It is worthy and just, Almighty Father, to give Thee thanks in honor of the Conception of the glorious Virgin Mary through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord. Rightly indeed did the most glorious Virgin Mary seek the height of heaven, as she bore the God and Lord of heaven and earth in her sacred womb. O ineffable chastity, o immaculate virginity! which in a new, ineffable manner merited to be taken up to the seat on high, there with the angels to see God everlastingly, of whose Word she was made sacred temple on earth. To her are not refused in any way her seat in heaven or her childbearing on earth, both equally beyond understanding, for even to such doth it belong to ascend to heaven, whose likeness is not found on earth in the new childbearing of a virgin. What then are we given to understand more truly? Her did Christ chose from Whom He was born; thus did he wish Her here to remain, rightly and by far more glorious above all, while rightly and by far more worthily was the savior made Incarnate of her, at Thine own doing, o Lord, who dost all that Thou will, and in a manner beyond all our searching. Before Whom also the powers tremble, and all they that dwell in heaven wonder, to Whom that manifold heavenly legion of the Angels, and the crowd of Saints, the assembly of all the Virgins and Martyrs, and the earthly multitude of the blessed on this feast of the Conception of the glorious Virgin cease not to cry out, saying thus: Holy…. (The Mozarabic preface of the Immaculate Conception.)
Dignum et justum est, omnípotens Pater, tibi in honórem Conceptiónis gloriósae Vírginis Maríae gratias ágere, per Jesum Christum, Filium tuum, Dóminum nostrum: mérito quidem, et gloriosior Virgo María caeli petívit íntimum, dum caeli et terrae sola viscéribus sacris portávit Deum et Dóminum. O ineffábilis cástitas, o immaculáta virgínitas! quae novo ineffábili modo assúmi in superna meruit sede, visúra cum Angelis ibídem pérpetim Deum, cujus Verbi in terra sacrum effecta est templum. Cui nullo modo ibídem incomprehensíbilis frustrátur sedes, sícuti incomprehensíbilis partus non denegátur in terris. Talium est enim divínitus ascendisse, qualium in novo Vírginis partu hic símilem non invenisse. Quid vero verius datur intélligi? hanc Christus elégit, a qua natus est: hic sic illam vóluit mansisse, mérito, diúque mérito ibídem gloriosior fore prae cunctis, dum mérito, longéque digno dignior inviscerátur ex ea Salvátor, hoc te, Dómine, cooperante, qui omnia quae velis facis, et de nullo nusquam ventiláris. Quem quoque tremunt potestátes, caelicolíque admirantur cives, cui múltiplex cáelica illa Angelórum legio, catérvaque Sanctórum, omnium Vírginum, Martyrumque concio, sive terrestris beatórum multitúdo in hoc Conceptiónis gloriósae Vírginis festo non cessant clamáre, ita dicentes: Sanctus...
For Our Lady’s feast day, enjoy this magnificent recording of the Magnificat by the Spanish composter Sebastián de Vivanco (1551-1622).
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| La Inmaculada Concepción, by José Antolinez, 1650 |
For Our Lady’s feast day, enjoy this magnificent recording of the Magnificat by the Spanish composter Sebastián de Vivanco (1551-1622).
