[Rank]
De VII die Infra Octavam Concept. Immac. Beatae Mariae Virginis;;Semiduplex;;2.5;;vide Sancti/12-08

[Rule]
vide Sancti/12-08;
9 lectiones;
Doxology=Nat
No secunda Vespera

[Lectio4]
!From the Dogmatic Bull of Pope Pius IX. 
It is known to all men, with what care~
this doctrine of the sinlessness of the conception of the Mother of God hath~
been handed down, set forth, and defended by the most distinguished Religious~
Orders, Theologians, Universities, and Doctors skilled in the things of God. All~
men know likewise how carefully Christian Bishops, even in their public teaching,~
have professed the doctrine that through the merits of Christ our Lord and~
Saviour, foreknown by God, the Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of God, was delivered~
from ever being the victim of original sin, but, on the contrary, had the fruits~
of redemption applied to her at the very moment of her Conception, and was~
therefore redeemed in a nobler way than others. But the weightiest fact of all~
is that the most holy Council of Trent, when, in accordance with the Holy~
Scriptures, as interpreted by the holy Fathers and the approved Councils, it~
decreed that all men are conceived in sin, expressly added that it did not mean~
thereby to say that the blessed and stainless Mary, Mother of God, did not form~
an exception to the rule. From this declaration of the Fathers of Trent it can~
clearly be drawn that there is nothing in the Bible, nothing in tradition, and~
nothing in the Fathers which can rightly be adduced against this prerogative of~
the most Blessed Virgin; nay, as far as circumstances demanded, they as much as~
declared her free from the original stain.

[Lectio5]
In truth, this doctrine upon the Conception of the most Blessed Virgin is day by~
day more earnestly set forth by the graver thought of the Church, by her~
teaching, by her care, by her learning, and by her wisdom. It is explained,~
taught, confirmed, and wonderfully spread among all peoples and nations of the~
Catholic world. The Church hath received it from the Fathers, as a part of the~
original faith, attested strongly by the most ancient and venerable monuments of~
both the Eastern and Western Churches. Indeed, the Fathers and Ecclesiastical~
writers, learned in Holy Scripture, are marked by no more earnest feature than~
that in all their books and Scriptural Commentaries, written for the~
confirmation of doctrine, and the edification of the faithful, they do all in~
divers ways preach and teach the excelling holiness of this Virgin, her dignity,~
her freedom from any stain of sin, and the glory of her victory over the dark~
enemy of our race.

[Lectio6]
All Commentators on the Book of Genesis remark that passage where God at the~
very time of the Fall speaketh of the Atonement, to the confusion of the lying~
serpent, and the comfortable hope of man, and saith I will put enmity between~
thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, and all the ancients~
teach that by this passage is meant the most merciful Saviour of mankind, namely,~
our Lord Jesus Christ, the OnlyBegotten Son of God and His most blessed Mother~
the Virgin Mary, as if the enmity which both He and she felt against the devil~
was, in a sense, of a kind common to them Both. Christ took our nature upon Him,~
and is become the Mediator between God and man, ( Tim. ii. 5,) blotting out~
the handwriting that was against us, nailing it to His Cross, (Col. ii. 14,) and~
the most Holy Virgin, by that subtle, close, and abiding tie which bindeth~
mother to Child, feeleth along with Him His truceless enmity to the serpent, and~
He, through His merits, hath granted to her that moment of victory wherein her~
stainless foot bruised the serpent's head.

[Lectio7]
From the Holy Gospel according to Luke
!Luke 1:26-28
In that time the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called~
Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of~
David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And so on.
_
Homily by St Sophronius, Patriarch (of Jerusalem.)
!On the Annunciation.
Blessed indeed art thou among women, for thou hast turned the curse of Eve into a~
blessing; thou hast even brought a blessing upon Adam, when he lay smitten by~
the first sentence of death. Blessed indeed art thou among women, for thou art~
the mean whereby the Father's blessing hath come upon man, and delivered him~
from the old curse. Blessed indeed art thou among women, for by thee thy fathers~
have found salvation; the salutation of the Angel telleth thee that thou art~
about to bear them a Deliverer. Blessed indeed art thou among women, for thou,~
not knowing a man, conceivest a Son through Whom the whole earth shall be~
blessed, and bring forth thorns and thistles no more. Blessed indeed art thou~
among women, for thou remainest thyself no more than a woman, and yet art made~
Mother of God. If That holy Thing Which shall be born of thee be truly God made~
Man, then art thou truly Mother of God, for God is made thine Offspring.

[Lectio8]
Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God abiding grace. Thou hast~
found grace with God exceeding grace. Thou hast found grace with God all~
desirable grace. Thou hast found grace with God - greater grace than any other.~
Thou hast found grace with God unfailing grace. Thou hast found grace with God~
saving grace. Thou hast found grace with God immoveable grace. Thou hast found~
grace with God invincible grace. Thou hast found grace with God everlasting~
grace. Before thee there have been others, many others, made wonderful in~
holiness, but to none hath it been given, as to thee, to be full of grace; to~
none hath it been given, as to thee, to attain to such divine riches; to none,~
as to thee, to be prevented by purifying grace; to none, as to thee, to shine~
from the dayspring with light from heaven; to none, as to thee, to be exalted~
above all things before created.

[Lectio9]
And justly; for none hath ever drawn so near to God as thou hast; none hath ever~
been gifted by God with good gifts as thou hast; none hath ever received of~
God's grace as thou hast. Thou art mightier than all things which are called~
mighty among men; thou hast received more than the goodness of God hath~
conferred on any other. It is indeed because God made His home in thee that thou~
thus aboundest. There hath never been any save thee that hath comprehended the~
Incomprehensible; none save thee that hath enjoyed His presence so much; none~
that He hath made so ready therefor; none on whom the uncreated light hath shone~
so clearly; and therefore none who hath, like thee, sheltered the Lord God, the~
Maker and Lord of all, conceived Him in thy womb, and brought Him into the world,~
to redeem men lying under the Father's sentence, and to offer to them~
everlasting salvation. Wherefore, O Lady, I have already cried unto thee with~
the Angel, and full of grace, the Lord is with thee! Blessed art thou among~
women!
&teDeum
