Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary 4 (Christmas I): Holy Mary, Mother of God

Holy Mary, Mother of God

This Mass celebrates the "wonderful and inexpressible mystery" (Preface), by which the Father of mercies sent his Son "from heaven into the womb of the Blessed Virgin" (Collect, A; cf. St. Hippolytus, Traditio apostolica, 4: Sources chretiennes, 11 bis, p. 48) to be "[his] saving Word and our Bread of Life" (Collect, A). It also commemorates both the faith and the humility with which our Lady "conceived your only Son and bore [him] in her pure womb" (Preface). The humble Virgin of Nazareth is thus set before us as an example: like her we are to receive the Son of God by "treasuring his words in our hearts and celebrating with deep faith the mysteries of our redemption" (Collect, A), to reveal him in the holiness of our lives (cf. Collect, B), "profess him in words and hold fast to him in deeds" (Prayer after Communion).

The texts of this Mass echo the writings of the fathers of the Church and ancient liturgical prayers, and in particular:

- the thought of St. Augustine (d. 430) that our Lady "conceived him [Christ] in her heart before she conceived him in her womb" (Collect, B; Sermo 25, 7: Patrologiae cursus completus: Series latina 38, 937); Augustine praises her faith and obedience and sets before us her spiritual relationship with her Son;

- the saying of St. Bernard (d. 1153) that though Our Lady was pleasing to God because of her virginity, yet it was through her humility that she conceived him (cf. In laudibus Virginis Matris, I, 5: Opera omnia, IV, ed. Cistercienses, Rome, 1966, p.18).

The Preface should be noted: it admirably extols the virginal and salvific motherhoodof our Lady: "What joy is hers at [God's] twofold gift: she is full of wonder at her virgin-motherhood and full of joy at giving birth to the Redeemer." Experts in liturgy rank this among the oldest Prefaces in honor of Our Lady: it is found in the Sacramentarium Paduense (Pa, 387).

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Entrance Antiphon
O Virgin Mother of God,
he whom the whole world cannot contain
cloistered himself within your womb, made man for us.

Virgo Dei Genetrix,

quem totus non capit orbis,

in tua se clausit viscera factus homo.

or:

Sedulius

Hail, Holy Mother, who gave birth to the King
who rules heaven and earth for ever.

Salve, sancta parens, enixa puerpera Regem,

qui cælum terramque regit in sæcula sæculorum.

COLLECT
Lord our God,
you sent your Son from heaven
into the womb of the Blessed Virgin
to be your saving Word and our Bread of Life.
Grant that like Mary we may welcome Christ
by treasuring his words in our hearts
and celebrating with deep faith
the mysteries of our redemption.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Deus, qui Filium tuum, verbum salutis et panem vitæ,

e cælo in alvum sanctæ Virginis misisti,

concede ut Christum sicut ipsa accipiamus,

eius verba corde retinentes

et salutis mysteria fide celebrantes.

Per Dominum.

or:

Lord God,
when your Son came down from heaven
Mary conceived him in her heart
before she conceived him in her womb.
Grant that by holy and just deeds
we may show forth in our lives
the Christ, whom we have received by faith.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Deus, cuius Filiμm e cælo egressum

sancta Maria prius mente quam ventre suscepit,

concede nobis ut Christum,

quem fide suscepimus,

dignis iustitiæ operibus manifestemus.

Qui tecum vivit.

LITURGY OF THE WORD

First Reading

Gal 4, 4-7 11

God sent his Son, born of a woman.

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Galatians

Brothers and sisters:

When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son,

   born of a woman, born under the law,

   to ransom those under the law,

   so that we might receive adoption.

As proof that you are children,

   God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts,

   crying out, “Abba, Father!”

So you are no longer a slave but a child,

   and if a child then also an heir, through God.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 21,  4-6. 10-11. 23-24

R. (cf. 11b) From my mother's womb, O Lord, you are my God.

Lord, you are enthroned as the Holy One;

   you are the glory of Israel.

In you our ancestors trusted;

   they trusted and you rescued them.

To you they cried out and they escaped;

   in you they trusted and were not disappointed. R.

Yet you drew me forth from the womb,

   made me safe at my mother’s breast.

Upon you I was thrust from the womb;

   since birth you are my God. R.

Then I will proclaim your name to the assembly;

   in the community I will praise you:

“You who fear the Lord, give praise!

All descendants of Jacob, give honor;

   show reverence, all descendants of Israel!” R.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Happy are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise;
from you rose the sun of justice, Christ the Lord.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 2, 15b-19

The shepherds found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, lying in the manger.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

The shepherds said to one another,

   “Let us go, then, to Bethlehem

   to see this thing that has taken place,

   that the Lord has made known to us.”

So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph,

   and the infant lying in the manger.

When they saw this,

   they made known the message

   that had been told them about this child.

All who heard it were amazed

   by what had been told them by the shepherds.

And Mary kept all these things,

   reflecting on them in her heart.

The Gospel of the Lord.

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS
May the offerings your people make
on this memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
be acceptable to you, O Lord,
for by her virginity she pleased you
and in humility conceived your Son, our Lord.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

Accepta sint tibi, Domine, munera populi tui,

in memoria beatæ Virginis oblata,

quæ tibi virginitate placuit

et humilitate concepit Filium tuum Dominum nostrum.

Qui vivit.

PREFACE

Holy Mary rejoiced because as a Virgin she gave birth to the Redeemer

(Sancta Maria lætatur quod virgo edidit Redemptorem)

The Lord be with you.

R. And with your spirit.

Lift up your hearts.

R. We lift them up to the Lord

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

R. It is right and just.

It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,

always and everywhere to give you thanks,

Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God.

For by a wonderful and inexpressible mystery
the Blessed Virgin conceived your only Son
and bore in her pure womb the Lord of heaven.

She who knew not man becomes a mother;
she who has given birth remains a virgin.
What joy is hers at your twofold gift:
she is full of wonder at her virgin-motherhood
and full of joy at giving birth to the Redeemer.

Through him the Angels of heaven
offer their prayer of adoration
as they rejoice in your presence for ever.
May our voices be one with theirs
in their triumphant hymn of praise:

Vere dignum et iustum est, æquum et salutare,

nos tibi semper et ubique gratias agere:

Domine, sancte Pater, omnipotens æterne Deus:

Quia per mirabile mysterium et inenarrabile sacramentum

Unigenitum tuum Virgo sacra concepit,

et cæli Dominum clausis portavit visceribus:

quæ virum non cognovit, mater est,

et post partum virgo est.

Duobus enim gavisa est muneribus:

miratur quod virgo concepit,

lætatur quad edidit Redemptorem.

Per quem maiestatem tμam adorat exercitus Angelorum,

ante conspectum tuum in æternitate lætantium.

Cum quibus et nostras voces ut admitti iubeas, deprecamur,

socia exsultatione dicentes:

Holy, Holy, Holy....

Communion Antiphon

Blessed is the womb of the Virgin Mary,
which she bore the Son of the eternal Father.

Beata viscera Mariæ Virginis,

quæ portaverunt æterni Patris Filium.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

Renewed with this heavenly food,
we humbly implore you, Lord,
that having received your Son, born of the tender Virgin,
under sacramental signs,
we may profess him in words
and hold fast to him in deeds.
Who lives and reins for ever and ever.

Refecti, Domine, cælestibus alimoniis,

te supplices exoramus

ut Filium tuum, ex alma Virgine natum,

quem Sacramento suscepimus

confiteamur verbis et moribus teneamus.

Qui vivit.