The Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, first published by the Congregation of Divine Worship in 1986, and revised in 2012 after the publication of the Third edition of the Roman Missal, is a set of forty-six Masses intended for use at Marian shrines and for communities who wish to celebrate the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin on Saturday. Published in two volumes, a Missal (Sacramentary) and a Lectionary, its status as an official liturgical book confers an authority both on the individual Masses as well as the principles contained in the General Introduction.
The Collection was approved by the Congregation of Divine Worship in response to those who wished to a have a greater variety of texts for celebrating Mary’s participation in the mystery of Christ through every season of the liturgical year. The texts come from a number of sources: early sacramentaries, the Roman Missal of Paul VI, and formularies recently composed by religious congregations and dioceses and submitted to the Congregation for approval. (Among the religious orders whose texts were used are the Servites and Passionists. The Marianists’ proper for the Holy Name of Mary was included, along with a new preface.) Some texts were composed by members of the Congregation of Worship.
These new Masses can be considered an enlargement of the Marian texts found in the Missal of Paul VI. The most frequently used Marian Mass, the Common of the Blessed Virgin, has been described as “theologically thin and thematically monotonous.” The Collection now provides a rich variety of Scriptural and liturgical texts for celebrating the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin on Saturday or for votive Masses in harmony with the liturgical year. Many of the references to Mary are taken from Paul Vl’s Marialis Cultus (1974): dwelling place of the Spirit, Mother of the Church, disciple of Christ, model of faith, our sister, the new woman, etc.
The forty-six Masses are arranged according to the divisions of the liturgical year: Advent (three), Christmas (six), Lent (five), Easter (four), and Ordinary Time (twenty-eight). The Advent season celebrates “the two comings of the Lord: the first in lowliness when… the Lord took flesh of the Virgin Mary… and the second in glory, when… the Lord will come to judge the living and dead and to lead the just… where Mary has preceded them in glory.” During Lent, Mary is “the model of the disciple who faithfully listens to the word of God and follows the footsteps of Christ to Calvary….” (Since the suppression in 1960 of the feast of Seven Sorrows of Our Lady in Passion Week, many requested a liturgical commemoration sometime during Lent of the one “associated to the sacrifice of her Son with a maternal heart.”) In the Easter triduum, she is the “new woman” who stands by the tree of life… as the companion of Christ and as the spiritual mother into whose maternal care the Lord entrusts all his followers.” In the Easter season, she is “devoted to prayer with the apostles in trusting expectation of the gift of the Holy Spirit.” The many formularies for the Ordinary Time have one object: “the work God has accomplished in Mary in relation to Christ and the Church.”
The “General Introduction” (Praenotanda) of the Collection develops Mary’s role and presence in liturgy. “Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary have their meaning and purpose from her close participation in the history of salvation.” Every commemoration of Mary is above all a celebration of “the events of salvation in which, by God’s salvific plan, the Blessed Virgin was involved in view of the mystery of Christ.” The Lectionary of Scriptural texts from the Old and the New Testaments is based on the conviction that the entire Scripture forms “a single corpus that is permeated by the mystery of Christ.” Through the mystery of Christ present in the Scripture, the Virgin Mary is reflected.
The “General Introduction” outlines Mary’s presence throughout the history of salvation. In the first age–the Old Testament–the figure of Mary is suggested or foreshadowed in many ways. “Certain events, figures, or symbols of the Old Testament foretell or suggest in a wonderful manner the life and mission of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the glorious daughter of Zion and the Mother of Christ.” Mary is prefigured in the woman of Genesis; in Abraham, Moses, Ruth, Anna, Judith, Esther; in the mother of the seven Maccabees; in the spouse of the Canticle of Canticles, the daughter of Zion, the burning bush, the ark of the covenant, the city of God, and the temple of Jerusalem.
In the second stage of salvation, fully revealed in Christ, Mary is the “one intimately involved in all of the saving deeds of God.” She is present in the mysteries of Christ as “mother of Christ, our God” (Mass 26); as “first fruits of the new creation” (Mass 20); as “mother and companion of the Redeemer” (Mass 30); as “servant of the mystery of Redemption” (Mass 22); and as “partner in his passion” (Mass 12).
In the third stage of history, the “time of the Church,” Mary is the “model of the Church” (Masses 16,17); “perfect pattern of the Church at prayer” (Mass 25); the one “who cares for the pilgrim Church with a mother’s love” (Mass 25); the “shining model of true worship” (Mass 16).
The forty-six formularies in the Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary come from different periods and sources. Some represent a particular moment in the history of Marian devotion or a mystery or title of particular significance to a diocese or religious order. By making these texts available to all, the Collection presents new possibilities for devotion to Mary with the liturgy. We can hope that the many new images, titles, and contexts in which the Virgin Mary appears will also influence popular devotions and shared prayer, poetry, texts for new hymns, and art.
All forty-six Masses in the Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary are currently available in English translation.
