ANNUNCIATION OF
THE
BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
This
great festival takes its name from the happy tidings brought by the angel
Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin, concerning the Incarnation of the Son of God. It
commemorates the most important embassy that was ever known: an embassy sent by
the King of kings, performed by one of the chief princes of His heavenly court;
directed, not to the great ones of this earth, but to a poor, unknown virgin,
who, being endowed with the most angelic purity of soul and body, being withal
perfectly humble and devoted to God, was greater in His eyes than the mightiest
monarch in the world. When the Son of God became man, He could have taken upon
Him our nature without the cooperation of any creature; but He was pleased to
be born of a woman. In the choice of her whom He raised to this most sublime of
all dignities, He pitched upon the one who, by the riches of His grace and
virtues, was of all others the most holy and the most perfect. The design of
this embassy of the archangel is to give a Saviour to the world, a victim of
propitiation to the sinner, a model to the just, a son to this Virgin,
remaining still a virgin, and a new nature to the Son of God, the nature of
man, capable of suffering pain and anguish in order to satisfy God’s justice
for our transgressions.
The Annunciation,
Detail - Antonello da Messina (1430–1479)
When the angel appeared to Mary and
addressed her, the Blessed Virgin was troubled: not at the angel’s appearance,
says St. Ambrose, for heavenly visions and a commerce with the blessed spirits
had been familiar to her; but what alarmed her, he says, was the angel’s
appearing in human form, in the shape of a young man. What might add to her
fright on the occasion was his addressing her in words of praise. Mary, guarded
by her modesty, is in confusion at expressions of this sort, and dreads the
least appearance of deluding flattery. Such high commendations make her
cautious how she answers, till in silence she has more fully considered of the
matter: “She revolved in her mind,” says St. Luke, “what manner of salutation
this should be.” Ah, what numbers of innocent souls have been corrupted for
want of using the like precautions!
The angel, to calm her, says: “Fear not,
Mary, for thou hast found favor before God.” He then informs her that she is to
conceive and bring forth a Son Whose name shall be Jesus, Who shall be great,
and the Son of the Most High, and possessed of the throne of David, her
illustrious ancestor. Mary, out of a just concern to know how she may comply
with the will of God without prejudice to her vow of virginity, inquires, “How
shall this be?” Nor does she give her consent till the heavenly messenger
acquaints her that it is to be a work of the Holy Ghost, who, in making her
fruitful, will not Entrench in the least upon her virginal purity.
In submission, therefore, to God’s will,
without any further inquiries, she expresses her assent in these humble but
powerful words: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to
Thy word” What faith and confidence does her answer express, what profound
humility and perfect obedience!
Reflection
From
the example of the Blessed Virgin in this mystery, how ardent a love ought we
to conceive of purity and humility! The Holy Ghost is invited by purity to
dwell in souls, but is chased away by the filth of the contrary vice. Humility
is the foundation of a spiritual life. By it Mary was prepared for the
extraordinary graces and all virtues with which she was enriched, and for the
eminent dignity of Mother of God.
Source: Lives of the
Saints, by Alban Butler, 1866
THE ANNUNCIATION
OF THE EVER BLESSED VIRGIN
Transferred
from March 25
Double
– First class
White
vestments
Missa ‘Vultum tuum’
INTROIT
Psalm 44: 13, 15, 16
Vultum tuum deprecabuntur omnes divites plebis: adducentur Regi virgines
post eam: proximæ ejus adducentur tibi in lætitia ex exsultatione. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Ps. 44: 2. Eructavit cor meum verbum bonum: dico
ego opera mea Regi. V. Glória Patri
All the rich among the people shall entreat Thy countenance: after her
shall virgins be brought to the King: her neighbours shall be brought to thee
in gladness and rejoicing. Alleluia, alleluia.
Ps. My heart hath
uttered a good word: I speak my works to the King. V. Glory be to
the Father.
COLLECT
Deus, qui de beatæ Mariæ Virginis utero Verbum tuum, Angelo nuntiante,
carnem suscipere voluisti; præsta supplicibus tuis; ut, qui vere eam Genitricem
Dei credimus, ejus apud te intercessionibus adjuvemur. Per eumdem Dominum.
O God, who didst will that Thy Word should take flesh, at the message of
an Angel, in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant to Thy suppliant
people, that we who believe her to be truly the Mother of God, may be helped by
her intercession with Thee. Through the same our Lord.
EPISTLE
Isaias
7: 10-15
In diebus illis: Locutus est Dominus ad Achaz, dicens: Pete tibi signum
a Domino Deo tuo in profundum inferni, sive in excelsum supra. Et dixit Achaz:
Non petam, et non tentabo Dominum. Et dixit: Audite ergo domus David: Numquid
parum vobis est, molestos esse hominibus, quia molesti estis et Deo meo?
Propter hoc dabit Dominus ipse vobis signum. Ecce virgo concipiet, et pariet
filium, et vocabitur nomen ejus Emmanuel. Butyrum et mel comedet, ut sciat
reprobare malum, et eligere bonum.
