Readings
for the Feast of
The Visitation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
May 31
MASS
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON Cf. Ps 66(65):16
Venite, audite, et narrabo, omnes qui timetis Deum, quanta fecit Dominus animae meae.
Come and hear, all who fear God;
I will tell what the Lord did for my soul (E.T. alleluia).
GLORIA
COLLECT
Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui beatam Virginem Mariam, Filium tuum gestantem, ad visitandam Elisabeth inspirasti, praesta, quaesumus, ut, afflanti Spiritui obsequentes, cum ipsa te semper magnificare possimus.
Almighty ever-living God,
who, while the Blessed Virgin Mary was carrying your Son in her womb,
inspired her to visit Elizabeth,
grant us, we pray,
that, faithful to the promptings of the Spirit,
we may magnify your greatness
with the Virgin Mary at all times.
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) Zephaniah 3:14-18a
Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!
Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has removed the judgment against you,
he has turned away your enemies;
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,
you have no further misfortune to fear.
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
He will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals.
Or:
FIRST READING (2nd Option) Romans 12:9-16
Brothers and sisters:
Let love be sincere;
hate what is evil,
hold on to what is good;
love one another with mutual affection;
anticipate one another in showing honor.
Do not grow slack in zeal,
be fervent in spirit,
serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope,
endure in affliction,
persevere in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the holy ones,
exercise hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you,
bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice,
weep with those who weep.
Have the same regard for one another;
do not be haughty but associate with the lowly;
do not be wise in your own estimation.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Isaiah 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6
Magnus in medio tui Sanctus Israel.
R. (6) Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
R. Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
ALLELUIA Cf. Lk 1:45
Beata es, Virgo Maria, quae credidisti quoniam perficientur ea quae dicta sunt tibi a Domino.
Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary,
who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.
GOSPEL Luke 1:39-56
Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
"Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled."
And Mary said:
"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever."
Mary remained with her about three months
and then returned to her home.
PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS
Maiestati tuae, Domine, hoc nostrum gratum sit sacrificium salutare, sicut beatissimae Unigeniti tui Matris habuisti acceptabilem caritatem. Per Christum.
May our offering of this saving sacrifice
be acceptable to your majesty, O Lord,
as you were pleased to accept the charity
of the most Blessed Mother of your Only Begotten Son.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
PREFACE II OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
COMMUNION ANTIPHON Lk 1: 48-49
Beatam me dicent omnes generationes, quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est, et sanctum nomen eius.
All generations will call me blessed,
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name (E.T. alleluia).
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Magnificet te, Deus, Ecclesia tua qui tuis fecisti magna fidelibus, et, quem latentem beatus Ioannes cum exsultatione praesensit, eundem semper viventem cum laetitia in hoc percipiat sacramento.
May your Church proclaim your greatness, O God,
for you have done great things for your faithful,
and, as Saint John the Baptist leapt with joy
when he first sensed the hidden presence of Christ,
so may your Church rejoice
to receive in this Sacrament the same ever-living Lord.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
SOLEMN BLESSING OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
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.
R. Amen.
The English translation of Psalm Responses, Alleluia Verses, Gospel Verses from Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL); the English translation of Antiphons, Invitatories, Responsories, Intercessions, Psalm 95, the Canticle of the Lamb, Psalm Prayers, Non-Biblical Readings from The Liturgy of the Hours © 1973, 1974, 1975, ICEL; excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, ICEL. All rights reserved. Used with permission.