ADVENT SEASON
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Chosen Daughter of Israel
During Advent the Roman liturgy celebrates the plan of salvation by which the merciful God called the patriarchs, united them to himself in a covenant of love, established the Law through Moses, raised up the prophets, and chose David as the one from whose line the Saviour of the world was to be born. The books of the Old Testament, in foretelling the coming of Christ, “gradually bring into clearer light the figure of a woman, the Mother of the Redeemer” (Lumen Gentium (LG), n. 55): she is the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom the Church proclaims as the joy of Israel and the noble daughter of Zion.
In her sincere obedience to the Law and her wholehearted acceptance of God’s will, she is … “exalted among the humble and poor of the Lord, who trustingly hope in him for salvation and from him receive it. After the long period of waiting for the fulfillment of the promise, in her at last the fullness of time is reached, and a new order of providence is begun, when the Son of God takes from her a human nature in order to free the human family from sin through the mysteries of his earthly life” (LG, no. 55).
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 31.
The Blessed Virgin Mary and Annunciation of the Lord
During Advent the liturgy reminds us every day of the message of Gabriel to our Lady: “The angel Gabriel said to Mary in greeting: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women,” and prays each day: “Loving Mother of the Redeemer, you who received Gabriel’s joyful greeting: have pity on us poor sinners” (Marian Antiphon). …
This Mass was formerly celebrated on the ember days of Advent. Because of its beauty it was frequently known in the Middle Ages as “the Golden Mass.”
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 34.
The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
In this Mass our Lady is honoured as:
– the new daughter of Zion, who in her womb (“in your midst”) bears the Lord, the King of Israel (First reading, Zephaniah 3:14-18a);
– the new ark of the covenant, who, bearing the Word of God, brings “salvation and joy to the home of Elizabeth” (Opening Prayer, see I Chronicles 13:14);
– a new creation, formed by the Holy Spirit (see Prayer over Gifts (POG) and LG, no. 56), who is bathed in the dew of heavenly grace (see POG), and bears the fruit of salvation, Jesus Christ;
– the mother of the Lord, whom Elizabeth recognizes in words inspired by the Holy Spirit (see Preface) and who gives herself completely to the mystery of redemption;
– a holy woman, who, hearing the words of an angel, hastens to play her part in the work of salvation, proclaims God’s greatness in her song of praise and thanksgiving (see Gospel Luke 1:39-56); a paragon of loving service (see Pref), she is rightly hailed as blessed “because she believed in your [God’s] promise of salvation” (Pref, see All, Luke 1:45), whose humility is looked upon with favor by God (see Com Ant, Luke 1:48) and will be acclaimed by all generations.
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 36.
CHRISTMAS SEASON
Holy Mary, Mother of God
This Mass celebrates the “wonderful and inexpressible mystery” (Pref), by which the Father of mercies sent his Son “from heaven into the womb of the Blessed Virgin” … to be “[his] saving Word and our Bread of Life.” It also commemorates both the faith and the humility with which our Lady “conceived your only Son and bore [him] in her pure womb.”
The texts of this Mass echo the writings of the Fathers of the Church and ancient liturgical prayers, and in particular:
the thought of St Augustine (d. 430) that our Lady “conceived him [Christ] in her heart before she conceived him in her womb” (Opening Prayer, B; Sermo 25, 7: PL 38, 937); Augustine praises her faith and obedience and sets before us her spiritual relationship with her Son;
the saying of St Bernard (d. 1153) that though our Lady was pleasing to God because of her virginity, yet it was through her humility that she conceived him (see In Laudibus Virginis Matris, I, 5: Opera omnia, IV, ed. Cistercienses, Rome, 1966, p. 18).
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 43.
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Saviour
This Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Saviour, is found in The Roman Missal (Sacramentary) in the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Christmas Season (MR, pp. 674-675). Its texts are both ancient and full of beauty. …
This Mass, resounding with Christmas joy and light, celebrates:
above all, the maternal role of our Lady in relation to her Son, acknowledged as the King “whose reign is unending,” as the Son of God, as the “author of life,” as the “sign and source of our salvation,” as “a light for all nations,” as “the Bridegroom,” and as the Word made flesh;
the fruitful virginity of our Lady and her virgin-motherhood, by means of which God gave to the human race the gift of “eternal salvation”….
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 46.
The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Epiphany of the Lord
During the Christmas season the Church celebrates the mystery of the revelation or manifestation of the Word made flesh to all nations: first, to the Jews, represented by the humble shepherds, “the first fruits of the Church from the people of Israel” (Pref), then to the Gentiles, represented by the wise men, “the first-fruits of the Church from the Gentiles.” (Pref)
The following points seem especially noteworthy in this Mass:
the celebration of light,
the celebration of the role of Christ as Saviour,
the celebration of the mystery of the Church,
the celebration of the ministry of the Virgin
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 48.