In those days the Lord spoke to Achaz, saying: Ask thee a sign of the
Lord thy God, either unto the depth of hell, or unto the height above. And
Achaz said: I will not ask, and I will not tempt the Lord. And He said: hear ye
therefore, O house of David: Is it a small thing for you to be grievous to men,
that you are grievous to my God also? Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you
a sign. Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and His Name shall be
called Emmanuel. He shall eat butter and honey, that He may know to refuse the
evil, and to choose the good.
ALLELUIA
Luke 1: 28
Alleluia, allelúia. V. Ave Maria,
gratia plena: Dominus tecum: benedicta tu in mulieribus.
Alleluia, alleluia. V. Hail Mary,
full of grace: the Lord is with thee: Blessed art thou among women.
ALLELUIA
Numbers 17: 8
Alleluia. V. Virga Jesse
floruit: Virgo Deum et hominem genuit: pacem Deus reddidit, in se reconcilians
ima summis. Alleluia.
Alleluia. V. The rod of
Jesse hath blossomed: a virgin hath brought forth God and man: God hath given
peace, reconciling the lowest with the highest in Himself. Alleluia.
Annunciation -
Archangel St. Gabriel by Fra Angelico, Detail - 1431-33
GOSPEL
Luke 1: 26-28
At that time the Angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee,
called Nazareth, to a virgin, espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the
house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And the Angel being come in,
said unto her: Hail, full of grace: the Lord is with thee: Blessed art thou
among women. Who having heard, was troubled at his saying: and thought within
herself what manner of salutation this should be. And the Angel said to her:
Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God: behold thou shalt conceive
in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His Name Jesus.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord
God shall give unto Him the throne of David His father: and He shall reign in
the house of Jacob for ever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end. And Mary
said to the Angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man? And the
Angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the
power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which
shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God. And behold thy cousin
Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth
month with her that is called barren: because no word shall be impossible with
God. And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according
to thy word.
OFFERTORY
Luke 1: 28, 42
Ave Maria, gratia plena: Dominus tecum: benedicta tu in mulieribus, et
benedictus fructris ventris tui. Alleluia.
Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among
women and blessed in the fruit of thy womb. Alleluia.
SECRET
In mentibus nostris quæsumus, Domine, veræ fidei sacramenta confirma:
ut, qui conceptum de Virgine Deum verum et hominem confitemur; per ejus
salutiferæ resurrectionis potentiam, ad æternam mereamur pervenire lætitiam.
Per eumdem Dominum nostrum.
Strengthen in our minds, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the mysteries of the
true faith; that we who confess Him who was conceived of a Virgin to be true
God and man, may deserve by the power of His saving resurrection to attain to
eternal happiness. Through the same our Lord.
PREFACE OF
THE BLESSED VIRGIN
Vere dignum et justum est, æquum et salutare, nos tibi semper, et ubique
gratias agere: Domine sancte, Pater omnipotens, æterne Deus. Et te in
Annuntiatione beatæ Mariæ semper Virginis collaudare, benedicere et prædicare.
Quæ et Unigenitum tuum Sancti Spiritus obumbratione concepit: et virginitatis
gloria permanente, lumen æternum mundo effudit Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum.
Per quem majestatem tuam laudant Angeli, adorant Dominationes, tremunt
Potestates. Cœli, cœlorumque Virtutes, ac beata Seraphim, socia exsultatione
concelebrant. Cum quibus et nostras voces, ut admitti jubeas deprecamur,
supplici confessione dicéntes.
It is truly meet and just, right and for our salvation, that we should
at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty,
eternal God: and that we should praise and bless, and proclaim Thee, in the
Annunciation of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin: Who conceived Thine
only-begotten Son by the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost, and the glory of her
virginity still abiding, 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 the
blessed Seraphim unite, exult and celebrate; and we entreat that Thou wouldst
bid our voices also to be heard with theirs, singing with lowly praise:
SANCTUS
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus Dóminus, Deus Sábaoth. Pleni sunt coeli et
terra glória tua. Hosánna in excélsis! Benedíctus, qui venit in nómine Dómini!
Hosánna in excélsis.
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth. Heaven and earth are full of Thy
glory. Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the
Lord! Hosanna in the highest.
COMMUNION
Isaias 7: 14
Ecce Virgo concipiet, et pariet filium: et vocabitur Nomen ejus
Emmanuel. Alleluia.
Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and His Name shall be
called Emmanuel. Alleluia.
POSTCOMMUNION
Gratiam tuam, quæsumus Domine, mentibus nostris infunde: ut qui, Angelo
nuntiante, Christi Filii tui incarnationem cognovimus; per passionem ejus et
crucem, ad resurrectionis gloriam perducamur. Per eumdem Dominum.
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts: that we,
to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an
Angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of the
Resurrection. Through the same our Lord.
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