Imagine this: you’ve been praying the Rosary for years. You finally feel like you understand the rhythm and meaning of the repeated words. But one day, after a parish talk on Marian devotions, you hear about something new: the Servite Rosary.
Curious, you ask the speaker, “What’s that?”
The Servite Rosary, also called the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows, dates back to the 13th century and comes from the Order of the Servants of Mary, or the Servites. Unlike the traditional Dominican Rosary, which focuses on Jesus’ life, the Servite Rosary leads the faithful through the sorrows of Mary—her deepest moments of suffering as she walked with her Son.
Instead of five decades, this devotion has seven “stations,” each recalling a sorrow of Mary, such as the Prophecy of Simeon, the Flight into Egypt, and the Crucifixion. Each section begins with an Our Father and includes seven Hail Marys, totaling 49 Hail Marys by the end.
With Lent approaching and your own sorrows heavy on your heart, you feel drawn to this different approach to the Rosary.
You seem to understand. “So, it’s about meditating on Mary’s suffering?”
“Exactly,” the speaker says. “It helps us unite our own struggles with hers and ultimately with Christ’s Passion.”
The Servite Rosary is a profound prayer that connects us intimately to Jesus’ Passion through Mary. Mary was with Christ every step on His way to Cavalry and each wound of Christ pierced her own heart as well. By contemplating Mary’s sorrows, she will help us understand her Son’s sacrifice.
By joining Our Lady in her suffering, we also invite her into our own. She will bring our own sorrows to her Son.
The Servite Rosary is a beautiful prayer for any season, but it is particularly poignant during Lent. This Lent, take up the tradition of the Servite Rosary and unite your own sorrows to those of Our Lady, and ultimately to those of Christ.
Although you can pray the Servite Rosary on standard rosary beads, there are specific chaplets designed to help you meditate on the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady. This Dark Brown Wood and Silver Seven Sorrows Chaplet features striking depictions of each of Our Lady’s sorrows that help you envision these sacred scenes while you pray. Order your chaplet today from The Catholic Company and receive it in time for Ash Wednesday!