The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Presentation of the Lord
This Mass commemorates the role of our Lady in the mystery of the presentation of the Lord (see Luke 2:27-35). …
Our Lady, who is given the title of “virgin daughter of Zion” in this mystery of salvation:
in accordance with the Law of Moses (see Leviticus 12:1-8) submitted to the ritual of purification after childbirth, although as the “purest of virgins” from her “chaste womb” she had “brought forth in purity the Son of the eternal Father”; faithfully carried out the law of the firstborn, redeeming with the offering of the poor her Son, “the author of the New Law,” “the Redeemer of us all,” “the glory of” the “people Israel and the light of all nations,” “the Lord, the Saviour of the world”;
as “the handmaid of [God’s] plan of salvation,”
the prophecy of Simeon, who foretold that the child would be a sign of contradiction and that a sword of sorrow would pierce his mother’s heart.
In fulfilling these roles in the mystery of salvation, our Lady is the exemplar of the Church.
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 50.
Our Lady of Nazareth
The hidden life of our Lord at Nazareth belongs to the mystery of salvation, and is an example of holiness: in the home at Nazareth our Saviour, subject to Mary and Joseph (see Luke 2:51), spent the greater part of his life on earth. …Many particular Churches and religious institutes also give liturgical honour to the Mother of God under the title of “Our Lady of Nazareth.” This title celebrates in particular the role of our Lady at Nazareth in the service of her Son and his work of salvation.
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 52.
Our Lady of Cana
In the gospel narrative (John 2:1-12) the “sign of Cana” belongs to the mystery of the manifestation of the Lord. … … today water is changed into wine for the wedding feast; today Christ wills to be baptized by John in the river Jordan to bring us salvation” … specifically celebrates this “beginning of signs.” In this manifestation of the Lord our Lady played an active part, and so the liturgy remembers her along with her Son in the text: “Blessed are you, Virgin Mary: through you your Son gave the first of his signs; the Bridegroom prepared the new wine for his Bride; through you the disciples learned to believe in their Master.”
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 54.
LENTEN SEASON
Holy Mary, Disciple of the Lord
Lent is a “journey” for the faithful, during which they “more diligently listen to the word of God and devote themselves to prayer with greater earnestness” (SC, art. 109), and during which they are ready to bear the cross with greater zeal, so that with minds and hearts renewed they may reach a more worthy celebration of the Easter festival.
… In it [this Mass] the mother of the Lord is presented as one who shows us “the example of a disciple, who is faithful to the words of life.” (Opening Prayer OP). Our Lady is the one who by a unique gift of God was the mother of Christ, and above all was his “first and most perfect … disciple” (Marialis Cultus MC, no. 35).
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 61.]
The Blessed Virgin Mary at the Foot of the Cross I
Lent unfolds like the journey of Jesus to the holy city of Jerusalem, the place of his sacrifice: as it progresses, there is more frequent meditation on the mystery of his passion. So too in the hearts of the faithful there is more frequent remembrance of the compassion of our Lady.
… The texts of the Mass reflect on the mystery of Christ’s passion, mysteriously filled out through the present sufferings of his members as they face the “many trials of this life.”
Our Lady, “queen of heaven and earth,” stood by the cross of her Son, “in his agony,” “mournful,” yet full of “courage” and “faith,” playing many roles in the mystery of salvation, and fulfilling “in her person the prophecies of old.”
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 63.]
The Blessed Virgin Mary at the Foot of the Cross II
This Mass in celebration of Christ’s saving passion also honours the part played by the Blessed Virgin in achieving our salvation. When Mary became the mother of Christ “by the power of the Holy Spirit,” she became by a further gift of divine love “a partner in his passion,” a mother suffering with him.
The prayers of the Mass recall the plan of salvation, by which God joined the suffering of the mother with the suffering of her Son, and decreed that “the new Eve should stand by the cross of the new Adam.”
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 65.]
The Commending of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The words of Jesus, dying on the cross: “Behold your son … Behold your mother,” (John 19:26-27) are seen by the Church as a special parting gift, by which Christ the Lord “entrusted” to his Virgin Mother “all his disciples as her children,” (Leo XIII, Encyclical Letter Octobri mense: ASS 24 [1891-1892] p. 195) and entrusted his mother to his disciples to be honoured and revered. Hence “a deep bond of love is fashioned between the Blessed Virgin Mary and his faithful disciples,” which is honoured and celebrated in this Mass.
The commending of the disciples: it is primarily God who is glorified, for making “a home for the Blessed Virgin in the Church as the joyful mother of children.” (Ent Ant, see Psalm 113:9)
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 68.]
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Reconciliation
The season of Lent has both a baptismal and a penitential character (see SC, art. 109). From Ash Wednesday the words of the apostle re-echo in the liturgy: “We beg you on behalf of Christ: be reconciled with God” (2 Corinthians 5:20). This text is also used in this Mass (1 Read, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21).
The Church has with ever greater clarity acknowledged the role of our Lady in reconciling sinners with God. The Fathers of the Church in the early centuries, in discussing the mystery of the incarnation of the Word, speak frequently of the virginal womb of the mother of the Lord as the place where “peace” between God and the human race came to be.
