Because Pope Giovanni Battisti Montini knew better than the King David, the Prophet and God himself.
Leaving you to research as you will, I do wish to post the Readings of the Third Nocturne from St. Bernard of Clariveaux on Mary as the new Eve. May they enrich your day.
Reading 7
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.
V. But thou, O Lord,
have mercy upon us.
R. Thanks be to God.
R. A garden enclosed
is my sister, my spouse, a garden enclosed, a fountain sealed.
* O Mary, thy perfumes
are a garden of delights.
V. Open to me, my
sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled.
R. O Mary, thy
perfumes are a garden of delights.
V. Grant, Lord, a
blessing.
Benediction. She whose
feast-day we are keeping, Mary, blessed Maid of Maidens, be our Advocate with
God. Amen.
Reading 8
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.
V. But thou, O Lord,
have mercy upon us.
R. Thanks be to God.
R. My soul doth
magnify the Lord;
* For He That is
mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is His name.
V. For, behold, from
henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
R. For He That is
mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is His name.
V. Glory be to the
Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
R. For He That is
mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is His name.
V. Grant, Lord, a
blessing.
Benediction. May He
that is the Angels' King to that high realm His people bring. Amen.
Reading 9
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
V. But thou, O Lord,
have mercy upon us.
R. Thanks be to 
1 comment:
Thank you ...the beauty of these readings is only surpassed by its significance to the church
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