Masses of the BVM: 05 The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Savior
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
In childbirth she brought forth the King,
whose name is eternal.
She keeps a mother’s joy with a virgin’s honor.
None like her was seen before, and none thereafter.
COLLECT
O God, who through the fruitful virginity of Blessed Mary
bestowed on the human race the grace of eternal salvation,
grant, we pray,
that we may experience the intercession of her,
through whom we were found worthy to receive the author of life,
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
Is 9:1-3, 5-6
A son is given to us.
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom
a light has shone.
You have brought them abundant joy
and great rejoicing,
as they rejoice before you as at the harvest,
as people make merry when dividing spoils.
For the yoke that burdened them,
the pole on their shoulder,
and the rod of their taskmaster
you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.
For a child is born to us, a son is given us;
upon his shoulder dominion rests.
They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,
Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.
His dominion is vast
and forever peaceful,
from David’s throne, and over his kingdom,
which he confirms and sustains
by judgment and justice,
both now and forever.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this!
The word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
Or:
Mi 5:1-4a
This is the time when she who is in labor is to give birth.
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Micah
The LORD says:
You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah,
too small to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel;
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient times.
(Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time
when she who is to give birth has borne,
and the rest of his people shall return
to the children of Israel.)
He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock
by the strength of the LORD,
in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;
and they shall remain, for now his greatness
shall reach to the ends of the earth;
he shall be peace.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Ps 2:7-8, 10-11ab
℟. (8a) I will give you all the nations for your heritage.
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD,
who said to me, “You are my son;
today I am your father.
Only ask it of me,
and I will make your inheritance the nations,
your possession the ends of the earth.”
℟. I will give you all the nations for your heritage.
And now, kings, give heed;
take warning, rulers on earth.
Serve the LORD with fear;
with trembling bow down in homage.
℟. I will give you all the nations for your heritage.
Verse Before the Gospel
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Ps 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 11-12, 13
℟. (See Luke 2:11) Our Savior is born, Christ the Lord.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Sing to the LORD, bless his name.
℟. Our Savior is born, Christ the Lord.
Announce salvation day after day.
Tell God’s glory among the nations;
among all peoples, God’s marvelous deeds.
℟. Our Savior is born, Christ the Lord.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them.
Then let all the trees of the forest rejoice.
℟. Our Savior is born, Christ the Lord.
Before the LORD who comes,
who comes to govern the earth,
to govern the world with justice
and the peoples with faithfulness.
℟. Our Savior is born, Christ the Lord.
VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL
See Lk 2:10-11
℟. Alleluia, alleluia.
Good news and great joy to all the world:
our Savior is born, Christ the Lord.
℟. Alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL
Lk 2:1-14
A savior is born for you.
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus
that the whole world should be enrolled.
This was the first enrollment,
when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
So all went to their own towns to be enrolled.
And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth
to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem,
because he was of the house and family of David,
to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
While they were there,
the time came for Mary to have her child,
and she gave birth to her firstborn son.
She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger,
because there was no room for them in the inn.
Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields
and keeping the night watch over their flock.
The angel of the Lord appeared to them
and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were struck with great fear.
The angel said to the shepherds,
“Do not be afraid;
for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people.
For today in the city of David
a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.
And this will be a sign for you:
you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes
and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel,
praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
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
Accept, O Lord, the offerings we bring you
and grant that, enlightened by the Holy Spirit
and encouraged by the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
our hearts may always seek out and treasure the things that are yours.
Through Christ our Lord.
PREFACE: Mary, Mother of the Savior
The Savior Comes Forth from Mary as the Bridegroom of the Church.
℣. 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 truly 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,
especially as we celebrate this holy season (of Christmas).
When Mary brought forth her child
from the secret shrine of her virginal womb
you revealed as a light for all nations
the sign and source of our salvation,
your Son, Jesus Christ.
Like the rising sun,
the Bridegroom of the Church
has dawned upon us to rescue us
from darkness and the shadow of death
and to make us a kingdom of unfailing light.
In our joy we sing to your glory
with all the choirs of Angels:
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
John 1: 14
The Word of God became flesh, and dwelt among us,
full of grace and truth.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Renewed by the Body and Blood of your incarnate Word,
we pray, O Lord, that these divine mysteries,
which we have joyfully received
on this memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
may make us sharers for eternity in the divinity of your Son.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
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
May God, who through the motherhood of the Virgin Mary
dispelled the darkness of ages past,
enlighten your minds with the radiance of the sun of justice.
℟. Amen.
May God, who sent his Son as the Redeemer of the world,
refashion your minds and hearts in the image of Christ.
℟. Amen.
Like Mary, Mother of Wisdom,
may you gratefully ponder in your hearts
the wonder of God’s blessings
and may you find in Christ and the Blessed Virgin
the model of your way of life.
℟. 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.