In the Middle Ages ecclesiastical writers, deepening their understanding of the maternal role of the Blessed Virgin, gave her the titles of “way of reconciliation,” “general cause of reconciliation” as well as “mother of reconciliation,” because it was from her that Jesus Christ, the “reconciliation of sinners,” was born: “There is no reconciliation,” says St. Anselm of Canterbury (d. 1109), “except the reconciliation that you bore in purity.” (H. Barrè, Priares anciennes de L ‘Occident el la Mare du Sauveur, Ed. P. Lethielleux, Paris, 1963, p. 305)
In our own day the Blessed Virgin is honoured liturgically in many places under the title of “reconciler of sinners,” thanks especially to the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette. …
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 70.]
EASTER SEASON
The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Resurrection of the Lord
… The Mass celebrates the Lord’s resurrection and the joy that flows from it:
to the whole world, joy given by God the Father “by the resurrection of [his] Son, our Lord Jesus Christ” (OP); and so the day of the Lord’s resurrection was a “day of light and life when the night of death” was ended and “the whole world [was to] exult.” (Pref)
to the infant Church, which trembled “with joy at seeing again its immortal Lord.” (Pref, see Luke 24:41; John 20:20)
to the Virgin Mother, whose heart was filled “with joy beyond all telling” at the resurrection of Christ (Pref).
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 77.]
Holy Mary, Fountain of Light and Life
The sacraments of Christian initiation, which are properly celebrated at the Easter Vigil, fashion the catechumens in the likeness of Christ: in the waters of baptism they are made children of God, through the anointing and laying on of hands they are filled with the Holy Spirit, and through the heavenly bread and wine of the eucharist they become one body with Christ.
The Fathers of the Church … frequently teach us that the mysteries of Christ, which the Church, our virgin mother, celebrates in the sacraments of Christian initiation, were “accomplished” in Mary, the Virgin Mother: the Spirit who sanctifies the womb of the Church, that is, the font of baptism – to bring forth children of God, sanctified Mary’s womb so that she might bring forth the firstborn of many brothers and sisters (see Hebrews 2:11-15); the same Spirit who, on the day of Pentecost, came down upon the Blessed Virgin with an abundance of gifts, comes down from heaven upon the newly baptized in the celebration of the sacrament of confirmation; the body and blood that Christ offered on the altar of the cross for the life of the world and that the Church offers daily in the eucharistic sacrifice are the same body and blood that the Blessed Virgin Mary brought forth for our salvation.
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 79.]
Our Lady of the Cenacle
The Church has come to see in our Lady, present at the first gathering of Christ’s disciples (Ent Ant, see Acts 1: 14), a mother cherishing the infant Church in her love and the supreme example of prayer in oneness of heart.
In this Mass formulary the Church gives glory to the Father in heaven for his gift of the Holy Spirit. Our Lady is here presented as:
the Virgin filled with the Holy Spirit
model for the Church
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 82.]
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Apostles
Many religious institutes and societies of apostolic life have as their patroness the Blessed Virgin Mary at prayer in the Cenacle and honour her liturgically under the title of “queen of apostles.” Prominent among her these are the Society of the Catholic Apostolate, founded by Vincent Pallotti (d. 1850), the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (P.I.M.E.), founded by Bishop Angelo Ramazzotti (d. 1861), the Pious Society of St. Paul for the Apostolate of the Press, and other institutes owing their origin to the Servant of God, Giacomo Alberione (d. 1971).
Many men and women in their apostolic and missionary zeal have noted the preeminent and “royal” position occupied by the mother of Jesus in the community of the early Church and have recognized the importance of her presence at the events of Pentecost in relation to the spread of the Gospel message.
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 84.]
ORDINARY TIME
Holy Mary, Mother of the Lord
Under the title of “Holy Mary, Mother of the Lord,” the formulary provided here is the Mass found in Roman Missal (Sacramentary), Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Ordinary Time.
In the preface God the Father is gloried on account of the double maternal role he has assigned in his “wisdom and love” to the Blessed Virgin: in relation to his Son … and in relation to his people (“she fulfills a mother’s role in the household of the Church”).
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 193.]
Holy Mary, the New Eve
As early as the second century, especially in the writings of St. Justin (d. c. 163) and St. Irenaeus (d. c. 200), the Blessed Virgin Mary is seen by the Church as the new Eve or the new woman, intimately associated with Christ, the new Adam (see 1 Corinthians 15:45), in the work of salvation. By her faith and obedience she undoes the loss inflicted on the human race by the unbelief and disobedience of the first Eve: “The knot of Eve’s disobedience was loosed by Mary’s obedience. The bonds fastened by the virgin Eve through disbelief were untied by the virgin Mary through faith.” (St. Irenaeus, Adversus haereses, 3:22, 4: Sch, no. 34, p. 82)
In this formulary the saving “mystery of the woman”–of Mary and the Church–is commemorated. Mary, as “type of the Church” (see LG, no. 63), is the woman promised in the Proto-Gospel (see Genesis 3:15), greeted by Elizabeth as blessed among all women (see Luke 1:42), from whom the Son of God became truly human (see Galatians 4:4), anticipating the mysterious “hour” of Jesus at the wedding feast at Cana (see John 2:4), fulfilling her role of mother at the foot of the cross (see John 19:26), resplendent in heaven as the woman clothed with the sun and crowned with stars (see Revelation 12:1).
