The antiphons, psalms, hymn, and versicle, are the same as in the first Vespers, above. The Magnificat antiphon alone is changed, and is as follows:
ANTIPHON OF THE MAGNIFICAT.
| Gabriel angelus locutus est Mariae dicens: Ave, gratia plena, Dominus tecum; benedicta tu in mulieribus. | The angel Gabriel spoke unto Mary, saying: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. |
PRAYER.
| Oremus. Deus, qui de beatae Mariae Virginis utero, Verbum tuum, angelo nuntiante, carnem suscipere voluisti: praesta supplicibus tuis: ut qui vere eam Genitricem Dei credimus, ejus apud te intercessioni bus adjuvemur. Per eumdem. | Let us pray. O God, who wast pleased that thy Word, when the angel delivered his message, should take flesh in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary, give ear to our humble petitions, and grant that we, who believe her to be truly the Mother of God, may be helped by her prayers. Through the same, &c. |
Let us now bring together the different liturgies, and hear them celebrate the great mystery of this glad feast. First of all, let us listen to the Church of Rome, who, in her Office of Matins, thus proclaims the praises of Mary, the Mother of God:
HYMN.
| Quem terra, pontus, sidera Colunt, adorant, praedicant, Trinam regentem machinam, Claustrum Mariae bajulat. Cui luna, sol et omnia Beata Mater munere, Beata coeli nuntio, Jesu, tibi sit gloria, | He, whom earth, and sea, and the firmament, worship, adore, and praise; he, the King of the triple kingdom, is carried in Mary's womb. The womb of a Virgin, who has been filled with heavenly grace, bears him, whom the moon, and sun, and all creatures serve in the order marked for them. O Mother, blessed in her great office! He, the sovereign Creator, who holds the world in the palm of his hand, is en closed in the tabernacle of her womb. The angelic messenger proclaims her blessed; the holy Spirit makes her fruitful; and the Desired of nations is born of her. Glory be to thee, O Jesus, that wast born of the Virgin! and to the Father, and to the Spirit of love, for everlasting ages. Amen. |
Many of the Latin Churches, in the middle ages, used to recite, in the Mass of the Annunciation, the following sequence, which is thought to have been composed by Peter Abelard.
SEQUENCE.
| Mittit ad Virginem Non quemvis Angelum, Sed Fortitudinem Suum Archangelum, Amator hominis. Fortem expediat Naturam superet Superbientium Foras ejiciat Exi qui mitteris, Accede, nuncia: Virgo suscipias Audit et suscipit Consiliarium Cujus stabilitas Sed dator veniae Qui nobis tribuat | God, the lover of man, sends to the Virgin no less an angel than him who is called God's Strength, the Archangel Gabriel. May this strong messenger be speedily at his work; may he stay the rights and laws of nature in the Virgin's delivery. May the King of glory, when born, triumph over nature; may he reign and command; may he take away from the midst of men all leaven and rust. May he humble proud heads; may this God, mighty in war, trample in his power on the necks of the haughty. May he cast forth the prince of this world; and make his Mother share with him the empire which his Father has given him. Go forth, messenger of God, announce these gifts: lift up, by the virtue of thy Annunciation, the veil of the ancient Scripture. Approach, tell thy announcement: say, when thou art in her presence, 'Hail!' Say: 'O full of grace!' Say: 'The Lord is with thee!' And then: 'Fear not!' Receive, O Virgin! the divine deposit; by him fulfil thy chaste purpose, and keep thy vow. The Maid hears and accepts the announcement; she believes and conceives, and brings forth a Son, but he is the Admirable. The Counsellor of mankind, God and Man, Father of the world to come, the Prince of peace. May his firmness render us firm, lest human frailty should make us stumble into the abyss. But may the giver of pardon, granting us pardon and grace, obtained by the Mother of grace, dwell within us. May he that grants us pardon of our sins, wipe away all our guilt, and give us the country in the starry heaven. Amen. |
The Ambrosian liturgy gives us this fine Preface, which is used in its celebration of to-day's mystery.
