Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary 6 (Christmas III): The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Epiphany of the Lord

The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Epiphany of the Lord

Beata Maria Virgo in Epiphania Domini

During Christmas Time the Church celebrates the mystery of the revelation or manifestation of the Word made flesh to all nations: first, to the Jews, represented by the humble shepherds, "the firstfruits of the Church from the people of Israel" (Preface), then to the Gentiles, represented byu the wise men, "the firstfruits of the Church from the Gentiles" (Preface).

The following points seem especially noteworthy in this Mass:

- the celebration of light, signifying not only the glory of God the father, which dawned upon Jerusalem (cf. 1 Reading, Isaiah 60, 1-6), bathing the shepherds in its glory (cf. Preface, cf. Luke 2, 9), and in a marvellous way leading the wise men "by a shining star" (cf. Preface, cf. Matthew 2, 2. 9-10) to Christ; but also Jesus Christ, "the glory of Israel and the light of all nations" (Collect, cf. Luke 2, 32), whom the Father revealed to the world (cf. Collect) and who in turn revealed to the world the glory of the Father (cf. Prayer over the Offerings);

- the celebration of the role of Christ as Savior. The many "christological titles" found in this formulary are of the greatest importance: Christ is the Son of God (cf. Collect, Prayer after Communion) and Son of the Virgin (cf. Prayer over the Offerings, Preface); the "surpassing greatness of God" and "God's power," "the Most High," who "has chosen to be born as a little child" (Entrance Antiphon); "the one Mediator and the Savior of the world" (Collect), by whose birth we are saved (cf. Prayer after Communion), who gave "his whole life for our salvation" (Prayer over the Offerings). So the shepherds "acknowledged Christ as the Savior" when they saw the Son of the humble handmaid of the Lord (cf. Pref), and the wise men, when they found the child with his Mother, "worshipped him as God, proclaimed him as King, and acknowledged him as Redeemer" (Preface);

- the celebration of the mystery of the Church, which is foreshadowed in the holy city, Jerusalem (cf. 1 Reading, Isaiah 60, 1-6), and which seems to signify the house where the child is found with his Mother (cf. Gospel, Matthew 2, 11); the Church is founded on faith in Christ (cf. Collect), and is gathered equally from Israel and the Gentiles (cf. Preface), since the Father draws "the families of all peoples to faith in the Gospel" (Preface);

- the celebration of the ministry of the Virgin in the Epiphany of the Lord, as several texts make clear: "The surpassing greatness of God has shone around us, God's power has been revealed through a virgin" (Entrance Antiphon); "through the Blessed Virgin Mary you revealed your Son to the world" (Collect); "through the ministry of the Blessed Virgin Mary you draw the families of all peoples to faith in the Gospel" (Preface).

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Entrance Antiphon
The surpassing greatness of God has shone around us,
God's power has been revealed through a virgin;
the Most High has chosen to be born as a little child,
to show forth majesty and splendor in lowliness of birth.

Claruit magnitudo Dei,

et virtus apparuit per Virginem,

quoniam sic voluit Excelsus nasci humilis,

ut in ipsa humilitate ostenderet maiestatem.

COLLECT
Lord our God, through the Blessed Virgin Mary
you revealed your Son to the world
as the glory of Israel
and the light of all nations;
grant that as we follow his teaching and example
we may strengthen our faith in Christ
and acknowledge him to be the one Mediator
and the Savior of the world.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Deus, qui Filium tuum,

gloriam Israel et lumen gentium,

per beatam Virginem mundo manifestasti,

præsta, quæesumus, ut eius monita et exempla sectantes,

nostram fidem in Christum roboremus

et eum unum Mediatorem agnoscamus

et omnium Salvatorem.

Qui tecum vivit.

LITURGY OF THE WORD

First Reading

Is 60, 1-6

The glory of the Lord shines upon you.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come,

   the glory of the Lord shines upon you.