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 195.]
The Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary
… A memorial of the Most Holy Name of the Virgin is celebrated on September 12… In this Mass God the Father is glorified first of all on account of “the name of Jesus,” that is, on account of “the person of his Son,” his power and saving mission: “In no other name is there salvation”; “at his command every knee must bend, in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.” (Philippians 2:10) The Father is then glorified on account of “the name of Mary,” that is, on account of the person of Christ’s mother and her mission in the history of salvation (see Pref).
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 198.]
Holy Mary, Handmaid of the Lord
In the gospel according to Luke the Blessed Virgin twice describes herself as “the handmaid of the Lord”: when she gives her consent to the message of the angel (see Luke 1:38), and when she proclaims the greatness of the Lord because of “the great things” he has worked in her (see Luke 1:49). To understand fully the meaning and force of her title of “handmaid of the Lord” we must read it in the light of the songs of the “Servant of the Lord” (see Isaiah 42:1-7; 49:1-9; 50:1-11; 52:1-53:12), and above all in the light of Jesus Christ as the one who fulfills the figure of the “Servant of the Lord”: he “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for the many.” (Mark 10:45)
The Blessed Virgin is honoured liturgically under the title of “handmaid of the Lord” in certain religious institutes, especially in the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ (Passionists).
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 200.]
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Temple of the Lord
The “mystery of the temple” was fulfilled in Christ Jesus (see John 2:1922), in whom “the whole fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form.” (Colossians 2:9)
In a unique way the Blessed Virgin is herself “a holy temple”:
when she conceived the very Son of God in her immaculate womb, she became a true temple of the true God;
when she cherished the word of God in her heart (see Luke 2:19, 5 1), loved Christ so ardently, and faithfully kept his word, the Son and the Father came to her and made their home with her, in accordance with the promise of the Lord (see John 14:23).
This Mass therefore celebrates the divine motherhood of our Lady and her holiness of life under this image of “the temple.”
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 202.]
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Seat of Wisdom
Beginning with the tenth century we find in Masses of our Lady, mother of the incarnate Wisdom of God, that readings are often from the Wisdom literature (or “sapiential epistles”), especially Sirach and Proverbs (see OLM 707:5, 6). In these texts the Church, though listening primarily to the voice of eternal Wisdom, hears also the voice of the Blessed Virgin Mary, for in them, according to the common understanding of the medieval writers, the Wisdom of God speaks in a certain sense “in the person of the Virgin.”
From the twelfth century, at morning prayer Louds) and in litanies in honour of our Lady, a number of titles are given her in praise of her close relationship with eternal Wisdom: “mother of Wisdom,” “fountain of Wisdom,” “house of Wisdom,” “seat of Wisdom,” of which the last became the most common.
Under this title the Blessed Virgin is honoured, even in liturgical celebrations, in particular Churches, in universities, and in religious institutes, especially the Missionaries of the Company of Mary, founded by St. Louis Grignion de Montfort (d. 1716). The Mass formulary given here, except for the preface, is taken from the Proprium missarum of the Missionaries of the Company of Mary.
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 204.]
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Image and Mother of the Church I
On November 21, 1964, at the end of the third session of the Second Vatican Council, Paul VI, during the celebration of Mass, declared our Lady “Mother of the Church, that is, of the entire Christian people, both the faithful and their pastors, who call her their most loving Mother,” and decreed that “from now onward the whole Christian people should give even greater honour to the Mother of God under this most loving title.” (AAS 56, 1965, p.1015)
Accordingly, many particular Churches and religious families began to venerate the Blessed Virgin under the title of “Mother of the Church.” In 1974, to encourage Marian celebrations during the Holy Year of Reconciliation (1975), this Mass was composed; it was shortly afterwards inserted in the second editio typica edition of The Roman Missal (Sacramentary) among the Votive Masses in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary. (MR, pp. 867-869)
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 207.]
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Image and Mother of the Church II
This Mass is in celebration of God the Father, who in his “infinite goodness ” has given the Church the Blessed, Virgin Mary, the mother of Christ, as a “model of every virtue.” (see LG, no. 65) “Although in the Blessed Virgin the Church already attains that perfection by which she exists without spot or wrinkle (see Ephesians 5:27), the faithful are still striving to conquer sin and grow in holiness. They therefore raise their eyes to Mary, who shines brightly as the exemplar of virtues for the whole company of the elect.” (LG, no. 65)
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 210.]
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Image and Mother of the Church III
This Mass celebrates God’s goodness in loving the Church so much that the Blessed Virgin is set before its eyes as the prophetic image of its pilgrimage on earth and of its future glory in heaven. In the words of the Second Vatican Council, “in her the Church holds up and admires the most excellent effect of the redemption and joyfully contemplates, as in a flawless image, that which the Church itself desires and hopes wholly to be.” (SC, art. 103)
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 216.]
Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Roman liturgy celebrates the memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary with a special formulary on the Saturday after the second Sunday after Pentecost.
