Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Saint Adrian (304 A.D.) Martyr

Thy birth, O Virgin Mother of God,

heralded joy to all the world.

For from thou hast risen the Sun of justice,

Christ our God.

Destroying the curse, He gave blessing;

and damning death, He bestowed on us

life everlasting.

Blessed art thou among women

and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

For from thou hast risen of Sun of justice,

Christ our God.

from The Divine Office - Matins (Morning Prayer)

THE NATIVITY OF THE
BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

SAINT ADRIAN

Martyr

DOUBLE, SECOND CLASS / WHITE

Mary was born to be
the Mother of the Saviour of the world, the spiritual Mother of all
men, and the holiest of God's creatures. Because of her Son's infinite
merits, she was conceived and born immaculate and full of grace. Through
her, Queen of Heaven and
of earth, all grace is given to men. Through her, by the will of the
Trinity, the unbelieving receive the gift of faith; the afflicted are
tendered the works of mercy, and the members of Christ grow in likeness
of their Head. In Mary all human nature is exalted. We rejoice in her
birthday, as the Church has done from the earliest times.

INTROIT

Hail, holy Mother, who brought froth 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 nativity 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 SAINT ADRIAN

About the year 303, Adrian, a military officer at the imperial court, was executed at Nicomedia for his fidelity to Christ.



O Almighty God, grant that we
who celebrate the birthday of Your blessed martyr Adrian may be made
stronger in our love of You through his intercession. Through our Lord .
. .



LESSON Prov. 8:22-35

The Lord possessed me in the beginning
of his ways, before he made any thing from the beginning. I was set up
from eternity, and of old, before the earth was made. The depths were
not as yet, and I was already conceived, neither had the fountains of
waters as yet sprung out. The mountains, with their huge bulk, had not
as yet been established: before the hills, I was brought forth: He had
not yet made the earth, nor the rivers, nor the poles of the world.

When he prepared the heavens, I was
present: when with a certain law, and compass, he enclosed the depths:
When he established the sky above, and poised the fountains of waters:
When he compassed the sea with its bounds, and set a law to the waters
that they should not pass their limits: when he balanced the foundations
of the earth; I was with him forming all things: and was delighted
every day, playing before him at all times; Playing in the world: and my
delights were to be with the children of men.

Now, therefore, ye children, hear me:
blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and
refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, and that watcheth
daily at my gates, and waiteth at the posts of my doors. He that shall
find me, shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord.



GRADUAL

You are blessed and venerable, O Virgin Mary, for without loss 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 Matt. 1:1-16

The book of the generation of Jesus
Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham begot Isaac. And
Isaac begot Jacob. And Jacob begot Judas and his brethren. And Judas
begot Phares and Zara of Thamar. And Phares begot Esron. And Esron begot
Aram. And Aram begot Aminadab. And Aminadab begot Naasson. And Naasson
begot Salmon. And Salmon begot Booz of Rahab. And Booz begot Obed of
Ruth. And Obed begot Jesse. And Jesse begot David the king. And David
the king begot Solomon, of her that had been the wife of Urias. And
Solomon begot Roboam. And Roboam begot Abia. And Abia begot Asa. And Asa
begot Josaphat. And Josaphat begot Joram. And Joram begot Ozias. And
Ozias begot Joatham. And Joatham begot Achaz. And Achaz begot Ezechias.
And Ezechias begot Manasses. And Manasses begot Amon. And Amon begot
Josias. And Josias begot Jechonias and his brethren in the
transmigration of Babylon. And after the transmigration of Babylon,
Jechonias begot Salathiel. And Salathiel begot Zorobabel. And Zorobabel
begot Abiud. And Abiud begot Eliacim. And Eliacim begot Azor. And Azor
begot Sadoc. And Sadoc begot Achim. And Achim begot Eliud. And Eliud
begot Eleazar. And Eleazar begot Mathan. And Mathan begot Jacob. And
Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is
called Christ.



OFFERTORY ANTIPHON

Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary, who
bore the Creator of all things. You brought forth your won 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 nativity; who lives and rules with You . . .



Commemoration of SAINT ADRIAN

Accept our offerings and prayers, O
Lord. Cleanse us by this heavenly rite, and in Your mercy hear our
petitions. 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 SAINT ADRIAN

O Lord our God, may we who now joyfully
commemorate Your saints on earth rejoice one day with them in heaven.
Through our Lord . . .