The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Visitatio Beatæ Mariæ Virginis
The Mass of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is appropriate during Advent when a memorial of the Mother of the Lord is to be celebrated for a reasonable cause.
Our Lady in visiting her kinswoman Elizabeth s an image of the mystery of salvation, in which God "has come to his people and set them free" (Ent Ant, Luke 1,68). Mary is also the model for the Church, which God nourishes with his gifts and on which he pours out his Holy Spirit (cf. Prayer after Communion) as it brings the message of Joy to the whole world so that all peoples may "acknowledge Christ as their Saviour" (cf. Prayer after Communion).
In this Mass our Lady is honored as:
- the new daughter of Zion, who in her womb ("in your midst") bears the Lord, the King of Israel (1 Read, Zephaniah 3, 14-18a);
- the new ark of the covenant, who, bearing the Word of God, brings "salvation and joy to the home of Elizabeth" (Collect, cf. 1 Chronicles 13,14);
- a new creation, formed by the Holy Spirit (cf. Prayer over the Offerings & Lumen Gentium, no. 56), who is bathed in the dew of heavenly grace (cf. Prayer over the Offerings), and bears the fruit of salvation, Jesus Christ;
- the Mother of the Lord, whom Elizabeth recognises in words inspired by the Holy Spirit (cf. Preface) and who gives herself completely to the mystery of the redemption;
- a holy woman, who, hearing the words of an angel, hastens to play her part in the work of salvation, proclaims God's greatness in her song of praise and thanksgiving (cf. Gos, Luke 1, 39-56); a paragon of loving service (cf. Preface), she is rightly hailed as blessed "because she believed in your [God's] promise of salvation" (Preface, cf. Alleluia, Luke 1, 45), whose humility is looked upon with favor by God (cf. Communion Antiphon, Luke 1,48) and will be acclaimed by all generations.
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Entrance Antiphon Luke 1, 68-69a. 70
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
as his holy prophets promised of old.
Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel,
quia visitavit et fecit redemptionem plebi suæ
et erexit cornu salutis nobis,
sicut locutus est per os sanctorum,
qui a sæculo sunt, prophetarum eius.
COLLECT
Lord our God, Savior of the human family,
you brought salvation and joy
to the home of Elizabeth
through the visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
the ark of the New Covenant.
We ask that, in obedience
to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
we too may bring Christ to others
and proclaim your greatness
by the praise of our lips and the holiness of our lives.
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.
Salvator hominum Deus,
qui per beatam Virginem Mariam, novi fœderis arcam,
salutem et gaudium domui Elisabeth attulisti,
concede, quæsumus, ut, afflanti Spiritui obsequentes,
et nos Christum fratribus valeamus portare
et te laudibus magnificare et morum sanctitate.
Per Dominum.
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading
Zep 3:14-18a
The Lord, the King of Israel, is among you.
A reading from the book of the prophet Zephaniah
Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!
Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
The Lord has removed the judgment against you
and turned away your enemies;
the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,
you have no further misfortune to fear.
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior;
the LORD will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
the LORD will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals.
The word of the Lord.
Or:
Sg 2, 8-14
See, my lover comes leaping across the mountains.
A reading from the Song of Songs
Hark! my lover—here he comes
springing across the mountains,
leaping across the hills.
My lover is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
Here he stands behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattices.
My lover speaks; he says to me,
“Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one,
and come!
“For see, the winter is past,
the rains are over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of pruning the vines has come,
and the song of the dove is heard in our land.
The fig tree puts forth its figs,
and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance.
Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one,
and come!
O my dove in the clefts of the rock,
in the secret recesses of the cliff,
let me see you,
let me hear your voice,
for your voice is sweet,
and you are lovely.”
The word of the Lord.
Or:
Zec 9:9-10
Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion.
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Zechariah
The LORD says:
Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion,
shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king shall come to you;
a just savior is he,
meek, and riding on an ass,
on a colt, the foal of an ass.
He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim,
and the horse from Jerusalem;
the warrior’s bow shall be banished,
and he shall proclaim peace to the nations.
His dominion shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
The word of the Lord.
Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17
R. (7) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, give your judgment to the king;
your justice to the son of kings;
that he may govern your people with justice,
your oppressed with right judgment. R.
That abundance may flourish in his days,
great bounty, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
from the river to the ends of the earth. R.
For he rescues the poor when they cry out,
the oppressed who have no one to help.
