Stabat Mater Dolorosa: At the Cross Her Station Keeping

The wee hours of the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is now here! : )) A happy and O so beautiful feast day for all of us as we labour through Passion Week!!!

It was on this day so many years ago, in the Holy House of Loreto (Nazareth), that Our Dearest Mamma Mary humbly said YES to God, through the Angel, so that Our Dearest Saviour, Jesus could come into this world. 

1) The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.

And She conceived of the Holy Ghost.

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with Thee, Blessed art Thou amongst women and Blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

2) Behold the handmaid of the Lord,

Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary ...

3) And the Word was made flesh.

And dwelt amongst us.

Hail Mary ...

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.

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

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross, be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ, our Lord. Amen.

So great was this huge decision that was made, that this changed the entire course of events for the whole world. It was because of this decision that dearest Mother Mary, through the grace of the Most High, made, that allowed for the Saviour of the world to come into this darkness.

It was this decision, that thereby, the fate of all souls since the beginning of time to the end of time was changed. She was the one that said yes to God and thus, to a certain extent, helped accomplish for us, our salvation. In a sense, she made the first committed step, and there was no turning back after she said yes to God. This is one of the reasons why the dearest Blessed Virgin has been given the title, the Co-Redemptrix of mankind, our salvation, because, by virtue of this huge decision she made, she helped save mankind. That is why, we Catholics love her as our dearest Mother.

We need to remember something that St Pio wrote / said:

"Even Mary, the Mother of Jesus, knew that through His death, man would be redeemed, and yet She cried and suffered, and suffered much."

My favourite Stabat Mater Dolorosa: At the Cross Her Station Keeping hymn

Stabat Mater Dolorosa is considered one of the seven greatest Latin hymns of all time. It is based upon the prophecy of Simeon that a sword was to pierce the heart of His mother, Mary (Lk 2:35). The hymn originated in the 13th century during the peak of Franciscan devotion to the crucified Jesus and has been attributed to Pope Innocent III (d. 1216), St. Bonaventure, or more commonly, Jacopone da Todi (1230-1306), who is considered by most to be the real author.

The hymn is often associated with the Stations of the Cross. In 1727 it was prescribed as a Sequence for the Mass of the Seven Sorrows of Mary (September 15) where it is still used today. In addition to this Mass, the hymn is also used for the Office of the Readings, Lauds, and Vespers for this memorial. There is a mirror image to this hymn, Stabat Mater speciosa, which echoes the joy of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the birth of Jesus.

STABAT Mater dolorosa iuxta Crucem lacrimosa, dum pendebat Filius.	AT, the Cross her station keeping, stood the mournful Mother weeping, close to Jesus to the last.
Cuius animam gementem, contristatam et dolentem pertransivit gladius.	Through her heart, His sorrow sharing, all His bitter anguish bearing, now at length the sword has passed.
O quam tristis et afflicta fuit illa benedicta, mater Unigeniti!	O how sad and sore distressed was that Mother, highly blest, of the sole-begotten One.
Quae maerebat et dolebat, pia Mater, dum videbat nati poenas inclyti.	Christ above in torment hangs, she beneath beholds the pangs of her dying glorious Son.
Quis est homo qui non fleret, matrem Christi si videret in tanto supplicio?	Is there one who would not weep, whelmed in miseries so deep, Christ's dear Mother to behold?
Quis non posset contristari Christi Matrem contemplari dolentem cum Filio?	Can the human heart refrain from partaking in her pain, in that Mother's pain untold?
Pro peccatis suae gentis vidit Iesum in tormentis, et flagellis subditum.	Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled, she beheld her tender Child All with bloody scourges rent:
Vidit suum dulcem Natum moriendo desolatum, dum emisit spiritum.	For the sins of His own nation, saw Him hang in desolation, Till His spirit forth He sent.
Eia, Mater, fons amoris me sentire vim doloris fac, ut tecum lugeam.	O thou Mother! fount of love! Touch my spirit from above, make my heart with thine accord:
Fac, ut ardeat cor meum in amando Christum Deum ut sibi complaceam.	Make me feel as thou hast felt; make my soul to glow and melt with the love of Christ my Lord.
Sancta Mater, istud agas, crucifixi fige plagas cordi meo valide.	Holy Mother! pierce me through, in my heart each wound renew of my Savior crucified:
Tui Nati vulnerati, tam dignati pro me pati, poenas mecum divide.	Let me share with thee His pain, who for all my sins was slain, who for me in torments died.
Fac me tecum pie flere, crucifixo condolere, donec ego vixero.	Let me mingle tears with thee, mourning Him who mourned for me, all the days that I may live:
Iuxta Crucem tecum stare, et me tibi sociare in planctu desidero.	By the Cross with thee to stay, there with thee to weep and pray, is all I ask of thee to give.
Virgo virginum praeclara, mihi iam non sis amara, fac me tecum plangere.	Virgin of all virgins blest!, Listen to my fond request: let me share thy grief divine;
Fac, ut portem Christi mortem, passionis fac consortem, et plagas recolere.	Let me, to my latest breath, in my body bear the death of that dying Son of thine.
Fac me plagis vulnerari, fac me Cruce inebriari, et cruore Filii.	Wounded with His every wound, steep my soul till it hath swooned, in His very Blood away;
Flammis ne urar succensus, per te, Virgo, sim defensus in die iudicii.	Be to me, O Virgin, nigh, lest in flames I burn and die, in His awful Judgment Day.
Christe, cum sit hinc exire, da per Matrem me venire ad palmam victoriae.	Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence, by Thy Mother my defense, by Thy Cross my victory;
Quando corpus morietur, fac, ut animae donetur paradisi gloria. Amen.	While my body here decays, may my soul Thy goodness praise, safe in paradise with Thee. Amen.

