THE VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY; SAINTS PROCESSUS AND MARTINIAN, Martyrs (67 A.D.)

THE VISITATION OF THE
BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

SAINTS PROCESSUS AND MARTINIAN
Martyrs

DOUBLE, SECOND CLASS / WHITE
The Church keeps this day for a memorial of the wonderful humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Having learned from the angel Gabriel that her aging cousin Elizabeth was with child, the Virgin Mother of God hastened to visit the mother of the Baptist. Elizabeth saw Mary coming to her and, filled with the Holy Spirit, she cried out, saying, "Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb!" Mary, hearing herself acclaimed, answered in the exultant song we call the Magnificat, praising God with all the powers of her pure soul and giving to Him alone the glory.


INTROIT
Hail, holy Mother, who brought forth the king who rules heaven and earth forever and ever!
Ps. 44:2. My heart overflows with good tidings; I sing my song to the king.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
Grant us the gift of Your heavenly peace, O Lord. Let the solemn feast of the blessed Virgin's Visitation establish us more securely in that peace, just as the birth of Her Child heralded the beginning of our salvation. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINTS PROCESSUS AND MARTINIAN
According to tradition, these martyrs converted by St. Peter, were jailers of the Mamertine prison in Rome.

The glorious profession of faith of Your holy martyrs Processus and Martinian overshadows and protects us. May we profit by their example and rejoice in the assistance of their prayers. Through our Lord . . .

LESSON Cant. 2:8-14 [Song.]
Behold he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping over the hills. My beloved is like a roe, or a young hart. Behold he standeth behind our wall, looking through the windows, looking through the lattices. Behold my beloved speaketh to me: "Arise, make haste, my love, my dove, my beautiful one, and come. For winter is now past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers have appeared in our land, the time of pruning is come: the voice of the turtle is heard in our land: The fig tree hath put forth her green figs: the vines in flower yield their sweet smell. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come: My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hollow places of the wall, shew me thy face, let thy voice sound in my ears: for thy voice is sweet, and thy face comely."

GRADUAL
You are Blessed and venerable, O Virgin Mary, for without lost of your virginity you became the Mother of our Saviour.
V. O Virgin Mother of God, He whom the whole world cannot contain enclosed Himself in your womb and was made man.

Alleluia, alleluia! V.
Happy are you indeed, O holy Virgin Mary, and most worthy of all praise, for out of you arose the sun of justice, Christ our Lord. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Luke 1:39-47
At that time, Mary rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste into a city of Juda. And she entered into the house of Zachary and saluted Elizabeth. And it came to pass that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost. And she cried out with a loud voice and said: "Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord." And Mary said: "My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON
Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary, who bore the Creator of all things. You brought forth your own Creator, and yet you remain a virgin forever.

SECRET 
Rescue us, O Lord, through the Incarnation of Your Only-Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who by His birth did not impair the virgin purity of His Mother, but rather sanctified it. May He free us from our sins and make us acceptable to You on this feast of Mary's Visitation; who lives and rules with You . . .

Commemoration of SAINTS PROCESSUS AND MARTINIAN
Accept our prayers and gifts, O Lord. May the intercession of Your saints make these offerings worthy of You. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON
Blessed is the womb of the Virgin Mary, which bore the Son of the Eternal Father.

POSTCOMMUNION 
We have partaken of Your Sacrament, O Lord, with which we yearly celebrate this feast. May it help us in this life and in the life to come. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINTS PROCESSUS AND MARTINIAN
We are refreshed by the Sacrifice of Your Sacred Body and Precious Blood, O Lord our God. May our devout celebration of these divine mysteries insure our salvation. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . .