St. Alphonsus Ligouri loves to tell the story told by Father Rovinglione, of the Society of Jesus. There was once a young man who had the devotion of visiting a statue of Our Lady of Sorrows every day. She was represented with seven sharp swords piercing her loving heart. Each cruel sword represented one of her Seven Sorrows. One night, the young man committed a mortal sin. Upon arising the next morning, he went before the Sorrowful Virgin’s image, as was his habit. It wasn’t the one he’d seen yesterday. Although the statue was the same as before, there was an eighth sword stabbing the Immaculate Heart. The young man was curiously shocked as he recounted all the swords. Gazing into her tearstained eyes, he began to wonder and worry at this dramatic change. Suddenly, he heard a heavenly voice speaking to the very depths of his soul. His mortal sin was the eighth sword which pierced Our Lady’s heart. He immediately became so full of grief and contrition for having done this to Our Lady that he immediately went to Confession. Our Lady of Sorrows had obtained for him the grace of repentance, and Supernatural life was restored to his soul. From then on, he would make reparation for, not inflict, the swords in Our Lady’s heart.