# The Fifth Sorrow: Mary at the Foot of the Cross
*2016-06-05*

> Bill Young leads a chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary, focusing on the fifth sorrow—Mary standing at the foot of the Cross—offering Scripture, prayer, and reflection.

## Recap of the Seven Sorrows

Before we begin the chaplet, I want to remind listeners of the purpose of the Seven Sorrows devotion. In a message to Sister Maria Clara, a visionary from Rwanda, the Blessed Virgin asked us to seek repentance through meditation on her sorrows. She promised that those who meditate with sincere contrition will receive the grace to repent and to turn away from sin. The devotion calls us, especially those who are humble and not attached to wealth, to console Mary in her suffering and to ask for the grace of repentance for ourselves and for others.

## The Fifth Sorrow: Mary at the Foot of the Cross

The fifth sorrow recalls the moment when Mary stood at the foot of the Cross, together with the beloved disciple John. As the Gospel of John (19:26‑27) records, Jesus said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son," and to the disciple, "Behold your mother." From that hour the disciple took Mary into his home. This scene reminds us that even in the darkest hour of the Passion, Christ entrusted His mother to the care of the faithful, inviting us to share in her sorrow and to become her children.

## Personal Reflection and the Our Father

Let us pause for a moment of personal reflection. I invite you to pray the Our Father, remembering that we ask for God's kingdom to come, for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, for daily bread, forgiveness, and protection from temptation and evil. This prayer prepares our hearts to enter more deeply into Mary's suffering.

## The Chaplet: Seven Hail Marys

We now pray the seven Hail Marys of the chaplet, each one invoking Mary, full of grace, the Mother of God, to pray for sinners, especially at the hour of our death:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

(Repeat this prayer seven times.)

## Closing Prayer and Hymn

Mother of Mercy, remind our hearts of the suffering of Jesus during His Passion. O sorrowful Mother, teach us to love by being present to all who suffer, and grant that we may welcome you in our homes as our mother. May we learn a new way of accepting the inevitable sorrows of life.

We conclude with the hymn "The King of Love My Shepherd Is," an ancient Irish melody arranged by Gonzalo González. May its gentle strains lift our spirits and draw us closer to the Shepherd who leads us through the valleys of sorrow to the joy of His resurrection.

*By standing with Mary at the foot of the Cross, we open our hearts to repentance and the transformative love of Christ.*