He shows pity to the needy and the poor
and saves the lives of the poor. R.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun, may his name endure.
May the tribes of the earth give blessings with his name;
may all the nations regard him as favored. R.
Or:
Isaiah 12, 2-3. 4bcd. 5-6
R. (6b) Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Alleluia cf. Lc 1, 45
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary, for firmly believing
that the promises of the Lord would be fulfilled.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Luke 1, 39-56
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke
PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS
Lord,
may our gifts be sanctified by the Holy Spirit,
who formed the Blessed Virgin Mary
to be a new creation,
and bathed her with the dew of heavenly grace,
so that she might bear the fruit of salvation.
Through Christ our Lord.
PREFACE
For by your Holy Spirit
you inspired Elizabeth
to reveal the surpassing honor
you have given to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Mary is rightly hailed as blessed
because she believed in your promise of salvation;
in her act of loving service
she is greeted as Mother of the Lord
by the Mother of Christ's herald.
We make our own the canticle of joy
on the lips of God's Virgin Mother,
and in our lowliness we too proclaim your greatness
in the never-ending hymn
of the whole company of Angels and Saints
as they cry out:
R. (6b) Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the Lord,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation. R. Give thanks to the Lord, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name. R. Sing praise to the Lord, for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel! R. Alleluia cf. Lc 1, 45
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary, for firmly believing
that the promises of the Lord would be fulfilled.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Luke 1, 39-56
Why should I be honored with a visit from the mother of my Lord?
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke
Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”
And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God ,my savior.”
For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness;
behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
The Lord’s mercy is from age to age
to those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm,
dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.
He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones
but lifted up the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things;
the rich he has sent away empty.
The Lord has helped Israel his servant,
remembering his mercy,
according to his promise to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.”
Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months
and then returned to her home.
The Gospel of the Lord.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS
Lord,
may our gifts be sanctified by the Holy Spirit,
who formed the Blessed Virgin Mary
to be a new creation,
and bathed her with the dew of heavenly grace,
so that she might bear the fruit of salvation.
Through Christ our Lord.
Munera nostra, quæsumus, Domine,
Spiritus ille sanctificet,
qui beatam Virginem Mariam novam plasmavit creaturam,
ut ex ipsa, cælesti rore perfusa,
fructus oriretur salutis, Iesus Christus Filius tuus.
Qui vivit.
PREFACE
Holy Mary, Blessed for her belief in the promise of salvation.
(Sancta Maria beata ob fidem in promissam salutem)
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,
through Christ our Lord.
For by your Holy Spirit
you inspired Elizabeth
to reveal the surpassing honor
you have given to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Mary is rightly hailed as blessed
because she believed in your promise of salvation;
in her act of loving service
she is greeted as Mother of the Lord
by the Mother of Christ's herald.
We make our own the canticle of joy
on the lips of God's Virgin Mother,
and in our lowliness we too proclaim your greatness
in the never-ending hymn
of the whole company of Angels and Saints
as they cry out:
Vere dignum et iustum est, requum et salutare,
nos tibi Semper et ubique gratias agere:
Domine, sancte Pater, omnipotens æterne Deus,
per Christum Dominum nostrum.
Qui, propheticis Elisabeth verbis Spiritu movente prolatis,
fastigium nobis sanctæ Mariæ Virginis manifestas
Beata enim ob fidem in promissam salutem,
ipsa merito salutatur,
et in caritatis servitio
mater Domini a matre Præcursoris agnoscitur.
Unde Deiparæ Virginis cantico
cum exsultatione coniungimur,
tuamque magnificamus humiliter maiestatem,
cum angelorum sanctorumque turmis
sine cessatione clamantes:
Holy, Holy, Holy....
Communion Antiphon cf. Luke 1, 48
The Lord has looked on his lowly handmaid;
behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
Respexit humilitatem ancillre sure,
ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Lord our God,
you have nourished the Church with your sacramental gifts
and poured out on it your Holy Spirit;
may it hasten to bring your message of joy to the whole world,
so that all peoples who receive your saving word
may rejoice in your redeeming love
and acknowledge Christ as their Savior.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Ecclesia tua, Domine,
divinis instructa sacramentis et Spiritu Sancto repleta,
ad cunctos populos læta festinet,
ut, eius verbum salutis audientes,
de peracta redemptione exsultent
et Christum tuum omnium gentium Salvatorem agnoscant.
Qui vivit.
