Saturday - Day of Our Lady

Of the Dolours of Mary
fragments from "The Glories of Mary" by St Alphonsus Liquori

Mary was the Queen of Martyrs, for her martydrom was longer and greater than that of all the Martyrs

Who can ever have a heart so hard that it will not melt on hearing the mmost lamentable event which once occured in the world? There was noble and holy Mother who had an only Son. This Son was the most amiable that can be imagined - inocent, virtuous, beautiful, who loved His Mother most tenderly; so much so that He had never caused her the least displeasure, but had ever shown her all respect, obedience, and affecdtion: hence this Mother had placed all her affections on earth in this Son. Hear, then, what had happened. This Son, through envy, was falsely accused by His enemies; and though the judge knew, and himself confessed, that He was innocent, yet, that he might not offend His enemies, he condemned Him to the ignominious death that they had demanded. This poor Mother had to suffer the grief of seeing that her amiable and beloved Son unjustly snatched from her in the flower of His age by a barbarous death; for, by dint of torment and drained of all His blood, He was made to die on the infamous gibbet in a public place of execution, and this before her own eyes.
Devout soul, what say you? Is not this event, and is not this unhappy Mother worthy of compassion? You already understand of whom I speak. This Son, so cruelly executed, was our loving Redeemer Jesus; and this Motgher was the Blessed Virgin Mary; who. for the love ahe bore us, was willing to see HHim sacrificed to Divine justice by the barbarity of men. This great torment, then, which Mary endured for us - a torment which was more than a thousand deaths - deserves both our compassion and our gratitude. If we can make no other return for so much love at least let us give a few moments this day to consider the greatness of this sufferings of her great martydrom exceeded those of all the martyrs; being, in the first place, the longest in point of duration; and in the second place, the greatest in point of intensity.
Prayer
O my afflicted Mother! Queen of martyrs and of sorrows, thou didst so bitterly weep over thy Son, who died for my salvation; but what will thy tears avail me if I am lost? By the merit, then, of thy sorrows, obtain me true contrition for my sins, and a real amendment of life, together with constant and tender compassio for the sufferings of Jesus and thy dolours.