Whenever this Solemnity occurs during Holy Week, it is transferred to the Monday after the Second Sunday of Easter.
MASS
Liturgy of the Word
ENTRANCE ANTIPHONHeb 10: 5, 7
Dominus ingrediens mundum dixi: Ecce venio ut faciam, Deus, voluntatem tuam.
The Lord said, as he entered the world:
Behold, I come to do your will, O God.
COLLECT
O God, who willed that your Word
should take on the reality of human flesh
in the womb of the Virgin Mary,
grant, we pray,
that we, who confess our Redeemer to be God and man,
may merit to become partakers even in his divine nature.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
FIRST READINGIsaiah 7:10-14; 8:10
The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying: Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky! But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!” Then Isaiah said: Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary people, must you also weary my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us!”
RESPONSORIAL PSALMPsalm 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 11
Ecce venio ut faciam, Deus, voluntatem tuam.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come." R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!" R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD
, know. R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Your justice I kept not hid within my heart;
your faithfulness and your salvation I have spoken of;
I have made no secret of your kindness and your truth
in the vast assembly. R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
SECOND READINGHebrews 10:4-10
Brothers and sisters:
It is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats take away sins. For this reason, when Christ came into the world, he said:
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight. Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll, behold, I come to do your will, O God.’”
First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings, you neither desired nor delighted in.” These are offered according to the law. Then he says, “Behold, I come to do your will.” He takes away the first to establish the second. By this “will,” we have been consecrated through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.
VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPELJohn 1:14ab
Verbum caro factum est et habitavit in nobis, et vidimus gloriam eius.
The Word of God became flesh and made his dwelling among us;
and we saw his glory.
GOSPELLuke 1:26-38
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 her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she 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.
The CREED is said. At the words and was incarnate all genuflect.
PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS
Be pleased, almighty God,
to accept your Church's offering,
so that she, who is aware that her beginnings
lie in the Incarnation of your Only Begotten Son,
may rejoice to celebrate his mysteries on this Solemnity.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
PREFACEThe mystery of the Incarnation
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,
through Christ our Lord.
For the Virgin Mary heard with faith
that the Christ was to be born among men and for men’s sake
by the overshadowing power of the Holy Spirit.
Lovingly she bore him in her immaculate womb,
that the promises to the children of Israel might come about
and the hope of nations be accomplished beyond all telling.
Through him the host of Angels adores your majesty
and rejoices in your presence for ever.
May our voices, we pray, join with theirs
in one chorus of exultant praise, as we acclaim:
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts . . .
COMMUNION ANTIPHONIs 7: 14
Ecce Virgo concipiet et pariet Filium, et vocabitur nomen eius Emmanuel.
Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a son;
and his name will be called Emmanuel.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Confirm in our minds the mysteries of the true faith,
we pray, O Lord,
so that, confessing that he who was conceived of the Virgin Mary
is true God and true man,
we may, through the saving power of his Resurrection,
merit to attain eternal joy.
Through Christ our Lord.
BLESSING (Optional)
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. R. Amen.
May you know always and everywhere the protection of her,
through whom you have been found worthy to receive the author of life. R. Amen.
May you, who have devoutly gathered on this day,
carry away with you the gifts of spiritual joys and heavenly rewards. R. 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. R. Amen.