Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary 5 (Christmas II): The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Savior

Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Savior

Beata Maria Virgo, Mater Salvatoris

This Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Savior, is found in the Roman Missal in the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Christmas Time. Its texts are both ancient and full of beauty. The Preface is taken from the venerable Sacramentarium Veronense (Ve 1247).

This Mass, resounding with Christmas joy and light, celebrates:

- above all, the maternal role of Our Lady in relation to her Son, acknowledged as the King "whose name is eternal" (Entrance Antiphon), as the Son of God (cf. Collect, Preface, Prayer after Communion), as the "author of life" (Collect, cf. Acts 3, 15), as the "sign and source of our salvation" (Preface), as "a light for all nations" (Preface, cf. Luke 2, 32), as "the Bridegroom" (Preface, cf. Psalm 19, 6), and as the Word made flesh (cf. Communion Antiphon, cf. John 1, 14);

- the fruitful virginity of Our Lady (cf. Collect) and her virgin-motherhood, by means of which God gave to the human race the gift of "eternal salvation" (Collect), as well as the marvellous way in which "a mother's joy" coexists in her with "a virgin's honor" (Entrance Antiphon); this motherhood is the source of her unique status and dignity, for "none like her was seen before and none thereafter" (Entrance Antiphon);

- the unceasing intercession of the Virgin Mary for God's people, an intercession rooted in her divine motherhood: we ask to "experience the intercession of her, through whom we were found worthy to receive the author of life, our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son" (Collect);

-the example of the Mother of the Lord: like her the faithful are to "seek out and treasure things that are [God's]" (Prayer over the Offerings).

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Entrance Antiphon
In childbirth she brought forth the King, whose name is eternal.
She keeps a mother's joy with a virgin's honor.
none like her was seen before, and none thereafter.

Genuit puerpera Regem,

cui nomen æternum,

et gaudia matris habens cum virginitatis honore:

nec primam similem visa est.

nec habere sequentem.

COLLECT
O God, who through the fruitful virginity of Blessed Mary
bestowed on the human race the grace of eternal salvation,
grant, we pray,
that we may experience the intercession of her,
through whom we were found worthy to receive the author of life,
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 salutis æternæ,

beatæ Mariæ virginitate fecunda,

humano generis præmia præstitisti,

tribue, quæsumus,

ut ipsam pro nobis intercedere sentiamus,

per quam meruimus Filium tuum auctorem vitæ suscipere.

Qui tecum vivit.

LITURGY OF THE WORD

First Reading

Is 9, 1-3. 5-6

A son is given to us.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah

The people who walked in darkness

   have seen a great light;

upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom

   a light has shone.

You have brought them abundant joy

   and great rejoicing,

as they rejoice before you as at the harvest,

   as people make merry when dividing spoils.

For the yoke that burdened them,

   the pole on their shoulder,

and the rod of their taskmaster

   you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.

For a child is born to us, a son is given us;

   upon his shoulder dominion rests.

They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,

   Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.

His dominion is vast

   and forever peaceful,

from David’s throne, and over his kingdom,

   which he confirms and sustains

by judgment and justice,

   both now and forever.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this!

The word of the Lord.

Or:

Mi 5, 1-4a

This is the time when she who is in labor is to give birth.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Micah

The LORD says:

You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah,

   too small to be among the clans of Judah,

from you shall come forth for me

   one who is to be ruler in Israel;

whose origin is from of old,

   from ancient times.

(Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time

   when she who is to give birth has borne,

and the rest of his people shall return

   to the children of Israel.)

He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock

   by the strength of the LORD,

   in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;

and they shall remain, for now his greatness

   shall reach to the ends of the earth;

   he shall be peace.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 2, 7-8. 10-11ab

R. (8a) I will give you all the nations for your heritage.

I will proclaim the decree of the Lord,

   who said to me, “You are my son;

   today I am your father.

Only ask it of me,

   and I will make your inheritance the nations,

   your possession the ends of the earth.” R.

And now, kings, give heed;

   take warning, rulers on earth.

Serve the LORD with fear;

   with trembling bow down in homage. R.

Or:

Psalm 95, 12a. 2b-3. 11-12. 13

R. (cf. Luke 2, 11) Our Savior is born, Christ the Lord.

Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name. R.

Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds. R.

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then shall all the trees of the forest exult. R.

They shall exult before the LORD, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy. R.

Alleluia
cf. Luke 2, 10-11

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Good news and great joy to all the world:
our Savior is born, Christ the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 2:1-14

A savior is born for you

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus

   that the whole world should be enrolled.

This was the first enrollment,

   when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

So all went to their own towns to be enrolled.

And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth

   to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem,

   because he was of the house and family of David,

   to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

While they were there,

   the time came for Mary to have her child,

   and she gave birth to her firstborn son.

She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger,

   because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields

   and keeping the night watch over their flock.

The angel of the Lord appeared to them

   and the glory of the Lord shone around them,

   and they were struck with great fear.

The angel said to the shepherds,

   “Do not be afraid;

   for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy

   that will be for all the people.

For today in the city of David

   a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.

And this will be a sign for you:

   you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes

   and lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel,

   praising God and saying:

      “Glory to God in the highest

         and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS
Accept, O Lord, the offerings we bring you
and grant that, enlightened by the Holy Spirit
and encouraged by the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
our hearts may always seek out and treasure the things that are yours.
Through Christ our Lord.

Suscipe, Domine, munera quæ tibi offerimus,

et præsta,

ut corda nostra, Sancti Spiritus luce irradiata,

exemplo beatæ Virginis Mariæ,

tua semper valeant perquirere et conservare.

Per Christum.

PREFACE

The Savior comes forth from Mary as the Bridegroom of the Church

(Salvator ex Maria processit tamquam sponsus de thalamo)

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,
especially as we celebrate this holy season (of Christmas).

When Mary brought forth her child
form the secret shrine of her virginal womb
you revealed as a light for all nations
the sign and source of our salvation,
your Son, Jesus Christ.

Like the rising sun,
the Bridegroom of the Church
has dawned upon us to rescue us
from darkness and the shadow of death
and to make us a kingdom of unfailing light.

In our joy we sing to your glory
with all the choirs of Angels:

Vere dignum et iustum est, æquum et salutare,

nos tibi semper et ubique gratias agere:

Domine, sancte Pater, omnipotens æterne Deus:

Hoe præsertim tempore,

quo ab uteri virginalis arcano

ipsum salutis nostræ sacramentum

in lucem gentium revelasti,

Iesum Christum Filium tuum;

qui, tamquam sponsus procedens de thalamo suo,

Salvator et Dominus illuxit nobis,

ut nos de tenebris et umbra mortis eriperet

et regnum perpetuæ lucis efficeret.

Et ideo, choris angelicis sociati,

te laudamus in gaudio confitentes:

Holy, Holy, Holy....

Communion Antiphon 

John 1, 14

The Word of God became flesh, and dwelt among us,
full of grace and truth.

Verbum caro factum est et habitavit in nobis,

plenum gratiæ et veritatis.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

Renewed by the Body and Blood of your incarnate Word,
we pray, O Lord, that these divine mysteries,
which we have joyfully received
on this memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
may make us sharers for eternity in the divinity of your Son.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

Incarnati Verbi tui corpore et sanguine refecti,

quæsumus, Domine, ut hæc divina mysteria,

quæ in memoria beatæ Virginis Mariæ lætanter accepimus,

eiusdem Filii tui divinitatis participes

nos semper efficiant.

Per Christum.