Saturday of Sexagesima Week

      Saturday of Sexagesima Week

                  The Liturgical Year

        Ven. Abbot Dom Guéranger

On the Saturday of the preceding week, which was devoted to the consideration of the fall of our first parents both in its own malice and in its sad consequences upon us, we turned our thoughts towards our blessed Lady, who, though a daughter of Eve, was, by the special mercy of God, preserved from the stain of original sin. Let us end this week with a like act of veneration and love towards this Immaculate Queen of heaven. We, even the most saintly among us, have not only been stained with original sin; we have our actual sins to grieve over and do penance for. This should give us a higher appreciation of her, the one single member of the human family who never committed the slightest sin. Let us turn towards her, and give expression to our feelings.

     We, O Mary! have corrupted our way; we have disobeyed our Lord; we have broken His law; we have preferred our own selfish gratifications to the service we owed Him: but thou wast ever filled with His holy love, and there passed not even a shadow of sin upon thy soul, O spotless mirror of justice and holiness! Virgin most faithful! the grace of thy Son ever triumphed in thy heart. Mystical rose! the fragrance of thy virtues unceasingly ascended to His throne, changing only in its daily increase of sweetness. Tower of ivory! fair beyond measure, without one spot to mar thy purity! House of gold! thou didst ever reflect the precious gifts of the Holy Ghost. Have pity, then, upon us, for we are sinners.

     We have obliged our God to repent that He made us: but in thee, dear Mother, He has ever been well pleased. Thou art the good land, wherein His divine seed yielded its thousandfold of fruit: pray for us, that He give fresh fertility to our hearts, and root up from them the thorns, which choke the heavenly plant. We are defiled by sin; may He, through the merits of the tears thou didst shed at the foot of the cross, mercifully cleanse us. If thy divine Son have already pardoned us, there are the consequences of our sins, which still weaken and humble us, like the sores of wounds that have been cured: take us, sweet Mother of our Jesus, under the mantle of thy tender care. We have too little dread of sin; we are so often on the verge of offending our God; oh! get courage for these poor children of thine, and firmness of resolution, and ambition for holiness of life. Thy intercession must win for us that precious devotedness to God’s honour, which kills self-love, the root of sin. Oh! accursed self-love, which may lead us to hell, who are now perhaps in the grace of thy divine Son!

     The deluge, brought on by our sins, is hurrying its vengeance against mankind; and we, O Mary! are resolved to seek our refuge in the Ark of the Church, the safe shelter created for us by thy Jesus. But we presume to pray to thee for our brethren throughout the world. Our God has given thee a power to stay His anger, and to win for guilty mortals an extension of mercy: show this power now, for our world is provoking its Master to destroy it. If the flood-gate of His just indignation burst upon the face of our earth, millions of souls that have been redeemed by the Blood of thy divine Son would be lost eternally. If the sweet dove of peace bring her olive-branch only when that terrible justice is appeased, it would be too late for thy loving heart. Come before the deluge, O beautiful rainbow of our Father’s reconciliation! The love of a Mother, who is the very Queen of mercy, emboldens us to sue for universal mercy. Can the prayer of her, in whose purity and innocence the very God of holiness finds no blemish, be denied?

Pray Him, then, to pardon us, and all sinners!

We select a few stanzas from the celebrated ‘Complaint to Mary,’ composed by the monk Euthymius. The Greek Church has inserted it in her liturgy.

                      Canon

O blessed Lady! how shall I lament over my impure life, and the multitude of my grievous sins? I know not how to address thee, most

chaste Virgin! I tremble with fear; but do thou help me.

  I will speak of my wickedness and my hateful sins; but where shall I begin? Alas! what will become of me, a wretched sinner? Do thou, O blessed Lady, have compassion on me before my departure from this life.

  I, having gone in every path that sinner ever trod, how shall I find now the way of salvation, O Immaculate Virgin? Yet have I recourse to thy goodness; despise me not, for I repent from my heart.

  My thoughts are ever on the hour of death, and on the dread tribunal; and yet an evil habit violently tempts me to sin. O most pure Virgin, do thou help me.

  The deadly enemy of all that is good, seeing me poor and naked, without patron or protector, and most destitute of heavenly virtue, rushes forward that he may devour me. O blessed Lady! forbid him, and drive him far from me.

  Alas, unhappy man! in the arrogance of my soul, I have defiled the image of God that was in me. Whither shall I now turn? Hasten to my assistance, O Virgin ever holy!

