Mary brings Her Son to the
          fulfilling Her Magnificat prophecy                          Temple and hears Simeon's
          that God, who is mighty has done                         prophecy that a Sword of
          great things to Her and all                                     Sorrow shall pierce Her soul!
          generations shall call Her                                      At the Foot of the Cross,
          “blessed.”                                                             when Her Son’s Heart is
                                                                                      pierced, Her own Heart is
                                                                                      pierced as well.

As is evident in these Seven Sorrows and Joys, the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary can never be separated!  And the two Hearts that were pierced by separate Swords of Sorrow are completely wrapped together in the Image of the Crucified Christ on the  Shroud of Turin.

Indeed, in our study of the Shroud, we noticed that where the blood flows from the pierced Heart of our Crucified Savior, the stains on the cloth are flat, as if a hand was pressed up against this sacred wound!  Is this evidence for the Truth that Mary touched Her Son's Sacred Heart one last time before His Body was placed in the Tomb?

                                And now we ask You, our great God and Savior,
                                       in honor of You and Your Mother’s
                                              Seven Sorrows and Joys,
                                                    to bring the world
                                            into the Glorious Mysteries
                                         and crown Your Mother on Earth,
                                                    O King of Glory,
                                          as You crowned Her in Heaven!