PREFACE.
| Vere dignum et justum est, aequum et salutare: nos tibi, Domine Deus omnipotens, gratias agere, et cum tuae invocatione virtutis, beatae Mariae Virginis festa celebrare: de cujus ventre fructus effloruit, qui panis angelici munere nos replevit. Quod Eva voravit in crimine, Maria restituit in salute. Distat opus serpentis et virginis: inde fusa sunt venena discriminis; hinc egressa mysteria Salvatoris. Inde se praebuit tentantis iniquitas; hinc Redemptoris est opitulata majestas. Inde partus occubuit; hinc Conditor resurrexit, a quo humana natura, non jam captiva, sed libera restituitur; quod Adam perdidit in parente, Christo recepit auctore. | It is truly meet and just, right and available to salvation, that we should give thanks to thee, O Lord God almighty: and that we should, whilst invoking thy power, celebrate the feasts of the blessed Virgin Mary; from whose womb came the Fruit, which has filled us with the Bread of angels. That Fruit, which Eve took from us, when she sinned, Mary hath restored to us, and it hath saved us. Not as the work of the serpent, is the work of Mary. From the one, came the poison of our destruction; from the other, the mysteries of salvation. In the one, we see the malice of the tempter; in the other, the help of the divine Majesty. By the one, came death to the creature; by the other the resurrection of the Creator, by whom human nature, now not captive but free, is restored: and what it lost by its parent Adam, it regained by its Maker, Christ. |
The Mozarabic liturgy (which, as we have already observed, keeps the feast of the Annunciation on December 18) has several admirable prayers touching this mystery: we select the following:
PRAYER.
| Gratiam plenam habere te credimus, o Virgo Christi genitrix, et humani generis reparatrix, gloriosa Maria, quae tanta nobis gaudia pariendo contulisti, ut fructus ventris tui, qui est Christus Filius Dei, a dominio in nos saevientis eriperet inimici, et in regno aeterno consortia faceret sibimetipsi. Proinde, quaesumus, te rogamus, ut adsis patrona nobis, ut et merito tuo nos filius tuus a delicto exsules reddat, et post in regno suo perenniter habitaturos introducat. Praesta nobis, ut qui te concupiscens sibi advocavit in Matrem, nobis concupiscentiae suae opulentam largiatur dulcedinem. Amen. | We believe thee to be full of grace, O glorious Mary, Virgin Mother of Christ, and reparatrix of mankind! Great indeed are the blessings thou hast conferred on us by giving him birth: for the Fruit of thy womb, Christ the Son of God, hath delivered us from the tyranny of our cruel enemy, and hath made us his companions in the eternal kingdom. Be thou, therefore, we beseech thee, our advocate; that, through thy merits, thy Son may set us free from our sins, and, after this life, give us to reign for ever in his kingdom. Grant that he, who out of love for thee called thee to be his Mother, may grant unto us the rich sweetness of his love. Amen. |
The Greek liturgy, with its wonted abundance, celebrates the glory of Mary in the Incarnation of the Word. We give the following hymn, which comes in the Office of the vigil of the Annunciation. In our opinion, it is finer than the one on the feast itself.
HYMN.
(Die XXIV. Martii)
| Terra, quae magno hactenus dolore spinas germinasti, jam nunc age choreas et salta: ecce enim immortalis agricola, qui te a spinis maledictionis expurget, nunc appropinquat. Sed et tu intaminata, o Virgo, tamquam vellus plane divinum, te praepara excipiendo Numini, quod in te velut imber descendat, ut torrentes transgressionis praeceptorum exsiccet. Esto paratus, o divinae munditiae liber; quippe tibi sancti Spiritus digito inscribetur Sapientia divina sed incarnata, quae insipientiae mete praevaricationem e medio tollat. O aureum item candelabrum, ignem recipe divinitatis; ut per te illuceat mundo, unaque nequitiarum nostrarum tenebras dissipet. O magni Regis palatium, Virgo, aurium tuarum divina vestibula pande: jamjam enim ingredietur ad te ipsa Veritas Christus, ut habitet in medio tui. O Agna incontaminata, Agnus Dei nostri, qui tollit peccata nostra, uterum tuum festinat intrare. Mystica etiam virga brevi germinabit florem divinum, de radice Jesse palam exortum, ut loquitur Scriptura. O vitis quoque Maria, compara te, ut per angelicam vocem foecundata, botrum quoque maturum, neque corruptioni obnoxium procrees. O denique mons salve, uem Daniel praevidit in Spiritu, ex quo lapis ille spiritalis abscindetur, qui inanimata daemonum sculptilia conteret. O ratione praedita Arca, quam verus legislator amore singulari prosecutus inhabitare nunc ceu incola statuit, impleat te jucunditas mentis: per te enim innovabit destructos. Quin et vatum chorus divina dare praesagia doctus, tanquam pacatum in te Redemptoris ingressum praesentiret exclamat: Cunctorum salve Redemptio, salve unica hominum salus. O aerea divini luminia nubes, orituro mox soli te para. Nam ecce sol inaccessus de sedibus tibi coelestibus explendescet, ut in te aliquantum absconditus, illuceat mundo, et improbitatis tenebras dissipet. Ille qui a dextera Patris nunquam digressus, substantiam omnem transcendit, in te sibi diversorium delecturus adventat: ut te a dextris constituat suis, tamquam reginam dignitate sibi propinquam, et excellenti