December 9
THE SECOND DAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE
OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
The Liturgical Year
by Dom Guéranger
Let
us consider how the immaculate Mary came into this world nine months after her
Conception, and how each day of her life gave man fresh reason to hope for the
great promises made him by God. Let us admire the fullness of grace which God
has given to her, and contemplate the respect and the love wherewith the holy
Angels look upon her as the future Mother of Him who is to be their Head and
King, as well as ours. Let us follow this august Queen to the Temple of
Jerusalem, where she is presented by her parents, St. Joachim and St. Anne.
When but three years of age, she was initiated into all the secrets of divine
love. ‘I always rose at midnight (thus she spoke of herself, in a revelation to
St. Elizabeth of Hungary), and went before the Altar of the Temple, where I
besought of God that I might observe all the commandments of his Law, and be
enriched with those graces which would render me pleasing to his Majesty. I most earnestly
prayed him, that I might live to see that most holy virgin who was to bring
forth into this world his own divine Son. I asked him to grant me to enjoy the
use of my eyes that I might see her, of my tongue that I might praise her, of
my hands that I might serve her, of my feet that I might go her errands, and of my knees that I
might adore the Son of God resting in her arms.’
Thou,
O Mary, thou thyself wast this Virgin, who was worthy of the praises of men and
Angels! But God had not yet revealed it to thee, and thy heavenly humility
forbade thy thinking that the immense dignity, which thou didst so deeply
venerate, could ever be thine. Nay, thou wast the first and the only one of the
daughters of Israel that had renounced all hope of ever being the Mother of the
Messias. To be Mother of the Messias was, indeed, an ineffable honour; but it seemed as though it could only be
received on the condition of having another Spouse besides God, and this
thou wouldst not suffer; thou wouldst be united to God alone, and thy vow of
Virginity which made thee so, was dearer to thee than the possibility of any
privilege, which would rob thee even of a title of that. Thy marriage with St.
Joseph, therefore, was a fresh lustre added to thy incomparable purity, whilst,
in the designs of God, it provided thee with the protection which thy coming
honours would soon require. We follow thee, O Spouse of Joseph, into thy house
at Nazareth, where is to be spent thy humble life.
Espousal of St. Joseph and Ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of God
There we behold thee
diligent in all thy duties, the valiant Woman of the Scriptures, the object of
the admiration of God and his Angels. Suffer us, O Mary! to unite our Advent
devotions with the prayers which thou didst offer up for the coming of the
Messias; with the veneration wherewith thou didst think upon Her that was to be
his Mother; and with the inflamed desires wherewith thou didst long for the
divine Saviour. We salute thee as the Virgin foretold by Isaias; it is thyself,
O blessed Mother, that deservest the praise and love of the holy people and city,
the redeemed of the Lord.
SEQUENCE
(Taken from the Cluny Missal of
1523)
Let
us venerate the Virgin, the Mother of grace, the sweetness of Salvation, the
fount of Wisdom.
She
is the palace of the King, the Queen of prudence, the Virgin full of grace, the
Aurora of joy.
She
is sweeter than honey, the lily of chastity; she is brighter than the jasper,
our solace in sorrow.
O
fountain most admirable, source whence came the author of our faith, Mother
most admirable, precious vessel of virtue. Thou art the purest Mother of the
beautiful King; thou art the perfume of precious ointment; thou art the sweetest
Rose. Rejoice, 0 glorious tree of life, O brightest of stars, O noblest of
Mothers, O Virgin most holy!
Thou
the sinner's help, and Queen of counsel, didst bring forth the flower of
flowers, Jesus the source of our joy. Branch of Jesse, light of the Saints,
help of the needy, be mindful of us sinners on the day of judgment. Thou art
the joy of the world, the model of charity, the encouragement to victory, the
treasury of every fragrance. To thee, O sweetest flower, Immaculate Virgin, be
queenly honour for ever. Amen.
PRAYER FROM THE GREGORIAN SACRAMENTARY
(In the daily Prayers
for Advent)
Grant,
we beseech thee, O Lord our God, that all we, who are
united
with upright hearts in the unity of faith, may rejoice: that so,
when
thy Son our Saviour shall come, we, being purified, may meet
him
in the society of his Saints. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
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