Beatæ Mariæ Virginis de Mercede ~ Duplex majus

“… to redeem prisoners from Mohammedan slavery.”

Tempora: Feria Tertia infra Hebdomadam XVIII post Octavam Pentecostes IV. Septembris

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Ransom under the 1954 (double major) rubrics.

Mass: Salve sancta parens from the common of Our Lady with proper collect. White. Gloria. Gradual/Alleluia. Credo. Preface of Our Lady (et te in Festivitate). Ite. No commemorations.

Office: Festal office. White. Matins of 3 nocturns of 9 lessons (1st nocturn = proper with proper responsories). Te Deum. Psalms and antiphons at Matins from the common of Our Lady. At Lauds and the hours, psalms of Sunday (Prime = 53, 118.1, 118.2) with antiphons from the common of Our Lady. All else from the common. Proper collect. No commemorations at Lauds. Omit suffrage. At Prime, V = Qui natus es.

In the early part of the thirteenth century of the era of our Lord, the greatest and fairest part of Spain lay crushed under the yoke of the Saracens, and countless numbers of the faithful were held in brutal slavery, with the most lively danger of being made to deny the Christian faith and of losing everlasting salvation. Amid such sorrows the most Blessed Queen of heaven came mercifully to the rescue, and showed how the greatness of her motherly love was fain for their redemption. Holy Peter Nolasco, in the full bloom of the treasures of godliness as well as rich in earthly wealth, was earnestly pondering with himself how he could succour so many suffering Christians dwelling in bondage to the Moors. To him appeared with gracious visage the Most Blessed Virgin, and bade him know that it would be well pleasing in her own sight, and in the sight of her Only-begotten Son, that an Order of Religious men should be founded in her honour, whose work it should be to redeem prisoners from Mohammedan slavery. Strengthened by this heavenly vision, the man of God began to burn with wonderful charity, nursing in his heart the one desire that he himself and the Order which he should found might exercise that love, greater than which hath no man, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John xv. 13.)

℣. O Lord, hear my prayer.
℟. And let my cry come unto thee.
Let us pray.
O God, Who didst use the glorious Mother of thy Son as a mean to ransom Christ's faithful people out of the hands of the unbelievers, by enriching thy Church with yet another family, grant, we beseech thee, that we who reverently honour her as the Foundress of that great work, may for her sake and by her prayers, be redeemed from all sin and all bondage unto the evil one.
Through the same Jesus Christ, thy Son, Our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
℟. Amen.