MONTH OF OUR LADY OF SORROWS

The month of September is dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, whose memorial the Church celebrates on September 15. In addition to the Sacred Heart of Jesus  and Immaculate Heart of Mary devotion let spend some time with our Lady of Sorrows. The major biblical references to Mary's sorrows are in Luke 2:35 and “A sword will pierce your soul too -- so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.” From excerpt the sermon By St. Bernard of Clairvaux. “Truly, O blessed Mother, a sword has pierced your heart. For only by passing through your heart could the sword enter the flesh of your Son. Indeed, after your Jesus - who belongs to everyone, but is especially yours - gave up his life, the cruel spear, which was not withheld from his lifeless body, tore open his side. Clearly it did not touch his soul and could not harm him, but it did pierce your heart. For surely his soul was no longer there, but yours could not be torn away. Thus the violence of sorrow has cut through your heart, and we rightly call you more than martyr, since the effect of compassion in you has gone beyond the endurance of physical suffering.”


BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR SEPTEMBER VATICAN CITY, 1 SEP 2011 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for September is: "That all teachers may know how to communicate love of the truth and instil authentic moral and spiritual values". 


His mission intention is: "That the Christian communities of Asia may proclaim the Gospel with fervor, witnessing to its beauty with the joy of faith". 


Reading and prayers of the Month of September Links:

• Seven Sorrows of Mary
• Why Devotion to the Heart of Our Mother in Her Sorrows?
• Novena To Our Lady of Sorrows

Highlights of the Month of September

• Saturday, September 03, 2011 St. Gregory the Great, Pope, Doctor of the Church (Memorial) St. Gregory, senator and prefect of Rome, then in succession monk, cardinal and pope, governed the Church from 590 to 604. England owes her conversion to him. At a period when the invasion of the barbarians created a new situation in Europe, he played a considerable part in the transitional stage, during which a great number of them were won for Christ. At the same time he watched over the holiness of the clergy and preserved ecclesiastical discipline, as well as attending to the temporal interests of his people of Rome and the spiritual interests of the whole of Christendom. To him the liturgy owes several of its finest prayers, and the name "Gregorian chant" recalls this great Pope's work in the development of the Church's chant. His commentaries on Holy Scripture exercised a considerable influence on Christian thought, particularly in the Middle Ages. Together with St. Ambrose, St. Augustine and St. Jerome, he is one of the four great Doctors of the Latin Church.
• Sunday, September 11, 2011 ሰንበት ባሕቲ መስከረም 2004 (ቅ. ዮሓንስ)  Geez New Year
• Monday, September 12, 2011 The Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Optional Memorial)
• Tuesday, September 13, 2011 St. John Chrysostom, Bishop, Doctor of the Church (Memorial)
• Wednesday, September 14, 2011 Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Feast) this feast was observed in Rome before the end of the seventh century. It commemorates the recovery of the Holy Cross, which had been placed on Mt. Calvary by St. Helena and preserved in Jerusalem, but then had fallen into the hands of Chosroas, King of the Persians. The precious relic was recovered and returned to Jerusalem by Emperor Heralius in 629. The lessons from the Breviary tell us that Emperor Heraclius carried the Cross back to Jerusalem on his shoulders. He was clothed with costly garments and with ornaments of precious stones. But at the entrance to Mt. Calvary a strange incident occurred. Try as hard as he would, he could not go forward. Zacharias, the Bishop of Jerusalem, then said to the astonished monarch: "Consider, O Emperor, that with these triumphal ornaments you are far from resembling Jesus carrying His Cross." The Emperor then put on a penitential garb and continued the journey.
• Thursday, September 15, 2011 Our Lady of Sorrows (Memorial) This feast dates back to the 12th century. It was especially promoted by the Cistercians and the Servites, so much so that in the 14th and 15th centuries it was widely celebrated throughout the Catholic Church. Devotion to the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady has its roots in Sacred Scripture and in Christian piety, which always associates the Blessed Mother with her suffering Son. Today's feast was introduced by the Servites in order to intensify devotion to Our Lady's Sorrows. In 1817 Pius VII — suffering grievously in exile but finally liberated by Mary's intercession — extended the feast to the universal Church.
• Wednesday, September 21, 2011 St. Matthew, Apostle, Evangelist (Feast)
• Friday, September 23, 2011 St. Pio of Pietrelcina, Priest (Memorial)
• Tuesday, September 27, 2011 St. Vincent de Paul, Priest (Memorial)
• Tuesday, September 27, 2011 መስከረም 17, 2004 ብዐል መስቀል
• Thursday, September 29, 2011 Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels (Feast)

Trivia Questions of the Month of September

1. In 12th Century who are the prime promoters for “Our Lady of Sorrows”?
2. Who is the Patron saint of teachers?
3. Who is the Patron Saint of Unborn?