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

[Rule]
vide Sancti/12-08;
9 lectiones;
CPapaM=Melchiades;
Doxology=Nat

[Lectio4]
!From the Dogmatic Bull of Pope Pius IX. 
Both in her Offices and in the most holy Liturgy the Church hath been accustomed to apply to the creation of Mary the language in which the Holy Scriptures set forth the Eternal Generation of the Uncreated Wisdom, and that, because Mary was predestined in the decree of the Incarnation of the same Wisdom. This practice hath been received by the faithful in all quarters, and plainly showeth what hath been the mind of the Church of Rome, which is the mother and mistress of all Churches, on the subject of the sinless conception of the Virgin. Nevertheless, it is fitting to set forth in greater detail the celebrated acts of this Church, on account of that pre-eminent rank and power which all other Churches are bound to yield her, because she is the centre of Catholic truth and unity, wherein alone Doctrine is always preserved pure, and from whom all the other Churches must needs receive the tradition of the Faith.

[Lectio5]
Thus it hath always been one of the most striking features of the Roman Church that she hath most powerfully asserted, guarded, promoted, and vindicated the doctrine that the Virgin was conceived without sin. It hath been the boast of Our Predecessors that by their authority they instituted in the Roman Church the Feast of the Conception of Mary, and caused it to be observed with an Office and a Mass wherein her privilege of immunity from original sin was openly asserted. Our said Predecessors have done everything in their power to increase the love of the faithful for this doctrine by granting Indulgences in its honour; by giving permission to cities, provinces, and kingdoms to choose for their Patroness the Mother of God, under her title Conceived without sin; by approving of Guilds, Congregations, and Associations of persons under vows, all instituted in honour of the sinless Conception; by praising the piety of those who have founded Convents, Hospitals, Altars and Churches named from this belief; and lastly, by encouraging those who have taken an oath to defend this opinion to the utmost of their power.

[Lectio6]
Moreover, Our said Predecessors with great joy ordained that the Feast of the said Conception should be observed as of the same rank as that of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, and appointed that it should be kept with an Octave throughout the whole Church. They added this Feast to those which are commanded to be kept with solemnity, and ordered that the ceremony called a Papal Chapel should take place every year on this Feast in our Patriarchal Basilica of our Lady of the Snows. And above all did they rejoice in the hope of strengthening this belief in the minds of the faithful, and stirring them up to love and venerate the Virgin conceived without sin, when they granted permission to add to the Litany of Loretto the invocation, Queen conceived without original sin, and to insert the word stainless into the Preface of the Mass on this Feast, that so the law of prayer might become the law of belief.

[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. Bernard, Abbot (of Clairvaux.)
!2nd on this text.
Rejoice, father Adam, and yet more thou mother Eve, ye that are the source of all, and the ruin of all, and the unhappy cause of their ruin before ye gave them birth. Be comforted both in your daughter, and such a daughter; but chiefly thou, O woman, of whom the first evil came, and who hast cast thy slur upon all women. The time is come for the slur to be taken away, and for the man to have nothing to say against the woman. At the first, when he unwisely began to make excuse, he scrupled not to throw the blame upon her, saying, The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. Wherefore, O Eve, betake thyself to Mary Mother, betake thyself to thy daughter let the daughter answer for the mother let her take away her mother's reproach; let her make up to her father for her mother's fault for if man be fallen by means of woman, it is by means of woman that he is raised up again.

[Lectio8]
What didst thou say, O Adam? The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. These are wrathful words, by the which thou dost rather magnify than diminish thine offence. Nevertheless, Wisdom hath defeated thy malice. God asked thee that He might find in thee an occasion of pardon, but, in that He found it not, He hath sought and found it in the Treasure of His Own mercy. One woman answereth for another; the wise for the foolish; the lowly for the proud; for her that gave thee of the tree of death, another that giveth thee to taste of the tree of life; for her that brought thee the bitter food of sin, another that giveth thee of the sweet fruits of righteousness. Wherefore accuse the woman no more, but speak in thanksgiving, and say, Lord, the woman whom Thou hast given me, she hath given me of the tree of life, and I have eaten; and it is in my mouth sweeter than honey, for thereby hast Thou quickened me. (Ps. cxviii. 103, 93.) Behold, it was for this that the angel Gabriel was sent to the Virgin, to the most worshipful of women, a woman more wonderful than all women, the restorer of them that went before, and the quickener of them that come after her.

[Lectio9]
Has it not of this thy daughter, O Adam, that God spake when He said unto the serpent, I will put enmity between thee and the woman And if thou wilt still doubt that He speaketh of Mary, hear what followeth She shall bruise thy head. Who won this conquest but Mary? She brought to nought the whole wiles of Satan, whether for the pollution of her body or the injury of her soul. Was it not of her that Solomon spake, where he saith, Who shall find a virtuous woman? (Prov. xxxi. 10.) The wise man knew the weaknesses of women, how frail they are in body, and how changeable in mind. But he had read that God had promised that the enemy, who had prevailed by means of a woman, was by a woman to be overthrown, and he believed. But he wondered greatly, and said, Who shall find a virtuous woman? that is to say If our salvation, and the bringing back of that which is lost, and the final triumph over the enemy, is in the hand of a woman, it must needs be that a virtuous woman be found, meet to work in that matter
&teDeum

[Commemoratio]
!Commemoration of St. Melchiadis Pope & Martyr
@Commune/C2:Oratio Gregem