Lent unfolds like the journey of Jesus to the holy city of Jerusalem, the place of his sacrifice: as it progresses, there is more frequent meditation on the mystery of his Passion. So too in the hearts of the faithful there is more frequent remembrance of the compassion of Our Lady.
In the propers of Masses of particular Churches and of religious institutes there are many formularies in honor of the Mother sharing in the Passion of her Son. The formulary set out here, with the exception of the Preface, comes from the Proprium missarum Ordinis Fratrum Servorum beatae Mariae Virginis, Curia Generalis OSM, Rome, 1972, pp. 24-27.
The texts of the Mass reflect on the mystery of Christ's Passion, mysteriously filled out through the present sufferings of his members as they face the "many trials of this life" (Collect). The words of the Apostle: "In my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his Body, which is the Church." (Communion Antiphon, Colossians 1, 24), are appropriately used in this celebration.
Our Lady, "queen of heaven and earth" (Gospel Verse), stood by the Cross of her Son (cf. Entrance Antiphon, Gospel, John 19, 25-27), "in his agony" (Collect), "mournful" (Gospel Verse), yet full of "courage" and "faith" (Preface), playing many roles in the mystery of salvation, and fulfilling "in her person the prophecies of old" (Preface). in relation to her Son, dying on the Cross, our Lady stands out as:
- the handmaid of the Redeemer (cf. Prayer over the Offerings), the Mother sharing his sufferings, united with the sacrifice of her Son, the High Priest (cf. Prayer after Communion);
- the new Eve, fulfilling the Prophecy of the saving role of the "woman" (cf. Genesis 3, 15; John 19, 26; Revelation 12, 1): as the first woman shared "in bringing death," so the second woman, Mary, shared "in restoring life" (Preface, cf. Lumen Gentium, no. 56);
- the Mother of Zion, acclaimed by all peoples as they say: "In you, all find their home" (Psalm 87, 7), for she welcomes with a mother's love all who have been scattered but are now gathered into unity by "the Death of Christ" (Preface, John 11, 52);
- the image of the Church, which as it looks on the Virgin "draws inspiration from her courage and keeps constant faith with its Bridegroom" (Preface, cf. Lumen Gentium, no. 64).
----------Entrance Antiphon
John 19, 25
There by the cross of Jesus stood his Mother,
the sister of his Mother, Mary the wife of Cleophas,
and Mary Magdalene.
COLLECT
Lord our God,
in your mysterious wisdom
you fill out the Passion of Christ
through the suffering that his members endure
in the many trials of this life.
As you chose to have the mournful Mother
stand by your Son in his agony on the Cross,
grant that we too may bring love and comfort
to our brothers and sisters in distress.
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.
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans 8, 31b-39
Brothers and sisters:
If God is for us, who can be against us?
God who did not spare his own Son
but handed him over for us all,
how will God not also give us everything else along with his Son?
Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen ones?
It is God who acquits us.
Who will condemn?
It is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised,
who also is at the right hand of God,
who indeed intercedes for us.
Who will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?
As it is written:
“For your sake we are being slain all the day;
we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly
through Christ Jesus who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities,
nor present things, nor future things,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 18, 2-3. 5-6. 7. 19-20
R. (7a) In my distress I called upon the Lord.
I love you, LORD, my strength,
LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer,
my God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, my saving horn, my stronghold! R.
The breakers of death surged round about me;
the menacing floods terrified me.
The cords of Sheol tightened;
the snares of death lay in wait for me. R.
In my distress I called out: LORD!
I cried out to my God.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry to him reached his ears. R.
They attacked me on a day of distress,
but the LORD came to my support.
He set me free in the open;
he rescued me because he loves me. R.
Alleluia
There by the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ
stood holy Mary, mournful mother,
queen of heaven and earth.
Gospel
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John 19, 25-27
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary of Magdala.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her,
he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
Then he said to the disciple,
“Behold, your mother.”
PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS
Lord,
graciously receive the offerings of your family
and make them the sacrament of our redemption,
which Mary faithfully served
at the altar of the Cross.
Through Christ our Lord.
PREFACE
the sister of his Mother, Mary the wife of Cleophas,
and Mary Magdalene.
