Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Introit
Psalm 44:2
Hail, holy Mother, thou who didst bring forth the King Who rules Heaven and earth for ever and ever. Ps. My heart hath uttered a good word: I speak my works to the King. V. Glory be to the Father.
Collect
Bestow unto Thy servants, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the gift of Heavenly grace, that to us, to whom the childbearing of the Blessed Virgin hath been the beginning of salvation, the votive solemnity of her Visitation may bring an increase of peace. Through our Lord.
Lesson
Canticle 2:8-14
Behold He cometh, leaping upon the mountains, skipping over the hills. My beloved is like a roe or a young hart. Behold He standeth behind our wall; looking through the windows, looking through the lattices. Behold, my beloved speaketh to me, Arise, make haste, My love, my dove, my beautiful one; and come. For winter is now past, the rain is over and gone, The flowers have appeared in our land, the time of pruning Is come, the voice of the turtle is heard in our land: the fig-tree hath put forth her green figs, the vines in flower yield their sweet smell. Arise my love, my beautiful one; and come. My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hollow places of the wall, show Me thy face, let thy voice sound in My ear; for thy voice is sweet, and thy face comely.
Gradual
Blessed and venerable are you, O Virgin Mary, who, without spot were found the Mother of the Saviour. ℣. O Virgin, Mother of God, He Whom the whole world does not contain, shut Himself within your womb, becoming Man.
Alleluia
Alleluia, alleluia. ℣. Happy are you, O holy Virgin Mary, and most worthy of all praise; for out of you has risen the sun of justice, Christ our God. Alleluia.
Gospel
Luke 1:37-47
At that time, Mary rising up, went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda. And she entered into the house of Zachary, and saluted Elizabeth. And it came to pass that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: and she cried out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord. And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord; and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
Offertory
Blessed art thou, O Virgin Mary, who didst bear the Creator of all things; thou didst bring forth Him Who made thee, and remainest a virgin forever.
Secret
Let the humanity of Thine only-begotten Son succour us, O Lord, that He, Who, born of a virgin, did not diminish, but consecrated, the virginity of His mother, may, on this solemn festival of her visitation, deliver us from our sins and make our offering acceptable, even Jesus Christ our Lord, Who with Thee livest and reignest.
Communion
Blessed is the womb of the Virgin Mary, which bore the Son of the eternal Father.
Postcommunion
We have received, O Lord, the votive sacrament of this annual solemnity; grant, beseech Thee, that it may afford us a remedy both for temporal and for eternal life. Through our Lord