For Mary’s role in
salvation history one may wish to give thanks and praise to God with the
following meditation: canticles, a reading from the gospel the hymn of praise
and a prayer. This thanksgiving may be said at any time. It may be used as a
beginning point for reflection on the mystery of Christ’s coming for all
nations. (Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Compiled and edited by John
E. Rotelle, O.S.A. Catholic Book Publishing Co., New York, 1988).
Antiphon: Be
glad, Virgin Mary, for you have deserved to bear the Christ, the creator of
heaven and earth, you have brought forth the Savior of the World.
Canticle I: Isaiah
61:10-62 (The prophet rejoices over
the new Jerusalem)
I saw the new
Jerusalem, the holy city, prepared as a bride adorned foe her bridegroom
(Revelation 21:2)
I will rejoice greatly in the Lord,
My soul will exult in my God;
For He has clothed me with garments of salvation,
He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
And as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up,
So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
To spring up before all the nations.
My soul will exult in my God;
For He has clothed me with garments of salvation,
He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
And as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up,
So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
To spring up before all the nations.
For Zion’s sake I
will not keep silent,
And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep quiet,
Until her righteousness goes forth like brightness,
And her salvation like a torch that is burning.
The nations will see your righteousness,
And all kings your glory;
And you will be called by a new name
Which the mouth of the Lord will designate.
You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
And a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep quiet,
Until her righteousness goes forth like brightness,
And her salvation like a torch that is burning.
The nations will see your righteousness,
And all kings your glory;
And you will be called by a new name
Which the mouth of the Lord will designate.
You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
And a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
Canticle II: Isaiah 62:4-7 (The glory of the new Jerusalem)
Here God lives
among men. He will make his home among them (Rev. 21:3).
It will no longer be said to you, “Forsaken,”
Nor to your land will it any longer be said, “Desolate”;
But you will be called, “My delight is in her,”
And your land, “Married”;
For the Lord delights in you,
And to Him your land will be married.
Nor to your land will it any longer be said, “Desolate”;
But you will be called, “My delight is in her,”
And your land, “Married”;
For the Lord delights in you,
And to Him your land will be married.
For as a young man marries a virgin,
So your sons will marry you;
And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
So your God will rejoice over you.
So your sons will marry you;
And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
So your God will rejoice over you.
On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen;
All day and all night they will never keep silent.
You who remind the Lord, take no rest for yourselves;
And give Him no rest until He establishes
And makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
All day and all night they will never keep silent.
You who remind the Lord, take no rest for yourselves;
And give Him no rest until He establishes
And makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
Canticle III:
Sirach 39:13-16 (How praiseworthy are the works of the Lord!)
Thanks be to God
who through us is spreading the knowledge of himself like a pleasant fragrance
(2 Cor. 2:14)
Listen, my faithful children:
open up your petals,
like roses planted near running waters;
Send up the sweet odor of incense,
break forth in blossoms like the lily.
Send up the sweet odor of your hymn of praise;
bless Lord for all he has done!
Proclaim the greatness of his name,
loudly sing his praises,"
open up your petals,
like roses planted near running waters;
Send up the sweet odor of incense,
break forth in blossoms like the lily.
Send up the sweet odor of your hymn of praise;
bless Lord for all he has done!
Proclaim the greatness of his name,
loudly sing his praises,"
With music on the harp and all stringed instruments;
Sing out with joy as you proclaim:
The works of God are all of them good.
Antiphon: Be
glad, Virgin Mary, for you have deserved to bear the Christ, the creator of
heaven and earth; you have brought forth the Savior of the world.
A reading from the
Holy Gospel according to Luke (Luke 1:26-38)
You will conceive
and bear a son.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a
town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name
was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he
came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she
was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might
be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found
favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son
of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor
David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom
there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I
am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be
born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative
Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month
for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with
God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me
according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Reading from a
homily of Blessed Simon of Cascia, priest: Present in spirit at the
annunciation
Imagine how reverently the angel stood before this
glorious village girl, knowing that she was to be the mother of the Son of God!
See and contemplate how humbly and modestly she listened and gave answer to the
angel who had come as ambassador and was awaiting her reply. What would you
have done if you had been at the door of this room or cell and had heard this
holy, pleasing dialogue between this blessed girl and the angel? Would not your
heart have been sweetly riven by great joy and boundless consolation? Harder than
stone and steel is the heart that is not riven as it reads or hears or thinks
about the words the virgin spoke to the angel and the angel to the virgin.
Would you not have cried aloud, humbly but very fervently and from a full
heart: “Sweet Madonna, kindest of women, I beg you, agree quickly to what the
angel says, so that your Son may deliver us from the damnation in which our
first mother has put us!” What would you have said and done, Christian soul,
when you heard the Virgin Mary say to the angel: “I am the servant and
handmaiden of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word”? At that
moment, the power of the Holy Spirit immediately formed and generated the body
of Christ from the pure blood of the Virgin, infused the newly created soul
into that body, and united the divinity inseparably with that soul and body. We
must therefore firmly believe that Christ is true god and true man, the Son of
Mary who was a virgin, before, during and after his birth.
Concluding Prayer
God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, look upon the
Virgin Mary, whose earthly existence was governed by a spirit of gracious
acceptance. Grant to us also the gifts of constant prayer and of silence, that
our daily lives may be transfigured by the presence of your Spirit.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who
lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Let
us praise the Lord. And gives him thanks.
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