L'Addolorata (Our Lady of Sorrows) by Antoine Auguste Ernest Herbert

Carlo Dolci - Christ As The Man of Sorrows

“[Jesus] withstood all these sufferings to set you aflame with love for Him, to move you in return to love Him with your heart, soul and mind. We are invited to love Him and in loving Him to follow His example.”

– St Bonaventure

Ah, my Son, Thou art dead! He is dead! Ah, who is dead? It is the King of heaven; the Creator of the world, a God, who wished to die for us poor sinners.

See, if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow.

O all ye that pass by the way,

Attend and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow.

Sorrow

Great as the sea is thy sorrow O wide expanse of lonely gray, endless to sight and deep beyond the sounding of our shallow hearts, how can we comfort thee?

Great as the sea, and silent as a morning after storm. O quietness beside the shore’s wild wreckage, O grief-worn waters, what comfort can we bring?

O great like the sea, and profound! O great, and as the sea, so stilled! O Sorrow of Mary, the infinite Heart of God alone can comfort thee.

- Communion of Reparation (for Our Lady of Sorrows) by Sr. Mary Julian Baird, R.S.M.

Oh, look at him, and love him; and if his great worth move you not, at least let these sorrows and ignominies which he suffers for you move you to love him.

O adorable Heart of my Jesus, Heart inflamed with the love of men, Heart created on purpose to love them, how is it possible that Thou canst be despised, and Thy love so ill corresponded to by men? Oh, miserable that I am, I also have been one of those ungrateful ones that have not loved Thee. Forgive me, my Jesus, this great sin of not having loved Thee Who art so amiable, and Who hast loved me so much that Thou canst do nothing more to oblige me to love Thee. 

O Love of my Jesus, Thou art my Love. O Burning Heart of my Jesus, do Thou inflame my heart also. Do not permit me in future, even for a single moment, to live without Thy love; rather kill me, destroy me; do not let the world behold the spectacle of such horrid ingratitude as that I, who have been so beloved by Thee, and received so many favours and lights from Thee, should begin again to despise Thy love. No, my Jesus, permit it not. I trust in the Blood that Thou hast shed for me, that I shall always love Thee, and that Thou wilt always love me, and that this love between Thee and me will not be broken off for eternity. O Mary, Mother of fair love, thou who desirest so much to see Jesus loved, bind me, unite me with thy Son; but bind me to Him so that we may never again be separated.

St. Augustine (Catechism of the Catholic Church)

Oh! I want the crown of sorrow for this world. The other will be for heaven.

- St. Catherine of Siena

A Russian painting of Mary as the Joy of All who Sorrow.

A 1950s print of Our Lady of Sorrows.

Pray for us

Mother of love, of sorrow, and of mercy, pray for us.

- Short Catholic prayer

Chesterton (via semper-spes-est)

St. Thomas Moore (via peterapostle)