pulchritudine praditam, utque te velut dexteram suam omnibus lapsis ad surgendum extendat. Inter angelos autem primarius Dei minister, vocem ad te laetabundam emittit, ut ex te corporandum significet magni consilii Angelum. O Verbum divinum, coelos inclina, et nunc jam ad nos descende. Modo enim uterus Virginis praeparatus est tibi ceu thronus, in quo tamquam rex splendidissimus sedeas, opus dexterae tuae a ruina sustollens. Tu quoque, o Virgo, ceu terra numquam seminata, accingere nunc ad recipiendum sub angeli verbo Verbum coeleste, frumento per quem frugifero simile, quod ex te germinans semina enutriet in panem intelligentiae. | O Earth! that heretofore hast, with much sorrow, brought forth thorns, now dance and leap with joy; for lo! the immortal Husbandman, who will cleanse thee from the thorns of the curse, is at hand. And thou, too, O spotless Virgin! as a divine fleece, prepare thyself to receive thy God, who is about to come down upon thee as the Dew, that he may dry up the torrent of iniquity. Hold thyself in readiness, O book of heavenly purity! for, by the finger of the Holy Ghost, there shall be written in thee the divine Wisdom made Incarnate, who is to take away the foolishness of my sin. Receive, O golden candlestick! the flame of the Godhead; that by thee he may enlighten the world, and scatter the darkness of our sins. O Virgin! Palace of the great King, throw open the holy portals of thine ears; for Christ, the very Truth, is about to enter into thee, that he may dwell in thy midst. O spotless sheep, the Lamb of our God, who taketh away the sins of the world, longs to enter thy womb. The mystic branch, as the Scripture saith, shall soon bud forth the Flower divine, which is to spring from Jesse's root. O Mary, thou vine, prepare thyself to receive, by the angel's words, the ripe Grape-Bunch, that knoweth not corruption. Hail, O mountain! that wast foreseen in the Spirit by Daniel, and from whence shall be hewn that living Stone, which is to destroy the dead idols of the demons. O intellectual Ark! dear above all to the true Lawgiver, and which he has chosen for the place of his abode! Rejoice exceedingly, for, by thee, he will restore what hath been destroyed. The choir of the prophets, skilled in announcing divine mysteries, foresaw the peaceful entrance of the Redeemer within thee, and they exclaimed: Hail, Redemption of the world! Hail, thou the only salvation of mankind! O cloud of the divine Light, prepare thyself for the Sun that is about to rise. For lo! the inaccessible Sun shall shine on thee from his heavenly throne, that, after he has been for a while hid in thee, he may shed his light upon the world, and scatter the darkness of iniquity. He that hath never left the right hand of the Father, and is above all, has chosen thee as his dwelling-place, and is coming unto thee: he will set thee on his right hand, as a Queen whose throne is near his own, and whose beauty surpasses that of all creatures: he will use thee, as his own right hand, to help the fallen to rise. He that is the chief among the angels to minister unto God, addresses his joyous words to thee, telling thee, that the Angel of the great Counsel is to take flesh from thee. O divine Word, bow down the heavens, and now descend unto us; for the Virgin's womb ia prepared for thee as a throne, whereon thou the all-glorious King mayst sit, and raise up from ruin the work of thy right hand. Do thou, also, O Maiden, as a virgin soil, prepare thyself to receive, at the angel's word, the heavenly Word, which, like unto most fruitful wheat, shall bud forth its seed from thee, and produce the bread of the spirit. |
O Emmanuel, God with us! who, as Thy Church says in her hymn, 'being to take upon Thee to deliver man, didst not disdain the Virgin's womb,' the whole human race gives thanks to Thee on this day, for Thy merciful coming. O eternal Word of the Father! it was not enough for Thee to have drawn man out of nothing by Thy power; Thine exhaustless love would follow him even to the abyss of misery into which he had fallen. By sin man had forfeited the dignity Thou hadst given him: that he might regain it, Thou didst come in person and assume his nature, so to raise him up again to Thyself. In Thee, from this day forward unto all eternity, God is made man, and man is made God. Thy Incarnation is the fulfilment of the promises made in the canticle; Thou unitest Thyself to human nature, and it is in the virginal womb of a daughter of David that Thou celebratest these ineffable espousals. O incomprehensible humiliation! O ineffable glory! The humiliation is for the Son of God, the glory is for the Son of man. Thus hast Thou loved us, O divine Word, thus hast Thou removed from us the degradation of our fall! The rebel angels fell, and Thou didst leave them in the abyss; we fell, and Thou hadst mercy on us. A single look of Thy pity would have sufficed to save us; but it would not satisfy Thy love: therefore didst Thou descend into this world of sin, take upon Thyself the form of a slave, [Phil. ii. 7.] and lead a life of humiliation and suffering. O Word made Flesh, who comest not to judge, but to save, [St. John xii. 47.] we adore Thee, we praise Thee, we love Thee. Make us worthy of all that Thy love has led Thee to do for us.