COLLECT
Lord our God,
in your mysterious wisdom
you fill out the Passion of Christ
through the suffering that his members endure
in the many trials of this life.
As you chose to have the mournful Mother
stand by your Son in his agony on the Cross,
grant that we too may bring love and comfort
to our brothers and sisters in distress.
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.
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading
God did not spare his own Son.
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans 8, 31b-39
Brothers and sisters:
If God is for us, who can be against us?
God who did not spare his own Son
but handed him over for us all,
how will God not also give us everything else along with his Son?
Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen ones?
It is God who acquits us.
Who will condemn?
It is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised,
who also is at the right hand of God,
who indeed intercedes for us.
Who will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?
As it is written:
“For your sake we are being slain all the day;
we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly
through Christ Jesus who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities,
nor present things, nor future things,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 18, 2-3. 5-6. 7. 19-20
R. (7a) In my distress I called upon the Lord.
I love you, LORD, my strength,
LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer,
my God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, my saving horn, my stronghold! R.
The breakers of death surged round about me;
the menacing floods terrified me.
The cords of Sheol tightened;
the snares of death lay in wait for me. R.
In my distress I called out: LORD!
I cried out to my God.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry to him reached his ears. R.
They attacked me on a day of distress,
but the LORD came to my support.
He set me free in the open;
he rescued me because he loves me. R.
Alleluia
There by the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ
stood holy Mary, mournful mother,
queen of heaven and earth.
Gospel
There by the cross of Jesus stood his mother.
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John 19, 25-27
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary of Magdala.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her,
he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
Then he said to the disciple,
“Behold, your mother.”
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
The Gospel of the Lord.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS
Lord,
graciously receive the offerings of your family
and make them the sacrament of our redemption,
which Mary faithfully served
at the altar of the Cross.
Through Christ our Lord.
PREFACE
Mary Remains Faithful Beside the Cross of Her Son
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 in your loving providence
you decreed that Mary, the Mother of your Son,
should stand faithfully beside his Cross,
and so fulfill in her person
the prophecies of old,
and enrich the world
with her own witness of living faith.
At the Cross the Blessed Virgin appears as the new Eve,
so that, as a woman shared in bringing death,
so a woman would share in restoring life.
At the Cross with motherly love
she embraces her scattered children,
reunited through the Death of Christ,
and she fulfills the mystery of the mother of Zion.
At the Cross she stands
as the model of the Church, the Bride of Christ,
which draws inspiration from her courage
and keeps constant faith with its Bridegroom,
undaunted by peril and unbroken by persecution.
In our joy we sing to your glory
with all the choirs of Angels:
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God,
through Christ our Lord.
For in your loving providence
you decreed that Mary, the Mother of your Son,
should stand faithfully beside his Cross,
and so fulfill in her person
the prophecies of old,
and enrich the world
with her own witness of living faith.
At the Cross the Blessed Virgin appears as the new Eve,
so that, as a woman shared in bringing death,
so a woman would share in restoring life.
At the Cross with motherly love
she embraces her scattered children,
reunited through the Death of Christ,
and she fulfills the mystery of the mother of Zion.
At the Cross she stands
as the model of the Church, the Bride of Christ,
which draws inspiration from her courage
and keeps constant faith with its Bridegroom,
undaunted by peril and unbroken by persecution.
In our joy we sing to your glory
with all the choirs of Angels:
Holy, Holy, Holy....
Communion Antiphon
Colossians 1: 24
In my flesh I am completing what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ
on behalf of his Body, which is the Church.
on behalf of his Body, which is the Church.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Lord God, we have received the pledge of salvation
and now we offer this prayer.
Grant that the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete,
poured out upon your Church,
may descend in power on all peoples,
whom Christ, the High Priest,
claims as the reward of the sacrifice
he offered on the Cross
in the presence of his sorrowing Mother.
Through Christ our Lord.
and now we offer this prayer.
Grant that the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete,
poured out upon your Church,
may descend in power on all peoples,
whom Christ, the High Priest,
claims as the reward of the sacrifice
he offered on the Cross
in the presence of his sorrowing Mother.
Through Christ our Lord.