The meaning of “the heart of the Virgin” is to be understood in a biblical sense: it denotes the person of the Blessed Virgin herself; her intimate and unique being; the center and source of her interior life, of her mind and memory, of her will and love; the single-mindedness with which she loved God and the disciples and devoted herself wholeheartedly to the saving work of her Son.
The formulary celebrates the loving kindness of God, who, after giving to the Church the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ as a proof of his love, gave it also the heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary to be contemplated as the model of the “new heart” of one who lives by the “new Covenant.”
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 216.]
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of all Creation
In 1954 the feast of the Queenship of Mary was instituted by Pius XII, to be celebrated on May 31.. In 1969 Paul VI, promulgating the new General Roman Calendar, appropriately transferred the feast to August,22, the octave of the Assumption. The royal dignity of our Lady is part of the mystery of her full glorification and perfect conformity with her Son, the King of all the ages. In the words of the Second Vatican Council, “the Immaculate Virgin…. when she had completed her earthly life, was taken up body and soul into the glory of heaven and exalted as the queen of all creation, so that she might be more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords (see Revelation 19:16) and victor over sin and death.” (LG, no. 59)
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 218.]
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother and Mediatrix of Grace
In 1921 Pope Benedict XV (d. 1922), at the request of Cardinal Désiré Joseph Mercier (d. 1926), granted the whole of Belgium an Office and Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces, to be celebrated on May 31.
In 1971 the Congregation for Divine Worship approved a Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother and Mediatrix of Grace. This Mass, faithfully following the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, commemorates both the maternal role of Our Lady and her function of mediation. Currently this Mass is celebrated in many places on May 8….
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 222.]
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Fountain of Salvation
The Mother of the Lord is frequently honoured under the title of “fountain” in the liturgies of East and West. She is called “fountain of living water,” “fountain of charity,” “fountain of clemency,” “fountain of grace,” “fountain of mercy,” “fountain enclosed” (see 1 Read, Song of Songs 4:12), “fountain of salvation” (see G. G. Meersseman, Der Hymnos Akathistos im Abendland, vol. 2, Universitiitsverlag, Freiburg, Switzerland, 1960, pp. 309-310).
There are a number of sanctuaries dedicated to Our Lady under the title of “fountain,” often with a spring of water used by the faithful on pilgrimage. The most celebrated of these in the East is the sanctuary of the Mother of God of the Living Fountain in Constantinople, erected in the sixth century. In the West there is the sanctuary at Lourdes, beside the cave where our Lady appeared to St. Bernadette Soubirous and caused a spring of water to gush forth.
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 225.]
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother and Teacher in the Spirit
The Carmelite brothers and sisters, both those of the ancient observance and those of the reform of St. Teresa of Jesus (d. 1582), have at all times been zealous in spreading far and wide the love of prayer, the desire for evangelical perfection, and devotion to the Mother of Christ.
Their special devotion is to the Blessed Virgin under the title of “Our Lady of Mount Carmel”: as they make their journey to the “holy mountain, which is Christ” (OP), she cherishes them as a loving mother, protects them as a sure patroness, and accompanies them as a faithful sister. The Carmelites, though they are assiduous in meditating on the totality of the mystery of the Blessed Virgin Mary, are particularly devoted to contemplation of Our Lady intent on prayer, or leading her hidden life, or treasuring the words of the Lord in her heart, or doing her works of charity.
Our Lady has always been known by the Carmelite brothers and sisters as “mother and teacher in the Spirit” because she was a perfect disciple of Christ and “is still a mother, continuing to give [God] children…. encouraging them by her love, and drawing them by her example to pursue perfect charity” (Pref).
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 229.]
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Good Counsel
Whenever the faithful throughout the world recite the Litany of Loreto, they invoke the Blessed Virgin as mother of good counsel, a title Leo XIII inserted into the Litany in 1903. Largely through the work of the brothers and sisters of the Augustinian family, devotion to the mother of good counsel has spread far and wide from the town of Genazzano, not far from Rome, which has a famous sanctuary dedicated to her.
Our Lady is rightly honoured under this title, for she is the mother of Christ, whom Isaiah with prophetic vision called “Wonderful Counselor” (Isaiah 9:5: see I Read, Isaiah 9:1-3, 5-6; PAC); she lived her whole life under the guidance of the “Spirit of counsel,” who “overshadowed” her; she “gave herself wholeheartedly to [God’s] wise and loving plan for renewing all things in Christ” (Pref ; see Ephesians 1: 10); “generously [God] poured out” on her “the gifts of [the] Holy Spirit,” principal among which is the “spirit of wisdom.”
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 231.]
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Cause of Our Joy
Christ Jesus came into the world to bring peace and joy to the human family (see John 15:1 1; 17:13). At his birth he filled the humble shepherds with joy (see Luke 2: 10), at his resurrection he brought joy to the disciples (see John 20:20 ; Luke 24:41), at his ascension he left the apostles in great joy (see Luke 24:52); from his place at the right hand of the Father he sent upon the infant Church the Spirit of love and joy (see Galatians 5:22).
