Our Monthly Devotions :: Rosary or Chaplet of the Seven Dolors.

Rosary or Chaplet of the Seven Dolors.

Act Of Contrition.

O my Lord, Thou Who alone art most worthy of my love, behold me standing before Thy divine presence utterly overwhelmed by the many grievous injuries I have done Thee. I ask Thy pardon for them with my whole heart, repenting of them purely for love of Thee, and, at the thought of Thy great goodness, hating and loathing them above all other evils of this life. As I would rather have died a thousand times than have offended Thee, so now I am most firmly resolved to lose my life rather than offend Thee again. My crucified Jesus, I firmly purpose to cleanse my soul as soon as possible by Thy most precious blood in the Sacrament of Penance. And thou, most tender Virgin, Mother of mercy and Refuge of sinners, do thou obtain for me the pardon of sin by virtue of thy bitter pains; [pg 403] whilst praying according to the mind of so many holy Pontiffs in order to obtain the indulgences granted to this, thy holy Rosary, I hope thereby to obtain remission of all pains due to my sins. Amen.

First Dolor: The prophecy of Simeon. One Our Father and seven Hail Marys.

Second Dolor: The flight into Egypt. One Our Father and seven Hail Marys.

Third Dolor: The loss of Jesus. One Our Father and seven Hail Marys.

Fourth Dolor: Her meeting Jesus carrying His cross. One Our Father and seven Hail Marys.

Fifth Dolor: Her standing beneath the cross on Calvary. One Our Father and seven Hail Marys.

Sixth Dolor: Her receiving on her lap the sacred body of Jesus. One Our Father and seven Hail Marys.

Seventh Dolor: Her witnessing the burial of the sacred body of Her Son. One Our Father and seven Hail Marys.

In honor of the tears shed by Our Lady in these dolors, three Hail Marys.

V. Pray for us, O most sorrowful Virgin.

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let Us Pray.

Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, that the Blessed Virgin, Thy Mother, may intercede for us with Thy clemency, now and at the hour of our death, who in the hour of Thy Passion was pierced in her most holy soul by the sword of sorrow; grant this, O Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth, world without end. Amen.

[pg 404]

Both in the Old and in the New Testaments the Holy Scriptures teach us that the angels exist and protect us: many examples are cited and facts related, from which we may conclude that this is so. True, we do not see the angels, and rare are the actual manifestations of their power, or their existence; hence some people deny that order of spirits.

But by a merciful dispensation of divine Providence, we know that the angels are active among us, that they shield us from evil, and draw heavenly favors upon us. They are ever ready to serve God; there are also spirits who care for each individual on earth—guardian angels.

Suarez is of opinion that Our Lord, in His adorable humanity, had a number of angels to wait on Him. Our guardian angel does his work not less effectively, for Our Lord tells us to be in dread of scandalizing a child, because of his angel who is always at his side.

At the time of the birth of Our Lord a multitude of the heavenly choir sang, “Glory to God on high, and peace to men of good-will.” During this month we celebrate the feast of the angel guardian; it has been considered so important that the whole month is set aside to the devotion of the angels. The Church encourages us in this devotion, for in the breviary she has authorized a votive office in honor of these heavenly spirits, on every Monday when there is no special festival to be celebrated, so that we may be continually reminded of the great truth that our guardian angel is always at our side.

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