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Ember Wednesday in Advent
On the Wednesday of Ember Week in Advent, the Mystery of the Annunciation is commemorated by many Churches. The Mass is sung early in the morning. That Mass is sometimes called the Golden Mass, Rorate Mass or Messiah Mass. On that occasion the Church is illuminated as a token that the world was still in darkness when the Light of the world appeared. The Mass is called the Golden Mass possibly because in the Middle Ages the whole of the Mass or at least the initial letters were written in gold, or on account of the golden magnificence of the solemnity or more probably on account of the special, great, "golden" grace which, at that time, is obtained by the numerous prayers. It is called Rorate Mass after the first words of the Introit of the Mass: Rorate Coeli, and Messiah Mass because of the Church, like Our Lady, expresses on that day her longing for the arrival of the Messiah. Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just: let the earth be Rorate, coeli, desuper, et nubes pluant opened and bud forth a Savior. -- (Ps. 18. 2). The heavens show forth the glory of God: and Salvatorem. -- Coeli enarrant gloriam Dei: et opera manuum eius annuntiat firmamentum. hands. V.: Glory to the Father and to the Son V.: Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper, et in beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world saecula saeculorum. Amen. Rorate, coeli, desuper, et nubes pluant iustum: aperiatur heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just: let the earth be opened and bud forth a Savior. Praesta, quaesumus, omnipotens Deus: ut Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that redemptionem nostrae ventura solemnitas, et the coming solemnity of our redemption may praesentis nobis vitae subsidia conferat, et both confer upon us assistance in this present aeternae beatitudinis praemia largiatur. Per life and bestow the rewards of everlasting blessedness. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Lesson from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. [Description of the Holy Catholic Church by the prophet Isaiah.] In diebus illis, dixit Isaias Propheta: Et erit In those days, the prophet Isaias said: In the in novissimis diebus praeparatus mons domus last days the mountain of the Lord shall be Domini in vertice montium, et elevabitur prepared on the top of the mountains, and it super colles, et fluent ad eum omnes gentes. Et shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go, ascendamus ad montem Domini, et ad domum mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the ambulabimus in semitis eius: quia de Sion God of Jacob, and He will teach us His ways, exibit lex et verbum Domini de Hierolysimam. and we will walk in His paths: for the law Et iudicabit gentes et arguet populos multos: shall come forth from Sion, and the word of et conflabunt gladios suos in vomeres, et the Lord from Jerusalem. And He shall judge lanceas suas in falces. Non levabit gens contra the Gentiles and rebuke many people: and they gentem gladium: nec exercebuntur ultra ad shall turn their swords into ploughshares, and proelium. Domus Iacob, venite, et ambulemus their spears into sickles. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation: neither shall they be exercised any more to war. O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord our God. Lift up your gates, O ye princes: and be ye lifted up, O eternal gates: and the King of elevamini portae aeternales: et introibit Rex glory shall enter in. V.: Who shall ascend into gloriae. V.: Quis ascendit in montem Domini? the mountain of the Lord? or who shall stand aut quis stabit in loco sancto eius? Innocens in His holy place? The innocent in hands and Dominus vobiscum is here said without Flectamus genua. Hasten, we beseech Thee, O Lord, tarry not: Festina quaesumus, Domine, ne tardaveris, and grant us the help of Thy heavenly power, et auxilium nobis supernae virtutis impende; that they who trust in Thy loving kindness ut adventus tui consolationibus subleventur, may be relieved by the consolations of Thy qui in tua pietate confidunt. Qui vivis et coming. Who livest and reignest, with God the regnas, cum Deo Patri, in unitate Spiritus Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Lesson from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. [A Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and His Name shall be called Emmanuel.] In diebus illis: Locutus est Dominus ad saying: Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God, Achaz, dicens: Pete tibi signum a Domino Deo either unto the depth of hell, or unto the height tuo in profundum inferni, sive in excelsum above. And Achaz said: I will not ask, and I supra. Et dixit Achaz: non petam, et non will not tempt the Lord. And He said: Hear ye therefore, O house of David: Is it a small thing for you to be grievous to men, that you are molestos esse hominibus, quia molestis estis et grievous to my God also? Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign. Behold a Virgin vobis signum. Ecce virgo concipiet, et pariet shall conceive and bear a Son, and His Name filium, et vocabitur nomen eius Emmanuel. shall be called Emmanuel. He shall eat butter Butyrum et mel comedet, ut sciat reprobare and honey, that He may know to refuse the The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon eum, omnibus qui invocant eum in veritate. Him, to all that call upon Him in truth. V.: My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and benedicat omnis caro nomen sanctum eius. Continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. Luke. Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum Lucam. [Gospel of the Annunciation by the Angel to the Blessed Virgin Mary.] At 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 In illo tempore: Missus est Angelus Gabriel Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's Nazareth, ad Virginem desponsatam viro, cui in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace: the Lord nomen erat Ioseph, de domo David, et nomem is with thee: blessed art thou among women. Virginis Maria. Et ingressus Angelus ad eam, Who having heard, was troubled at his saying: benedicta tu in mulieribus. Quae cum audisset, salutation this should be. And the Angel said turbata est in sermone eius: et cogitabat qualis to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found esset ista salutatio. Et ait Angelus ei: Ne grace with God: behold thou shalt conceive in timeas, Maria, invenisti enim gratiam apud thy womb, and shall bring forth a son, and Deum: ecce concipies in utero, et paries thou shalt call His name Jesus. He shall be filium, et vocabis nomen eius Iesum. Hic erit great, and shall be called the Son of the Most magnus, et Filius Altissimi vocabitur, et dabit High, and the Lord God shall give unto Him illi Dominus Deus sedem David patris eius: et the throne of David His father; and He shall regnabit in domo Iacob in aeternum, et regni reign in the house of Jacob for ever, and of His eius non erit finis. Dixit autem Maria ad kingdom there shall be no end. And Mary said Angelum: Quomodo fiet istud, quoniam virum to the Angel: How shall this be done, because non cognosco? Et respondens Angelus, dixit I know not man? And the Angel answering, ei: Spiritus Sanctus superveniet in te, et virtus said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon Altissimi obumbrabit tibi. Ideoque et quod thee, and the power of the Most High shall nascetur ex te Sanctum, vocabitur Filius Dei. overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy Et ecce Elizabeth cognata tua, et ipsa concipit which shall be born of thee shall be called the filium in senectute sua: et hic mensis sextus Son of God. And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, est illi, quae vocatur sterilis: quia non erit she also hath conceived a son in her old age; impossibile apud Deum omne verbum. Dixit and this is the sixth month with her that is autem Maria: Ecce ancilla Domini, fiat mihi impossible with God. And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word. Confortamini, et iam nolite timere: ecce Take courage, and now fear not: for behold enim Deus noster retribuet iudicium: ipse our God will bring judgment: He Himself will May our fasts, we beseech Thee, O Lord, be nostra ieiunia: quae et expiando nos tua gratia acceptable unto Thee, and by expiating our dignos efficiant, et ad sempiterna promissa sins, make us worthy of Thy grace, and bring us to Thine everlasting promises. Through our Christum, Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit et Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per reigneth in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, It it truly meet and just, right and for our salvation, that we should at all times, and in all salutare, nos tibi semper, et ubique gratias places, give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God, through Christ our Lord. Through whom the Angels nostrum. Per quem maiestatem tuam laudant praise Thy Majesty, the Dominations worship it, the Powers stand in awe. The heavens and Potestates. Coeli, coelorumque Virtutes, ac the heavenly hosts together with the blessed concelebrant. Cum quibus et nostras voces, ut celebrate it. Together with them, we entreat Thee, that Thou mayest bid our voices also to be admitted, while we say in lowly praise: Ecce Virgo concipiet et pariet Filium: et Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son: and His name shall be called Emmanuel. O Lord, we humbly beseech Thee, that being supplices deprecamur: ut, cuius laetamur filled with the gift of Thy salvation, we may be renewed by the effect of that which we nostrum, Iesum Christum, Filium tuum, qui taste with joy. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Thy Son, who liveth with Thee in the unity of

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