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The Servite Rosary, also known as The Seven Sorrows Rosary, or in Latin, the dolor beads, is a cherished prayer and special mission for the members of the Order of the Servants of Mary. This devotion began in the 13th century, which coincides with the origin of the Dominican Rosary, a prayer that is already familiar to Catholics. The contemporary monk, Father Mark D. Kirby, offers an interesting distinction between the two. He says that while the sorrowful mysteries contained in the traditional Rosary focus on the passion of Christ, the seven dolor mysteries center on the compassion of Mary. Either way, the Rosary becomes a powerful prayer of healing.
The seven sorrows of Mary according to the Servite Rosary are:
1. The presentation of Jesus in the Temple when Simeon predicted that Mary's heart would also be pierced by a sword (Luke 2:35).
2. The flight into Egypt when Mary was forced to leave relatives and friends and relocate to a foreign country because her baby's life was in danger (Matthew 2:13).
3. Searching for the lost child Jesus in Jerusalem when Mary was beside herself because her youngster had been missing for three days (Luke 2:45-46). Note how this frantic “searching” is a much different emotional reaction than the relief of “finding” Jesus in the Temple where he is debating with the teachers (Luke 2:56). In fact, the latter experience is appropriately grouped with the joyful mysteries in the traditional Rosary!
4. Meeting Christ on the road to Calvary while he was carrying his cross to his death (Luke 23:27-28). There is a subtle irony here, which can be easily missed. Jesus tells the women in the crowd not to weep for him but for themselves and for their children. Since his mother is among them, he is, in fact, giving her permission to cry for her own child who is Jesus, himself.
5. Standing near the cross of Christ and watching, helplessly, while her son was dying (John 19:25).
6. Receiving the body of Christ from the Cross as Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were taking him down (Mark 15:46a).
7. The burial of Christ in a newly hewn, stone tomb (Mark 15:46b).
The amount of prayers to be recited in both rosaries is nearly identical. The traditional Rosary is comprised of five sections with 10 beads in each section for a total of 50 Hail Marys. The dolor rosary has seven sections with seven beads in each section for a total of 49 Hail Marys. More particulars about how to recite the Servite Rosary can easily be found online.
How is the Servite Rosary connected with cancer?
Before we explore this question we should recall two facts that clearly underscore the devastation associated with cancer. First: Cancer is not a modern malignancy. The American Cancer Society has discovered the oldest description of this plague in a 3000 BC papyrus, which was part of an Egyptian textbook on trauma surgery. Second: Cancer is, for all intents and purposes, now tied with heart disease as the leading cause of death in our country. According to the most recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these two diagnoses are separated by less than 20,000 victims while the third highest killer, lung disease, is nearly half a million souls behind them. In the United States alone cancer claims close to 1600 lives every day of the year.
Here, then, is the connection between the Servite Rosary and a 13th-century cancer survivor. The patron saint of cancer patients, St. Peregrine, was himself a member of the Servite Order. Following a diagnosis of an incurable cancer in his leg, he was scheduled for an amputation as his only hope for survival. While praying during the night before his operation he was totally cured. He lived more than 20 years beyond this inexplicable miracle and did not die until he was well into his 80s.
For Holy Homework:
We all know this illness does not discriminate. Cancer preys upon men, women, adults, teens and children from any and all walks of life. Since October is the month of the Rosary, what better time to offer this prayer each day, whether Dominican or Servite, for all those who are suffering with and dying from this diabolical disease, for their loved ones, faithful caregivers, generous volunteers, and those who are working tirelessly toward finding a cure.
Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary and model of compassion, strengthen us in our sorrows and embrace us in our ills.
St. Peregrine, pray for us.
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