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From the Liturgia Horarum. Translation by Fr. Edward Caswall (1814-1878)The Stabat Mater speciosa: By the Crib Wherein Reposing Stabat Mater speciosa is considered one of the seven greatest Latin hymns of all time and one of the tenderest. It is based upon the Gospel account of the birth of Jesus. The hymn originated in the 13th century and has been attributed to Jacopone da Todi (1230-1306). There is a mirror image to this hymn, Stabat Mater dolorosa, which echoes the sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the crucifixion and death of Jesus. STABAT Mater speciosa iuxta faenum gaudiosa, dum iacebat parvulus.  BY, the crib wherein reposing, with His eyes in slumber closing, lay serene her Infant-boy,  Cuius animam gaudentem laetabundam et ferventem pertransivit iubilus.  Stood the beauteous Mother feeling bliss that could not bear concealing, so her face o'erflowed with joy.  O quam laeta et beata fuit illa immaculata, mater Unigeniti!  Oh, the rapture naught could smother of that most Immaculate Mother of the sole-begotten One;  Quae gaudebat et ridebat, exultabat, cum videbat nati partum inclyti.  When with laughing heart exulting, she beheld her hopes resulting In the great birth of her Son.  Quisquam est, qui non gauderet, Christi matrem si videret in tanto solatio?  Who would not with gratulation see the happy consolation of Christ's Mother undefiled?  Quis non posset collaetari, Christi Matrem contemplari ludentem cum Filio?  Who would not be glad surveying Christ's dear Mother bending, praying, playing with her heavenly Child  Pro peccatis suae gentis Christum vidit cum iumentis et algori subditum.  For a sinful world's salvation, Christ her Son's humiliation She beheld and brooded o'er;  Vidit suum dulcem Natum vagientem, adoratum, vili deversorio.  Saw Him weak, a child, a stranger, yet before Him in the manger kings lie prostrate and adore.  Nato, Christo in praesepe caeli cives canunt laete cum immenso gaudio.  O'er that lowly manger winging, joyful hosts from heaven were singing canticles of holy praise;  Stabat, senex cum puella non cum verbo nec loquela stupescentes cordibus.  While the old man and the maiden, speaking naught, with hearts o'erladen, pondered on God's wondrous ways.  Eia, Mater, fons amoris me sentire vim ardoris fac, ut tecum sentiam.  Fount of love, forever flowing, with a burning ardor glowing, make me, Mother, feel like thee;  Fac, ut ardeat cor meum in amatum Christum Deum ut sibi complaceam.  Let my heart, with graces gifted all on fire, to Christ be lifted, and by Him accepted be.  Sancta Mater, istud agas, prone introducas plagas cordi fixas valide.  Holy Mother, deign to bless me, with His sacred Wounds impress me, let them in my heart abide;  Tui Nati caelo lapsi, iam dignati faeno nasci, poenas mecum divide.  Since He came, thy Son, the Holy, to a birth-place, ah, so lowly, all His pains with me divide.  Fac me vere congaudere, Iesulino cohaerere, donec ego vixero.  Make me with true joy delighted, to Child-Jesus be united while my days of life endure;  In me sistat ardor tui, puerino fac me frui dum sum in exilio.  While an exile here sojourning, make my heart like thine be burning with a love divine and pure. Spotless Maid and sinless Woman, make us feel a fire in common, make my heart's long longing sure.  Virgo virginum praeclara, mihi iam non sis amara, fac me parvum rapere.  Virgin of all virgins highest, prayer to thee thou ne'er denyest, let me bear thy sweet Child too.  Fac, ut pulchrum infantem portem, qui nascendo vicit mortem, volens vitam tradere.  Let me bear Him in my bosom, Lord of life, and never lose Him, since His birth doth death subdue.  Fac me tecum satiari, Nato me inebriari, stantem in tripudio.  Let me show forth how immense is the effect on all my senses of an union so divine. All who in the crib revere Him, like the shepherds watching near Him, will attend Him through the night,  Inflammatus et accensus, obstupescit omnis sensus tali me commercio.  By thy powerful prayers protected, grant, O Queen, that His elected may behold heaven's moving light.  Fac, me Nato custodiri, verbo Dei praemuniri conservari gratia.  Make me by His birth be guarded, by God's holy word be warded, by His grace till all is done;  Quando corpus morietur, fac, ut animae donetur tui nati gloria. Amen.  When my body lies obstructed, make my soul to be conducted, to the vision of thy Son. Amen.  From Latin Hymns, March, 1894. Translation by Denis Florence MacCarthy