Our Lady Virgin and Queen

[Transferred from May 31st]

MARY, OUR QUEEN

[Commemoration]

SAINT FRANCIS CARACCIOLO 

Confessor

DOUBLE, SECOND CLASS / WHITE
In his prayer to Our Queen Mother, Pope Pius XII recognized Her Queenship as due to the sovereign excellence of Her entire being: "O most sweet Mother of Him who is King by right, by inheritance, and by conquest." The Holy Father hailed the reign of Mary over the angels, the saints, and the entire human race. He asked the special aid of the Queen of Heaven and earth for those who do not yet know Her divine Son, and for the persecuted members of the Church that they may never yield under unjust compulsion. "Reign over the minds of men, that they may seek only what is true; over their wills, that they may follow only what is good; over their hearts, that they may love only what You yourself love."

INTROIT
Let us all rejoice in the Lord as we celebrate the feast in honor of our Queen, the Blessed Virgin, upon which the angels rejoice and praise the Son of God. 
Ps. 44:2. My heart overflows with good tidings; I sing my song to the king. 
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O Lord, bestow peace in this life and glory in the life to come upon all who celebrate the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Queen. Through our Lord . . . 


Commemoration of SAINT FRANCIS CARACCIOLO
Three things made Francis of Caracciolo stand out from his wealthy Neapolitan friends: he was powerfully drawn to our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, he fasted every Saturday in honor of the Virgin Mary, and he had a generous love for the poor. When he was seriously ill at the age of twenty-two, he vowed that if he were cured he would devote himself to the service of God and his fellow men. He became a priest and was the founder of the order of Minor Clerks Regular. Francis instituted perpetual adoration as one of the works of his order. He died in A.D. 1608.


O God, who didst adorn blessed Francis, the founder of a new Order, with zeal for prayer and love of penance, grant that Thy servants may make such progress by imitating him, that through constancy in prayer and bodily mortification they may deserve to attain heavenly glory. Through our Lord . . .
 

LESSON  Eccli. 24:5, 7, 9-11, 30-31
I came out of the mouth of the Most High, the firstborn before all creatures; I dwelt in the highest places, and my throne is in a pillar of a cloud. I have stood in all the earth and in every people, and in every nation I have had the chief rule; and by my power I have trodden under my feet the hearts of all the high and low. He who hearkens to me, shall not be confounded, and they who work by me, shall not sin; they who explain me shall have life everlasting.

GRADUAL Apoc. 19:16; Ps. 44:10
Upon His cloak and upon His thigh He has written the name: King of kings and Lord of lords.
V. The queen stands at His right hand, clad in robes of gold from Ophir.

Alleluia, alleluia! V.
Hail, O Queen of mercy. Shield us from our enemy, and receive us at the hour of death. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Luke 1:26-33
At that time, And in the sixth month, 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 the angel being come in, said unto her: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women." Who having heard, was troubled at his saying and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said to her: "Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father: and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. And of his kingdom there shall be no end."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON
Mary has come forth from a royal race and is crowned with glory. We earnestly plead with heart and soul for the assistance of Her prayers.

SECRET
O Lord, receive the gifts of Your jubilant Church and let them assist us toward salvation through the merits of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Queen. Through our Lord . . .
 
Commemoration of SAINT FRANCIS CARACCIOLO
O Most merciful Jesus, grant that as we commemorate the glorious merits of blessed Francis, on fire with love like him we amy be worthy to gather around Thy holy table; who livest and reignest . . . 
 COMMUNION ANTIPHON
O Ever-Virgin Mary, the most royal Queen of the world who gave birth to Christ the Lord, the Savior of all men, obtain peace and salvation for us.

POSTCOMMUNION
We have celebrated the Sacred Mysteries with joy, O Lord, on this feast of Holy Mary, our Queen. may the Sacrifice that we have jubilantly offered in Mary's honor bring us to our eternal salvation through Her intercession. Through our Lord . . . 

Commemoration of SAINT FRANCIS CARACCIOLO
We beseech Thee, Lord, let our minds ever retain the joyous memory and fruit of this most holy Sacrifice which we have offered to Thy Majesty on today's solemnity of blessed Francis. Through our Lord . . .