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℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May God the Father Omnipotent, be to us merciful and clement.
℟. Amen.
Reading 4
From the Dogmatic Bull of Pope Pius IX.
God is unspeakable. His ways are mercy and truth; His Will is Almighty Power; and His wisdom reacheth mightily from one end to another, and sweetly ordereth all things (Wisd. viii. 1). He from all eternity foresaw the sorrowful fall of man by the transgression of Adam, and, in His mysterious purpose, He decreed, before the worlds were, that the Word should be made flesh, to the end that man, who had been seduced by the fraud of the devil, might not perish, but that as in the first Adam all die, in Christ all might be made alive (1 Cor. xv. 22). And to this end, the Eternal Creator from the beginning, and before all ages, chose and ordained a woman to be the Mother of His Only-begotten Son, of whom He should take flesh and be born, in the blessed fulness of time (Gal. iv. 4). And this woman He loved with so great a love that He allowed His Will to be freely wrought in her (1 Thess. iv. 3).
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. I came out of the mouth of the Most High, the first-begotten before every creature. I made the unfading light to arise in the heavens.
* When there were no depths I was conceived.
℣. For the Lord hath created me in righteousness, and hath held mine hand, and hath kept me.
℟. When there were no depths I was conceived.
℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May Christ to all His people give, for ever in His sight to live.
℟. Amen.
Reading 5
Therefore, He bestowed upon her, out of the treasure of the Divinity, such a wealth of gifts of grace as He hath bestowed upon none of the Angels and none of the Saints. He made her always free from any of the slightest pollution of sin, so fair and so upright that no other of His works are like to her, and only Himself can we understand to excel her. Verily, this was most fitting, that this most worshipful Mother should be made bright with the brightness of uncontaminated holiness, and should conquer the old serpent by escaping altogether the stain of original sin, for she was that Mother to whom the Eternal Father was willing to give the Co-Eternal and Co-Equal Only-begotten Son of His love, to be her Son also.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. No defiled thing can fall into her;
* She is the brightness of the everlasting light, and the unspotted mirror of the power of God.
℣. For she is more beautiful than the sun, and being compared with the light, she is found before it.
℟. She is the brightness of the everlasting light, and the unspotted mirror of the power of God.
℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May the Spirit’s fire Divine in our hearts enkindled shine.
℟. Amen.
Reading 6
The Catholic Church, which, through the perpetual teaching of the Holy Ghost, is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Tim. iii. 15), hath always held the original innocence of this most exalted Virgin to be bound up with her wonderful holiness, and her mighty dignity of Mother of God. This doctrine she hath felt herself to hold by the gift of God, and as part of that faith once delivered from heaven unto the Saints (Jude 3), and as time hath gone on, she hath continually explained, put forth, and upheld it. This belief is found strong in the earliest times, and rooted as it were in the hearts of Christ’s faithful people; by the care and study of holy Bishops it hath been taught in all parts of the Catholic world; and the Church herself pointed to it when she allowed the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary to be held as a feast, for exciting the piety and devotion of her children. In the case of the Saints the Church celebrateth only the day of their being made perfect at death (but of her Divine Lord, of His Blessed Mother, and of St. John the Baptist she venerateth the birth also, as of those sanctified in the womb). When therefore she goeth further and maketh the case of the Blessed Virgin an exception to all others besides that of Christ, keeping holiday in honour of her conception as well as of her birth, it is manifest that she regardeth that Conception as altogether singular, wonderful, and different to all other conceptions, except only Christ’s, namely, as holy.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. There appeared a great wonder in heaven; a Woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet
* And upon her head a crown of twelve stars.
℣. The Lord hath clothed her with the garments of salvation, and hath covered her with the robe of righteousness, yea, as a bride He hath adorned her with jewels.
℟. And upon her head a crown of twelve stars.
℣. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
℟. And upon her head a crown of twelve stars.
℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May the Gospel’s holy lection Be our safety and protection.
℟. Amen.
Reading 7
From the Holy Gospel according to Luke
Luke 1:26-28
In that time, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And so on.
Homily by St. Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem.
On the Annunciation.
When this blessed Angel was sent to the most pure virgin what did he say? In what words did he break the happy news of Redemption? Hail, thou that art full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Now this word Hail is in the original Chaire, which being interpreted signifieth Rejoice. The messenger of joy in his first word biddeth her rejoice. He knew well that his message was a message of good tidings of great joy to men (Luke ii. 10), yea, to all creatures, a message of healing to all sicknesses. He knew well that his message was a message of God’s light to a dark world. He knew well that it proclaimed the end of error. He knew well that it blunted the sting of death. He knew well that it broke the power of corruption. He knew well that it brought victory over hell. He knew well that it told of salvation to all the fallen children of Adam, groaning under that yoke of malediction which fell on them when they were thrust out of Eden, and banished from that happy home. Therefore, when he began to speak, he spoke in tones of rejoicing, and opened his message with sounds of gladness. Therefore made he the name of joy to herald the tidings of good, which were to be for a joy unto all people, whosoever should believe.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse, a garden enclosed, a fountain sealed.
* O Mary, thy perfumes are a garden of delights.
℣. Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled.
℟. O Mary, thy perfumes are a garden of delights.
℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. She whose feast-day we are keeping, Mary, blessed Maid of Maidens, be our Advocate with God.
℟. Amen.
Reading 8
And, of a truth, it was fitting that God’s proclamation of joy should open with the accents of gladness. And this is the reason why the angel nameth joy first, because he knew the coming fruits of his message, and that his converse with the Virgin was to bring joy to the whole world. Can we find any joy or any brightness like the joy and the brightness of that salutation addressed to the Blessed Mother of gladness? Rejoice, O mother of joy more than heavenly! Rejoice, O thou that nourishest joy in the highest! Rejoice, O Lady, full of the joy of salvation! Rejoice, O thou that bringest a joy that passeth not away! Rejoice, O mysterious treasury dispensing unspeakable joy! Rejoice, O most blessed fountain, overflowing with unfailing joy! Rejoice, O store-house of God, filled with the everlasting joy of eternity! Rejoice, O fair tree, bearing fruit of life-giving joy! Rejoice, O Maiden Mother of God! Rejoice, O thou that after child-birth remainest a virgin! Rejoice, O wonder, who, after all wonders, art still the most wonderful!
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. My soul doth magnify the Lord;
* For He That is mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is His name.
℣. For, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
℟. For He That is mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is His name.
℣. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
℟. For He That is mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is His name.
℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May He that is the Angels’ King to that high realm His people bring.
℟. Amen.
Reading 9
Who shall worthily set forth thy glory? Who shall make bold to say what thou art? Who will hold himself able to tell of all thy splendour? Thou art the exaltation of humanity; thou art made much higher than the Angels; thy brightness hath thrown the brightness of the Archangels into shadow; thou lookest down upon the lofty seats of the Thrones; thou makest the height of the Lordships to seem low; thy rank taketh precedence before the rank of the Principalities; compared with thee the Powers are weakness; thou art a Mighty one mightier than all the Mighty; thine earthly eyes see further than the contemplation of the Cherubim can reach; the Seraphim have six wings, but thy flight is nobler than theirs; in a word, thou hast far excelled every other work of God; thou wast far purer than any other creature; and thou hast conceived the Creator of all creatures, carried Him in thy womb, and brought Him forth; thou hast been chosen, out of all that He has made, to be His mother.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
Te Deum