Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary 2 (Advent II): The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Annunciation of the Lord

The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Annunciation of the Lord

Beata Maria Virgo in Annuntiatione Domini

During Advent the liturgy reminds us every day of the message of Gabriel to our Lady: "The angel Gabriel said to Mary in greeting: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women" (Ant. at Midday Prayer), and prays each day: "Loving Mother of the Redeemer, . . . you who received Gabriel's joyful greeting: have pity on us poor sinners" (Final Ant).

The consent of Our Lady, which in God's good pleasure preceded the Incarnation (cf. Lumen Gentium, no. 56), is of the greatest importance in the story of salvation, for the Incarnation of the Word is the restoration of human nature.

The Roman Liturgy recalls this Sacrament of our salvation, not only on the Solemnity of 25 March but also, as the Nativity of the Lord approaches, on 20 December and particularly on the Fourth Sunday of Advent in Year B; the celebration of this mystery fits in admirably with the character and nature of the Advent.

For this reason the Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Annunciation of the Lord is very suitably used whenever, for a good reason, during Advent a memorial of the Mother of the Lord is to be celebrated.

In such celebrations the Mass readings are taken from the prophecy of the virgin who is to give birth ("the virgin shall conceive a son": 1 Read, Isaiah 7, 10-14; 8, 10c) and the message of Gabriel to the Virgin of Nazareth: ("Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son": Gos, Luke 1, 26-38).

This Mass was formerly celebrated on the Ember Days of Advent. Because of its beauty it was frequently known in the Middle ages as the "Golden Mass."

The formulary is to be found in The Roman Missal, in the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary during Advent, except for the Prayer over the Offerings, which is taken from the Fourth Sunday of Advent, and the Preface, which is taken from the Mass of the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord on 25 March.

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Entrance Antiphon cf. Isaiah 45, 8
Drop down dew from above, you heavens,
and let the clouds rain down the Just One;
let the earth be opened and bring forth a Savior.

Rorate, cæli, desuper,

et nubes pluant iustum;

aperiatur terra,

et germinet Salvatorem.

or:

Luke 1, 30-32
The angel said to Mary: You have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive and bear a son,
and he will be called Son of the Most High.

COLLECT
O God, who willed that at the message of an Angel
your Word should take flesh
in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
grant that we, who pray to you
and believe her to be truly the Mother of God
may be helped by her interceding before you.
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 de beatæ Mariæ Virginis utero

Verbum tuum, Angelo nuntiante, carnem suscipere voluisti,

præsta supplicibus tuis,

ut, qui vere eam Dei Genetricem credimus,

eius apud te intercessionibus adiuvemur.

Per D6minum.

LITURGY OF THE WORD

First Reading

Is 7, 10-14; 8, 10

The virgin will conceive

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah

The LORD spoke to Ahaz:

Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;

   let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!

But Ahaz answered,

   “I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!”

Then Isaiah said:

   Listen, O house of David!

Is it not enough for you to weary people,

   must you also weary my God?

Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:

   the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son,

   and shall name him Immanuel, which means “With us is God!”

The word of the Lord.

Or:

Is 11:1-5, 10

A shoot shall come forth from the stump of Jesse

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah

On that day,

   a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,

   and from his roots a bud shall blossom.

The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:

   a spirit of wisdom and of understanding,

a spirit of counsel and of strength,

   a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,

   and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.

Not by appearance shall he judge,

   nor by hearsay shall he decide,

but he shall judge the poor with justice,

   and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.

He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,

   and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.

Justice shall be the band around his waist,

   and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.

      On that day,

the root of Jesse,

   set up as a signal for the nations,

the Gentiles shall seek out,

   for his dwelling shall be glorious.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 40, 7-8a. 8b-9. 10. 11

R. (8a & 9a) Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

Sacrifice and offering you do not want;

   but ears open to obedience you gave me.

Holocausts and sin-offerings you do not require;

   so I said, “Here I am.” R.

Your commands for me are written in the scroll.

To do your will is my delight;

   my God, your law is in my heart!” R.

I announced your deed to a great assembly;

I did not restrain my lips;

   you, LORD, are my witness. R.

Your deed I did not hide within my heart;

   your loyal deliverance I have proclaimed.

I made no secret of your enduring kindness

   to a great assembly. R.

Or:

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.

Alleluia 

John 1, 14ab

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us,

and we saw his glory.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 1, 26-38

You will conceive and bear a son

A reading from the holy gospel according to Luke

The angel Gabriel was sent from God

   to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,

   to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,

   of the house of David,

   and the virgin’s name was Mary.

And coming to Mary, the angel said,

   “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.”

But Mary was greatly troubled at what was said

   and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

Then the angel said to her,

   “Do not be afraid, Mary,

   for you have found favor with God.

“Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,

   and you shall name him Jesus.

He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,

   and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,

   and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,

   and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

But Mary said to the angel,

   “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?”

And the angel said to her in reply,

   “The holy Spirit will come upon you,

   and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

Therefore the child to be born

   will be called holy, the Son of God.

And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,

   has also conceived a son in her old age,

   and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;

   for nothing will be impossible for God.”

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.

May it be done to me according to your word.”

Then the angel departed from her.

The Gospel of the Lord.

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

PRAYER OVER THE EUCHARIST
May the Holy Spirit, O Lord,
sanctify these gifts laid upon your altar,
just as he filled with his power
the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Through Christ our Lord.

Altari tuo, Domine, superposita munera

Spiritus ille sanctificet,

qui beatæ Mariæ viscera sua virtute replevit.

Per Christum.

PREFACE

The Blessed Virgin received the Angel's message in faith

(Beata Virgo Cælestem nuntium fidenter audivit)

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 the Virgin Mary heard with faith
that the Christ was to be born among men and for men's sake
by the overshadowing power of the Holy Spirit.
Lovingly she bore him in her immaculate womb,
that the promises to the children of Israel might come about
and the hope of nations be accomplished beyond all telling.

Through him the host of Angels adores your majesty
and rejoices in your presence for ever.
May our voices, we pray, join with theirs
in one chorus of exultant praise, as we acclaim:

Vere dignum et iustum est, æquum et salutare,

nos tibi semper et ubique gratias agere:

Domine, sancte Pater, omnipotens æterne Deus:

per Christum Dominum nostrum.

Quem inter homines et propter homines nasciturum,

Spiritus Sancti obumbrante virtute,

a cælesti nuntio Virgo fidenter audivit

et immaculatis visceribus amanter portavit,

ut et promissiones filiis Israel perficeret veritas,

et gentium exspectatio pateret ineffabiliter adimplenda.

Per quem maiestatem tuam 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 cf. Isaiah 7, 14
Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a son;
and his name will be called Emmanuel.

Ecce Virgo concipiet, et pariet filium,

et vocabitur nomen eius Emmanuel.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
May the mysteries we have received,
O Lord our God,
always show forth your mercy in us,
that we, who honor the Mother of your Son
may be saved by his incarnation.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

Mysteria quæ sumpsimus, Domine Deus noster,

misericordiam tuam in nobis semper ostendant,

ut Filii tui incarnatione salvemur,

qui Genetricis eius memoriam fideli mente celebramus.

Per Christum.