Masses of the BVM: 06 The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Epiphany of the Lord
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
The surpassing greatness of God has shone around us,
God’s power has been revealed through a virgin;
the Most High has chosen to be born as a little child,
to show forth majesty and splendor in lowliness of birth.
COLLECT
Lord our God, through the Blessed Virgin Mary
you revealed your Son to the world
as the glory of Israel
and the light of all nations;
grant that as we follow his teaching and example
we may strengthen our faith in Christ
and acknowledge him to be the one Mediator
and the Savior of the world.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
FIRST READING
Is 60:1-6
The glory of the Lord shines upon you.
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah
Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come,
the glory of the Lord shines upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth,
and thick clouds cover the peoples;
but upon you the LORD shines,
and over you appears his glory.
Nations shall walk by your light,
and kings by your shining radiance.
Raise your eyes and look about;
they all gather and come to you:
your sons come from afar,
and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.
Then you shall be radiant at what you see,
your heart shall throb and overflow,
for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,
the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.
Caravans of camels shall fill you,
dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;
all from Sheba shall come
bearing gold and frankincense,
and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13
℟. (See 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, give your judgment to the king;
your justice to the son of kings;
that he may govern your people with justice,
your oppressed with right judgment.
℟. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
That abundance may flourish in his days,
great bounty, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
from the river to the ends of the earth.
℟. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
May the kings of Tarshish and the islands bring tribute,
the kings of Arabia and Seba offer gifts.
May all kings bow before him,
all nations serve him.
℟. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he rescues the poor when they cry out,
the oppressed who have no one to help.
He shows pity to the needy and the poor
and saves the lives of the poor.
℟. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL
Mt 2:2
℟. Alleluia, alleluia.
We have seen his star in the east
and have come to adore the Lord.
℟. Alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL
Mt 2:1-12
Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary, his mother.
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
Herod inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”
Then Herod called the magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king the magi set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
The magi prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
the magi departed for their country by another way.
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
Lord God, through the power of the Holy Spirit
consecrate these gifts,
the offering of joyful hearts,
on this memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary;
let them become the Body and Blood of Christ,
who was born of the Virgin Mother
to reveal your glory
and to give his whole life for our salvation.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Through Christ our Lord.
PREFACE: Mary and the Epiphany of the Lord
Christ Is Revealed to the World Through the Ministry of the Virgin.
℣. 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.
For through the ministry of the Blessed Virgin
you draw the families of all peoples
to faith in the Gospel.
The shepherds, bathed in your glory
and enlightened by choirs of Angels,
acknowledged Christ as the Savior
and became the firstfruits of the
Church from the people of Israel.
The wise men, inspired by grace
and led by a shining star,
entered a lowly house,
found the child with his Mother,
and, as the firstfruits of the Church from the Gentiles,
worshiped him as God,
proclaimed him as King,
and acknowledged him as Redeemer.
Through him the Angels of heaven
offer their prayer of adoration
as they rejoice in your presence for ever.
May our voices be one with theirs
in their triumphant hymn of praise:
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
Cf. Matthew 2:2
We have seen his star in the East,
and have come with gifts to adore the Lord. Cf. Matthew 2: 2
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
May the mysteries we have received,
O Lord our God,
always show forth your mercy in us,
that we, who celebrate with steadfast love
this memorial of the Mother of your Son,
may be saved by his birth.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
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
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.
