The Sacraments of Christian Initiation, which are properly celebrated at the Easter Vigil, fashion the catechumens in the likeness of Christ: in the waters of Baptism they are made children of God, through the anointing and laying on of hands they are filled with the Holy Spirit, and through the heavenly bread and wine of the Eucharist they become one body with Christ.
The Fathers of the Church, however, frequently teach us that the mysteries of Christ, which the Church, our virgin mother, celebrates in the Sacraments of Christian Initiation, were "accomplished" in Mary, the Virgin Mother (Preface): the Spirit who sanctifies the womb of the Church-that is, the font of Baptism-to bring forth children of God, sanctified Mary's womb so that she might bring forth the firstborn of many brothers and sisters (cf. Hebrews 2, 11-15); the same Spirit who, on the day of Pentecost, came down upon the Blessed Virgin with an abundance of gifts, comes down from heaven upon the newly baptised in the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation; the Body and Blood that Christ offered on the altar of the Cross for the life of the world and that the Church offers daily in the Eucharistic Sacrifice are the same Body and Blood that the Blessed Virgin Mary brought forth for our salvation.
This Mass commemorates the maternal role of both the Church and the Blessed Virgin in relation to the faithful. The Motherhood of Mary is prior to the motherhood of the Church as type and Model (cf. Lumen Gentium, no. 63).
The texts of the Mass celebrate our Lady as:
- the Virgin Mother (Collect, cf. Preface) who, "overshadowed by the Holy Spirit" (Communion Antiphon), became the Mother of Christ, the bread of life (cf. John 6, 35), by whom the faithful are nourished in the Church.
- the Mother of light (Entrance Antiphon), because she brought firth Christ, the light of the world (cf. Jn 12, 46; Gospel A, Jn 12,44-50).
- the model of the Church (Entrance Antiphon), because the Church is itself a Virgin and brings "to new birth in the chaste waters of Baptism a people of faith" (Entrance Antiphon), and "in imitation of the Mother of Christ" makes its Eucharistic offering (Prayer over the Offerings); and because those things accomplished "accomplished in sign through the sacraments of the Church" were "accomplished already in the Blessed Virgin" (Preface).
- the sanctuary of the mysteries of God (Communion Antiphon), because she carried in her "virginal womb" Christ, the Sacrament of the Father: in Christ are hidden all the treasures of salvation and grace, and through him the face of the Father is revealed to us (cf. Lc 10, 22; Jn 14, 9).
This forumulary, with its echoes of the Easter Vigil liturgy, is appropriately used on Saturdays of Easter Time when, for a reasonable cause and in accordance with liturgical law, Mass is celebrated in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
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Entrance Antiphon
Hail, Mother of light:
a virgin, you gave birth to Christ,
and became the model of the Church, our mother,
bringing to new birth in the chaste waters of Baptism a people of faith, alleluia.
COLLECT
Lord, from the chaste womb of the baptismal font
the Church, our mother, has given to children of this earth
a new birth as children of heaven.
Grant that through the life-giving Gospel
and your grace-filled sacraments
the Church may form its daughters and sons
in the likeness of Christ, its founder,
who was born of a Virgin Mother
as the firstborn of many brothers and sisters
and the Savior of the whole human race.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Everyone must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles 2, 14a. 36-40a. 41-42
On the day of Pentecost, Peter stood up with the Eleven,
raised his voice, and proclaimed:
“Let the whole house of Israel know for certain
that God has made him both Lord and Messiah,
this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Now when the people heard this, they were cut to the heart,
and they asked Peter and the other apostles,
“What are we to do, my brothers?”
Peter said to them,
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins;
and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit.
For the promise is made to you and to your children
and to all those far off,
whomever the Lord our God will call.”
Peter testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them.
Those who accepted his message were baptized,
and about three thousand persons were added that day.
They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles
and to the communal life,
to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 33 (34), 2-3. 6-7. 8-9. (R.: 6a)
R. Look to the Lord and be filled with light.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
praise shall be always in my mouth.
My soul will glory in the LORD
that the poor may hear and be glad. R.
Look to God that you may be radiant with joy
and your faces may not blush for shame.
In my misfortune I called,
the LORD heard and saved me from all distress. R.
The angel of the LORD, who encamps with them,
delivers all who fear God. R.
Learn to savor how good the LORD is;
happy are those who take refuge in him. R.
Alleluia
Happy are you, holy Virgin Mary,
from you rose the sun of justice, Christ the Lord;
whoever follows him will have the light of life.
Gospel
I, the light, have come into the world.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John 12, 44-50
Jesus cried out and said,
“Whoever believes in me believes not only in me
but also in the one who sent me,
and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me.
I came into the world as light,
so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.
And if any hear my words and do not observe them,
I do not condemn them,
for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world.
Those who reject me and do not accept my words
have something to judge them: the word that I spoke,
it will condemn them on the last day,
because I did not speak on my own,
but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak.
And I know that his commandment is eternal life.
So what I say, I say as the Father told me.”
or:
What is born of the Spirit is spirit.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John 3, 1-6
There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
He came to Jesus at night and said to him,
“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God,
for no one can do these signs that you are doing
unless God is with that person.”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”
Nicodemus said to him,
“How can a person once grown old be born again?
Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?”
Jesus answered,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
no one can enter the kingdom of God
without being born of water and Spirit.
What is born of flesh is flesh
and what is born of spirit is spirit.”
PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS
All-holy Father,
receive this offering
which the Church, our virginal mother,
makes in imitation of the Mother of Christ,
so that, gathered into unity
from every people and nation,
the Church may become one body,
living by the one Spirit.
Through Christ our Lord.
The Role of the Blessed Virgin in the Sacraments of Christian Initiation
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.
By the marvelous gift of your loving kindness
you decreed that the mysteries
accomplished already in the Blessed Virgin
should be accomplished in sign
through the sacraments of the Church:
for from the baptismal font the Church brings to birth
new sons and daughters conceived in fruitful virginity
through faith and the Holy Spirit.
These newborn children the Church anoints
with the precious oil of sacred chrism,
so that the Spirit,
who filled the Blessed Virgin
with an abundance of gifts,
may come down to bless them
with an outpouring of grace.
Each day the Church also prepares for its children
the table where it nourishes them with the Bread of Heaven,
born of the Virgin Mary for the life of the world:
Jesus Christ our Lord.
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:
Holy, Holy, Holy....
Communion Antiphon
Blessed are you, Virgin Mary:
you were overshadowed by the Holy Spirit
and bore in your virginal womb the Son of the eternal Father
and so became the sanctuary of the mysteries of God, alleluia.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Lord our God,
fill with the Spirit of Christ
those you have nourished with his Body,
so that our actions may always be guided
by that same Spirit,
who shines upon the pathways of the Church
and who sanctified the entire life of the Virgin Mother.
Through Christ our Lord.
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