Masses of the BVM: 22 Holy Mary, Handmaid of the Lord
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
Luke 1: 47-48
My spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
because the Lord has looked on his lowly handmaid.
COLLECT
Lord our God,
in your loving plan of redemption
you chose the Blessed Virgin,
your lowly handmaid,
to be the Mother and companion of Christ your Son;
grant that by constantly looking up to her
we may give you wholehearted service
in untiring care for the salvation of the world.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
FIRST READING
1 Sm 1:24-28; 2:1-2, 4-8
I stood praying to the Lord, and the Lord granted my request.
A reading from the first Book of Samuel
Hannah brought Samuel with her,
along with a three-year-old bull,
an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine,
and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh.
After the boy’s father had sacrificed the young bull,
Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said;
“Pardon, my lord!
As you live, my lord,
I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD.
I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request.
Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD;
as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.”
Hannah left Samuel there;
and as she worshiped the LORD, she said:
“My heart exults in the LORD,
my horn is exalted in my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in my victory.
There is no Holy One like the LORD;
there is no Rock like our God.
“The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the tottering gird on strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,
while the hungry batten on spoil.
The barren wife bears seven sons,
while the mother of many languishes.
“The Lord puts to death and gives life;
he casts down to the netherworld;
he raises up again.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich,
he humbles, he also exalts.
He raises the needy from the dust;
from the ash heap he lifts up the poor,
to seat them with nobles
and make a glorious throne their heritage.
He gives to vowers their vows,
and blesses the sleep of the just.
“For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
and he has set the world upon them.”
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Lk 1:46-48a, 48b-49, 50-51, 52-53, 54-55
℟. (See 48a) The Lord has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness;
℟. The Lord has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
Behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
℟. The Lord has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
The Lord’s mercy is from age to age
to those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm,
dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.
℟. The Lord has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones
but lifted up the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things;
the rich he has sent away empty.
℟. The Lord has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
The Lord has helped Israel his servant,
remembering his mercy,
according to his promise to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.
℟. The Lord has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL
℟. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary,
you declared yourself the handmaid of the Lord,
and now, exalted above the choirs of angels,
you are acclaimed by the Church as queen of heaven.
℟. Alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL
Lk 1:26-38
Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to Mary, the angel said,
“Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.”
But Mary was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
“Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“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 called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:
The Gospel of the Lord.
All reply:
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Then he kisses the book, saying quietly:
Through the words of the Gospel
may our sins be wiped away.
PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS
All-holy Father,
on this memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
your obedient and devoted handmaid,
receive our offerings and gifts
and grant that we may present to you ourselves
as a sacrifice pleasing in your sight.
Through Christ our Lord.
PREFACE: Mary, Handmaid of the Lord
The Blessed Virgin, Handmaid of the Lord, was a Servant of the Mystery of Redemption
℣. The Lord be with you.
℟. And with your spirit.
℣. Lift up your hearts.
℟. We lift them up to the Lord.
℣. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
℟. It is right and just.
It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God.
In the Blessed Virgin Mary
you were especially pleased,
for by embracing your plan of salvation
she gave herself wholeheartedly
to the work of your Son
as a faithful servant of the mystery of redemption.
She who gave great service to Christ
was given great honor by you, his Father.
She who saw herself as your lowly handmaid
was raised up by you to reign as queen in glory
in the presence of your Son,
where she intercedes for us in her goodness
as the servant of your love.
Now with all the Saints and Angels,
we praise you for ever:
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
COMMUNION ANTIPHON
Psalm 86: 15-16
Lord God, look upon me
and have pity on me; save the child of your handmaid.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Having been made partakers of this spiritual food,
we pray, O Lord our God,
that, steadily imitating the Blessed Virgin Mary,
we may always be found intent on service of the Church
and may know the joys of doing your will.
Through Christ our Lord.
SOLEMN BLESSING
The following Solemn Blessing may be used:
The Lord be with you.
The people reply:
And with your spirit.
The Deacon or, in his absence, the Priest himself, says the invitation:
Bow down for the blessing.
Then the Priest, with hands outstretched over the people, says
Ordinary Time I
May the Father of all mercy,
through the love with which he cherished
the Mother of his Son,
bless you with health of mind and body.
℟. Amen.
May Jesus Christ, the blessed fruit of Mary’s womb,
adorn you with the virtues
that will make you more pleasing to him.
℟. Amen.
May the Holy Spirit,
whose power overshadowed the Blessed Virgin,
give you serenity and peace,
that you may live as one in mind and heart
in the household of the Church.
℟. Amen.
And may the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit,
come down on you and remain with you for ever.
℟. Amen.
Ordinary Time II
May God, who through the childbearing of the Blessed Virgin Mary
willed in his great kindness to redeem the human race,
be pleased to enrich you with his blessing.
℟. Amen.
May you know always and everywhere the protection of her,
through whom you have been found worthy to receive the author of life.
℟. Amen.
May you, who have devoutly gathered to celebrate this memorial of our Lady,
carry away with you the gifts of spiritual joys and heavenly rewards.
℟. Amen.
And may the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit,
come down on you and remain with you for ever.
℟. Amen.
Ordinary Time III
May the Father of mercies bless you
through the intercession of Blessed Mary ever-Virgin
through whom he chose to remedy the fall of our first parents.
℟. Amen.
May Jesus Christ, who in the womb of the Blessed Virgin
became our brother and our Savior,
free your hearts from every trace of sin.
℟. Amen.
May the Holy Spirit
increase in you the grace of true faith and of hope for heaven,
that you may walk in the ways of the Gospel
and so reach your eternal home.
℟. Amen.
And may the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit,
come down on you and remain with you for ever.
℟. Amen.
Then the Deacon, or the Priest himself, with hands joined and facing the people, says:
Go forth, the Mass is ended.
Or:
Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.
Or:
Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.
Or:
Go in peace.
The people reply:
Thanks be to God.