‘The Sorrowful Mother was standing’
“Stabat mater dolorosa – The Sorrowful Mother was standing.” This first line of one of the most celebrated Catholic hymns conjures up the sad melody sung by millions of Catholics for over eight centuries when walking from one station of the Cross to the next. Attributed to the Franciscan friar Jacopone da Todi (1230-1306), the Stabat Mater has sustained the devotion of countless believers. Learned and simple folks alike have contemplated the pious depiction of the crucified Saviour and of his Sorrowful Mother, culminating in their joint offering at Calvary. The Stabat Mater teaches us that every fallen child of Adam and Eve benefits from uniting sacrificially with Jesus and Mary. Holy Church granted her stamp of approval when including the Stabat Mater in her official liturgy as the Sequence at the Mass of the Seven Sorrows of Mary1 (15th September). Its lyrics have inspired the greatest composers, such as Palestrina, Charpentier, Vivaldi, 1 The references are to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, both the missal and the breviary.
13
Meditations on the Stabat Mater D844.indd 13
22/12/2021 12:28