The texts of this Mass recall the saving actions of God through Christ in the Holy Spirit that have brought joy to the Blessed Virgin or to the Church or to humanity. Devotion to Our Lady under this title has developed especially in France and Canada (Notre Dame de Liesse).
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 234.]
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Pillar of Faith
The Blessed Virgin is a woman of outstanding faith, a disciple who in a certain sense sums up and reechoes in her own person the main themes of Christian teaching (see LG, no. 65), a mother supporting and protecting the faith of her children.
A woman of outstanding faith: Elizabeth, the mother of the Precursor, called her blessed for her belief in God’s message (see Luke 1:45); she conceived God’s Son in faith and, supported by faith, she followed Jesus and stood beside the cross, enduring the sight of his death; in faith she believed that he would rise again, and waited for the coming of the Spirit, promised by the Father.
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 237.]
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Fairest Love
In the Missale Romanum (1962), which remained in force until the promulgation of the Missal revised in accordance with the norms of the Second Vatican Council (1970), there is a Mass of Blessed Mary, Queen of Saints and Mother of Fairest Love, in the section, Pro aliquibis locis (for certain places), celebrated on May 8 (earlier on May 31).
The expression “mother of fairest love” is found in the Vulgate text of Sirach 24:24 (“I am the mother of fairest love, of reverence, of knowledge, and of holy hope”): from the tenth century it has been frequently used in Masses of our Lady.
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 240.]
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Divine Hope
The Second Vatican Council at the end of its Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium says of the Blessed Virgin that she “shines upon our world, until the day of the Lord shall come (see 2 Peter 3: 1 0), as a sign of sure hope and comfort for your people on their pilgrim way” (no. 68). These words are found almost verbatim in the preface of the Mass of the Assumption. (see The Roman Missal)
In this Mass the Mother of Christ is venerated:
because in her life on earth she constantly practiced the virtue of hope; “she placed all her trust” in the Lord (Pref), “she awaited in hope and conceived in faith the Son of Man, whom the prophets had foretold” (Pref);
because in her assumption into heaven she became the “hope of God’s people” (Ent Ant); for she comes to the aid of all who have no hope (see Ent Ant) and looks with love on all who seek her help, giving them strength and comfort (see OP, A, OP, B, Ent Ant);
because she is a “beacon of unfailing hope” and solace (OP, B) for all the children of Adam (see Pref) “until the day of the Lord dawns in glory (Pref).”
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 243.]
Holy Mary, Mother of Unity
The example of Christ as he prayed to the Father that “they all may be one” (Gos, A, John 17:21) is an encouragement to all his disciples to be earnest themselves in their prayers for Christian unity.
The formulary of this Mass first of all celebrates God as “fountain of unity and wellspring of harmony” (OP); then it recalls the one mediator between God and the human race, Jesus Christ (see I Read, 1 Timothy 2:5), who, the day before he suffered, prayed to the Father for the disciples that they might be made perfect in unity (see Gos, B, John 17:20-26); it also commemorates the Blessed Virgin, who played an important role in the history of salvation with reference to the “mystery of unity”:
in the mystery of the incarnation, when in her “virginal womb” the Word of God “united divine and human nature” in an unbreakable bond (POG);
in her virginal motherhood, when the Son of God “chose for his mother a woman unstained in heart and body” (Pref), who would be the image of his Bride, the one and undivided Church (see Pref);
in the passion of Christ, when Jesus, “lifted high above the earth, in the presence of his mother … gathered [God’s] scattered children into unity” (Pref);
in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, when Jesus, returning to the Father, “sent upon the Blessed Virgin, at prayer with the apostles, the Spirit of concord and unity, of peace and forgiveness” (Pref; see Ent Ant, B).
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 246.]
Holy Mary, Queen and Mother of Mercy
The title of this formulary comprises two titles frequently attributed to the Blessed Virgin, both of which speak of her graciousness and are much loved by the faithful: “queen of mercy” and “mother of mercy.”
In this formulary the Blessed Virgin is celebrated as:
a prophet extolling the mercy of God (see Gos, Luke 1:39-55): for in her Magnificat she twice praises God’s mercy: “He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation”; “He has come to the help of his servant Israel, for he has remembered his promise of mercy.” (Luke 1:50, 54) The faithful therefore pray that they “may always praise [God’s] mercy in company with the Blessed Virgin”;
woman who has uniquely experienced God’s mercy: “She is the gracious queen who has herself uniquely known [God’s] loving kindness and stretches out her arms to embrace all who … call upon her help in their distress” (Pref). These words of the preface echo those of Pope John Paul II: “Mary is … the one who obtained mercy in a particular and exceptional way, as no other person has…” (Encyclical Letter Dives in Misericordia, no. 9: AAS 72 [1980], pp. 1208-1209).
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 250.]