See, darkness covers the earth,

   and thick clouds cover the peoples;

but upon you the LORD shines,

   and over you appears his glory.

Nations shall walk by your light,

   and kings by your shining radiance.

Raise your eyes and look about;

   they all gather and come to you:

your sons come from afar,

   and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.

Then you shall be radiant at what you see,

   your heart shall throb and overflow,

for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,

   the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.

Caravans of camels shall fill you,

   dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;

all from Sheba shall come

   bearing gold and frankincense,

   and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 72, 1-2. 7-8. 10-11. 12-13.

R. (cf. 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

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.

May the kings of Tarshish and the islands bring tribute,

   the kings of Arabia and Seba offer gifts.

May all kings bow before him,

   all nations serve him. 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.

Alleluia 

Matthew 2, 2

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

We have seen his star in the East,

and have come to adore the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mt 2:1-12

Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary, his mother.

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,

   in the days of King Herod,

   behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,

   “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?

We saw his star at its rising

   and have come to do him homage.”

When King Herod heard this,

   he was greatly troubled,

   and all Jerusalem with him.

Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,

   Herod inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.

They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,

   for thus it has been written through the prophet:

      ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,

         are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

      since from you shall come a ruler,

         who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”

Then Herod called the magi secretly

   and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.

He sent them to Bethlehem and said,

   “Go and search diligently for the child.

When you have found him, bring me word,

   that I too may go and do him homage.”

After their audience with the king the magi set out.

And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,

   until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.

They were overjoyed at seeing the star,

   and on entering the house

   they saw the child with Mary his mother.

The magi prostrated themselves and did him homage.

Then they opened their treasures

   and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,

   the magi departed for their country by another way.

The Gospel of the Lord.

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS
Lord God, through the power of the Holy Spirit
consecrate these gifts,
the offering of joyful hearts,
on this memorial of the blessed Virgin Mary;
let them become the Body and Blood of Christ,
who was born of the Virgin Mother
to reveal your glory
and to give his whole life for our salvation.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

Consecra, Domine, virtute Spiritus Sancti,

munera in memoria sanctæ Mariæ tibi lætanter oblata,

ut nobis corpus et sanguis Christi fiant,

qui natus ex alma Virgine Matre,

tuam gloriam manifestavit

et totam vitam in hominum salutem impendit.

Qui vivit.

PREFACE

Christ is revealed to the world through the ministry of the Virgin

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 through the ministry of the blessed Virgin
you draw the families of all peoples
to faith in the Gospel.

The shepherds, bathed in your glory
and enlightened by choirs of Angels,
acknowledged Christ as the Savior
and became the firstfuits of the Church
from the people of Israel.

The wise men, inspired by grace
and led by a shining star,
entered a lowly house,
find the child with his Mother,
and, as the firstfruits of the Church from the Gentiles,
worshipped him as God,
proclaimed him as King,
and acknowledged him as 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 beatæ Virginis ministerium

ad fidem Evangelii cunctas attrahis familias populorum:

pastores enim, Ecclesiæ ex Israel primitiæ,

tua claritate. circumfusi et angelicis vocibus moniti,

Christum Salvatorem agnoscunt.

Sed et magi, Ecclesiæ ex Gentibus prima virgulta,

gratia tua impulsi, Stella coruscante prævia, .

pauperem ingrediuntur domum,

ubi, Puerum cum Matre inventum

Deum adorant, Regem proclamant, Redemptorem fatentur.

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. Matthew 2, 2

We have seen his star in the East,
and have come with gifts to adore the Lord.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

May the mysteries we have received,
O Lord our God,
always show forth your mercy in us,
that we, who celebrate with steadfast love
this memorial of the Mother of your Son,
may be saved by his birth.
Who lives and reins for ever and ever.

Mysteria quæ sumpsimus, Domine Deus noster,

misericordiam tuam in nobis semper ostendant,

ut Filii tui nativitate salvemur,

qui Genetricis eius memoriam fideli mente celebramus.

Qui vivit.