We salute thee, O Mary, full of grace, on this day whereon thou didst receive thy sublime dignity of Mother of God. Thy incomparable purity drew down upon thee the love of the great Creator, and thy humility drew Him into thy womb; His presence within thee increased the holiness of thy spirit and the purity of thy body. What must have been thy happiness in knowing that this Son of God was living by thy life, and was taking from thine own substance the new being, which His love for us induced Him to assume! Between thee and Him is formed that ineffable union which is granted to none else but to thee: He is thy Creator, and thou art His Mother; He is thy Son, and thou art His creature. Every knee bows down before Him, O Mary! for He is the great God of heaven and earth; but every creature reveres thee, also, for thou hast carried Him in thy womb, thou hast fed Him at thy breast; thou alone canst say to Him, as does His heavenly Father: 'Thou art my Son!' O Mother of Jesus! thou art the greatest of God's works: receive the humble homage of mankind, for thou art most dear to us, seeing that thou art of the same flesh and blood as ourselves.
Thou art a daughter of Eve, but without her sin. By thy obedience to the divine decrees, thou savest thy mother find her race; thou restorest Adam and his children to the innocence they had lost. Jesus, whom thou bearest in thy womb, is our pledge that all these blessings are to be ours; and it is by thee that He comes to us. Without Jesus, we should abide in death; without thee, we should not have had Him to redeem us. It is from thy virginal womb that He receives the precious Blood which is to be our ransom, that Blood whose purity He protected in thy Immaculate Conception, and which becomes the Blood of God by the union, that is consummated in thee, of the divine with the human Nature.
Today, O Mary! is fulfilled in thee the promise made by God after Adam's sin, that He would put enmity between the woman and the serpent. Up to this time, the human race had not the courage to resist the enemy; it was subservient to him, and everywhere were altars raised up in his honour; but, on this day, his head is crushed beneath thy foot. Thy humility, thy purity, thy obedience, have conquered him; his tyranny is checked. By thee we are delivered from his sway; and nothing but our own perversity and ingratitude could again give him the mastery. Let not this be, O Mary! Come to our assistance. During this season of repentance, we humbly acknowledge that we have abused the grace of God; we beseech thee, on this the feast of thy Annunciation, intercede for us with Him, who, on this day, became thy Son. Holy Mother of God! by the salutation addressed to thee by the angel Gabriel, by thy virginal fear, by thy fidelity to God, by thy prudent humility, by thy consent, obtain for us conversion of heart, and sincere repentance; prepare us for the great mysteries we are about to celebrate. These mysteries are so full of sorrow to thy maternal heart; and yet thou wouldst have us rejoice on this day, as we think on the ineffable happiness which filled thy soul at the solemn moment when the Holy Ghost overshadowed thee, and the Son of God became thine. Yes, blessed Mother of Jesus! we will spend the whole of this day near thee, in thy humble dwelling at Nazareth. Nine months hence, we will follow thee to Bethlehem, and there, in company with the shepherds and the angels, we will prostrate ourselves in adoration before the Infant-God, our Saviour: we will join our voices with those of the heavenly host, and we will thus express our gladness: ' Glory be to God in the highest, and peace on earth to men of good will!'
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