  The choirs and hosts of Angels, the heavenly Powers, tremble in the presence of thy all-powerful Son, O Immaculate Mother! and I, who have nothing wherein to hope, am so devoid of fear!

  Suffer me not, O blessed Lady! to perish in the pit, I have fallen into, of my sins. The cruel enemy sees me struggling in despair, and mocks me. Do thou stretch forth thy hand, that can so well deliver me.

  Awful is the judgment of God, unhappy senseless soul! and ever-lasting is the punishment. But turn thee, whilst yet there is time, and prostrate in prayer before the Mother of thy Judge and Lord. Why

wouldst thou despair.

  O Immaculate Virgin! the multitude of my grievous sins has set a thick darkness around me; the eyes of my soul, and my under-standing, are blinded. Wherefore, I beseech thee, quickly lead me, by the brightness of thy light, to sweet freedom from my passions.

  Grant me an unceasing sorrow, O blessed Lady, and a fount of tears, that I may wash away my countless sins and wounds, and gain eternal life.

  Lo! I thy servant, most sinless Virgin! approach thee in deep reverence and love, for I know the power of thy prayer. Great, indeed, with her Son, is the power of the Mother’s prayer, and his heart is moved when she asks, O most blessed Mother!

  O Mother worthy of the whole world’s praise! thy Son will be to me a merciful and compassionate Judge. Despise me not, but let me find favour in his sight, that he may set me on the right hand of his most just tribunal; for in thee have I put my trust.

                 MASS PROPERS

     OUR LADY ON SATURDAY

   Missa ‘Salve, Sancta Parens’

        INTROITUS - Sedulis 

               Psalm 44:2

Salve, sancta Parens, enixa puerpera Regem: qui cœlum, terramque regit in sæcula sæculorum. Alleluia, alleluia. Ps 44:2 Eructavit cor meum verbum bonum: dico ego opera mea Regi.  Gloria Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto. Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculórum. Amen.

           

                  INTROIT

               Psalm 44:2

Hail, holy Mother, that didst bring forth the King who ruleth heaven and earth for ever and ever. Alleluia, alleluia. Ps. My heart hath uttered a good word: I speak of my works to the King. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

                 COLLECT

Grant to us, Thy servants, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, that we may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body: and through the intercession of blessed Mary ever Virgin may be delivered from present sorrow and enjoy everlasting gladness. Through our Lord.

                 EPISTLE

         Wisdom 24:14-16

From the beginning, and before the world, was I created, and unto the world to come I shall not cease to be, and in the holy dwelling place I have ministered before Him. And so was I established in Sion, and in the holy city likewise I rested, and my power was in Jerusalem. And I took root in an honorable people, and in the portion of my God his inheritance, and my abode is in the full assembly of Saints.

            GRADUAL

Thou art blessed and venerable, O Virgin Mary, who without any violation of purity wert found the Mother of our Saviour.  Virgin Mother of God, He whom the whole world cannot hold, enclosed Himself in thy womb, being made man.

                TRACT

Rejoice, O Virgin Mary, thou alone hast destroyed all heresies. Who didst believe the words of the Archangel Gabriel.  Whilst a virgin thou didst bring forth God and man: and after childbirth thou didst remain a pure virgin. O Mother of God, intercede for us.

           GOSPEL  

   Luke 11: 27-28

At that time, as Jesus was speaking to the multitudes, a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said to Him: Blessed is the womb that bore Thee and  the paps that gave Thee suck. But He said: Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.

         OFFERTORY  

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb.

                SECRET

By Thy gracious mercy, O Lord, and by the intercession of Blessed Mary ever Virgin, may this oblation avail us for peace and welfare both now and for evermore. Through our Lord.

PREFACE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

It is truly meet and just, right and for our salvation, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty and eternal God: and that we should praise, bless and proclaim Thee in the festivity of the blessed Mary ever virgin: who conceived Thine only-begotten Son by the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost; and losing not the glory of her virginity, gave forth to the world the eternal Light, Jesus Christ our Lord: through Whom the angels praise Thy majesty, Dominations worship, Powers stand in awe: the Heavens and the hosts of heaven, with blessed Seraphim unite, exult, and celebrate; and we entreat that Thou wouldst bid our voices also to be heard with theirs, singing in lowly praise:

           COMMUNION

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

       POSTCOMMUNION

O Lord, grant, we beseech Thee, that we who have received these aids unto salvation, may be always and everywhere protected by the intercession of Blessed Mary ever Virgin, in veneration of whom we have offered up these gifts to Thy Majesty. Through our Lord.