THE VISITATION OF THEBLESSED VIRGIN MARY
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 the 5th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
O God, who hast prepared for them that love Thee such good things as pass understanding, pour into our hearts such love towards Thee, that we, loving Thee in all things and above all things, may obtain Thy promises which exceed all that we can desire.
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 the 5th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Be merciful, O Lord, to our humble pleading, and favorably receive these offerings of Thy servants and handmaidens, that what each of us has offered to the honor of Thy Name, may profit us all unto salvation.
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 the 5th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Grant,
O Lord, we beseech Thee, that we whom Thou hast fed with the heavenly
Gift, may be cleansed from our hidden sins and delivered from the snares
of our enemies.
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 . . .