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Divine Providence
In 1744 Benedict XIV (d. 1758) granted to the Congregation of Clerks Regular of St. Paul (Barnabites) a Mass in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary, “mother of divine providence,” This title celebrates the role entrusted by God, whose “loving providence is always wise and unfailing,” (OP) to the Blessed Virgin as:
the loving mother of Christ (POG), for “in the wisdom of [God’s] providence the Blessed Virgin Mary … gave birth to the Saviour of the world” (Pref);
a mother who cares for each of her children (Pref), “entrusted to her by Christ Jesus while he hung upon the cross” (Pref);
the handmaid of God’s love (see Pref), for as she interceded with her Son at Cana of Galilee for the bridegroom and the bride (see John 2: 1 -1 1; see Pref), “now, enthroned as queen at her Son’s right hand, she provides for all the needs of the Church.” (Pref)
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 253.]
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Consolation
The actions of the all-powerful and merciful God in coming to the aid of his oppressed or exiled people are described in Scripture as “God’s consolation.” The supreme consolation is Christ, sent by the Father into the world when the fullness of time had come, to heal the broken-hearted (see 1 Read, Isaiah 61:1-3, 10-11).
The Blessed Virgin Mary is herself rightly named and venerated as “mother of consolation” or “comforter of the afflicted.” Through her God “graciously sent Jesus Christ to be the consolation” of his people (OP).
The Mother of the Lord is honoured in many places under the title of “mother of consolation” or “comforter of the afflicted,” and especially in Turin (on 20 June), where a well-known shrine is dedicated in her honour, and in a large number of religious families, and particularly in the Order of St. Augustine and the Consolata Missionary Institute (Consolata Missionaries), founded by the Servant of God Joseph Allamano.
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 255.]
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Help of Christians
The Church has often experienced the extraordinary help of the Mother of God in times of persecution by the enemies of the Christian faith. Therefore, from the earliest centuries of the Christian era, the custom developed of invoking the Blessed Virgin in the storms of persecution under the title of “help of Christians.”
While Pius VII (d. 1823) was held a prisoner after being driven from the See of Peter by force of arms, and the whole Church was praying earnestly to God on his behalf through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, the Supreme Pontiff was unexpectedly released and, on returning to Rome, was restored to the papal throne on May 24,1814.
As a result Pius VII established a feast in honour of the Virgin Mother under the title of “help of Christians,” to be celebrated at Rome in perpetuity on May 24, the anniversary of his safe return to the city of Rome. This feast is celebrated in many particular Churches and religious institutes, especially in the Society of St. Francis de Sales (Salesians), founded by St. John Bosco (d. 1888).
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 257.]
Our Lady of Ransom
Among the religious families dedicated by a special bond to the Mother of Christ is the Order of Our Lady of Ransom, founded for the ransom of Christian captives by St. Peter Nolasco (d. 1256) in Barcelona in 1218, after consultation with St. Raymond of Penyafort (d. 1275) and King James I of Aragon (d. 1276).
Our Lady of Ransom is essentially venerated in Aragon and Catalonia and in many regions of Latin America.
This formulary, in view of the purpose for which the Order (the Mercedarians) was founded, is primarily a celebration of Christ as “Redeemer of the human race” (OP), who merited by his sacrifice “the true liberty of [God’s] children.” (OP)
It is also a commemoration of our Lady, who is rightly called “the handmaid of our redemption” (Pref) because she is the handmaid of the Lord (see Luke 1:38), totally dedicated to the work of her Son, the Redeemer (see LG, no. 56).
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 260.]
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Health of the Sick
Among the titles under which the Blessed Virgin is venerated by the sick that of “health of the sick” is preeminent. It was made popular especially through the zeal of the members of the Order of Clerks Regular, Ministers to the Sick, whose church of St. Mary Magdalene in Rome possesses a Marian image celebrated for its veneration by the faithful and the miracles associated with it.
To… ask [Mary’s] intercession for the recovery of health is to celebrate the unique importance of the history of salvation, which will be brought to its completion and perfection when, in the coming of Christ in glory, “the last enemy to be destroyed will be death,” (1 Corinthians 15:26) and the bodies of the just will rise in incorruption.
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 262.]
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace
This Mass commemorates the cooperation of Our Lady in the reconciliation or “peace” between God and the human family brought about by Christ:
in the mystery of the incarnation: the lowly handmaid of the Lord receives God’s word from the angel Gabriel and conceives in her virginal womb the Prince of Peace (Luke 1:26-38), who “has restored our peace, reconciling in himself earth with heaven”;
in the mystery of the passion: the faithful mother stands “fearless beside the cross as her Son sheds his blood for our salvation and reconciles all things to himself in peace”;
in the mystery of Pentecost: our Lady, the daughter of peace, joins “in prayer with the apostles as she awaits … the Spirit of unity and peace, of love and joy.”
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 265.]
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Gate of Heaven
The final formulary in this collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary celebrates the Mother of God as she lovingly accompanies God’s people on their pilgrimage to their true home in heaven.
This Mass primarily celebrates Christ the Lord, whom his loving Father has made “the gateway to salvation and life” (see John 10:7): Jesus, “who … opens the door of forgiveness,” through whom the gate of God’s city in heaven has been thrown open to us.
The metaphors of “door” or “entrance” or “gate” or “threshold” have been applied from patristic times to our Lady to express her function as the second Eve, to express her virginal motherhood or her intercession for the faithful.
Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 267.]
