Lenten Lamentations

The "Gorzkie żale" or "Lenten Lamentations" is a Catholic devotion containing several hymns that developed out of Poland in the 18th century. The devotion is primarily a sung reflection and meditation on the Passion of Christ and the sorrows of His Blessed Mother. The devotion consists of a three-part cycle which is subdivided into five unique parts. One cycle is held on each Sunday in the period of Lent, including Palm Sunday, and all three cycles are held on Good Friday. The devotion originated in Holy Cross Church in Warsaw and from there spread to the whole of Poland.