THE NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
September 8
MASS
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
Cum iucunditate Nativitatem beatae Mariae Virginis celebremus, ex qua ortus est sol iustitiae, Christus Deus noster.
Let us celebrate with joy the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
for from her arose the sun of justice, Christ our God.
COLLECT
Famulis tuis, quaesumus, Domine, caelestis gratiae munus impertire, ut, quibus beatae Virginis partus exstitit salutis exordium, Nativitatis eius festivitas pacis tribuat incrementum.
Impart to your servants, we pray, O Lord,
the gift of heavenly grace,
that the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin
may bring deeper peace
to those for whom the birth of her Son
was the dawning of salvation.
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 (1st Option) Micah 5:1-4a
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 brethren 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.
FIRST READING (2nd Option) Romans 8:28-30
Brothers and sisters:
We know that all things work for good for those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose.
For those he foreknew he also predestined
to be conformed to the image of his Son,
so that he might be the firstborn
among many brothers.
And those he predestined he also called;
and those he called he also justified;
and those he justified he also glorified.
RESPONSORIAL PSALMPs 13:6ab, 6c
Gaudens gaudebo in Domino.
R. (Isaiah 61:10) With delight I rejoice in the Lord.
Though I trusted in your mercy,
let my heart rejoice in your salvation. R. With delight I rejoice in the Lord.
Let me sing of the LORD, “He has been good to me.” R. With delight I rejoice in the Lord.
ALLELUIA
Felix es, sacra Virgo Maria, et omni laude dignissima, quia ex te ortus est sol iustitiae, Christus Deus noster.
Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise;
from you rose the sun of justice, Christ our God.
GOSPELMatthew 1:1-16,18-23 or 18-23
[The Book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Abraham became the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,
whose mother was Tamar.
Perez became the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz,
whose mother was Rahab.
Boaz became the father of Obed,
whose mother was Ruth.
Obed became the father of Jesse,
Jesse the father of David the king.
David became the father of Solomon,
whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.
Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asaph.
Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah became the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amos,
Amos the father of Josiah.
Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers
at the time of the Babylonian exile.
After the Babylonian exile,
Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.
Abiud became the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor the father of Zadok.
Zadok became the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar became the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.]
Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS
Unigeniti tui, Domine, nobis succurrat humanitas,
ut, qui natus de Virgine Matris integritatem
non minuit, sed sacravit,
a nostris nos piaculis exuens,
oblationem nostram tibi reddat acceptam.
May the humanity of your Only Begotten Son
come, O Lord, to our aid,
and may he, who at his birth from the Blessed Virgin
did not diminish but consecrated her integrity,
by taking from us now our wicked deeds,
make our oblation acceptable to you.
Through Christ our Lord.
Or:
Nativitatem beatae Virginis Mariae cum gaudio recolentes, tibi, Domine, munera nostra deferimus, et supplices deprecamur, ut Filii tui nobis succurrat humanitas, qui ex eadem Virgine carnem dignatus est suscipere.
As we celebrate with joy
the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
we bring you our offerings, O Lord,
and we humbly pray to be given strength
by the humanity of your Son,
who from her was pleased to take flesh.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
PREFACE I OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
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,
and to praise, bless, and glorify your name
on the nativity of the Blessed ever-Virgin Mary
For by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit
she conceived your Only Begotten Son,
and without losing the glory of virginity,
brought forth into the world the eternal Light,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Through him the Angels praise your majesty,
Dominions adore and Powers tremble before you.
Heaven and the Virtues of heaven
and the blessed Seraphim
worship together with exultation.
May our voices, we pray,
join with theirs in humble praise, as we acclaim:
Holy, Holy, Holy...
PREFACE II OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
It is truly right and just,
our duty and our salvation,
to praise your mighty deeds
in the exaltation of all the Saints,
and especially, as we celebrate
the memory of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
to proclaim your kindness
as we echo her thankful hymn of praise.
For truly even to the earth's ends
you have done great things
and extended your abundant mercy from age to age:
when you looked on the lowliness of your handmaid,
you gave us through her the author of our salvation,
your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
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...
COMMUNION ANTIPHONIs. 7:14; Mt 1:21
Ecce Virgo pariet Filium, qui salvum faciet populum suum a peccatis eorum.
Behold, the Virgin will bear a son,
who will save his people from their sins.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Exsultet Ecclesia tua, Domine, quam sacris mysteriis refecisti, de beatae Mariae Virginis Nativitate congaudens, quae universo mundo spes fuit et aurora salutis.
May your Church exult, O Lord,
for you have renewed her with these sacred mysteries,
as she rejoices in the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
which was the hope and the daybreak of salvation
for all the world.
Through Christ our Lord.
SOLEMN BLESSING
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 on this day,
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.