This Feast, which is now kept, not only throughout the whole of Spain, but in almost all the Churches of the Catholic world, owes its origin to the Bishops of the tenth Council of Toledo, in 656.
The image is copied from Fr Maximilien-Marie's email for the day.
These Prelates having thought that there was an incongruity in the ancient practice of celebrating the feast of the Annunciation on the twenty-fifth of March, inasmuch as this joyful solemnity frequently occurs at the time when the Church is intent upon the Passion of our Lord [in Quadragesima, is meant], and is sometimes obliged to be transferred into Easter Time [when it falls in Passion or Holy Weeks, or perhaps just Holy Week-- I'm not certain], with which it is out of harmony for another reason they decreed that, henceforth, in the Church of Spain there should be kept, eight days before Christmas, a solemn Feast with an octave, in honour of the Annunciation, and as preparation for the great solemnity of Our Lord's Nativity. In course of time the Church of Spain saw the necessity, however, of returning to the practice of the Church of Rome, and of the whole world, which solemnise the twenty-fifth of March as the day of our Lady's Annunciation and the Incarnation of the Son of God. But such had been, for ages, the devotion of the people for the feast of our Lady's Expectation on the eighteenth of December, that it was considered requisite to maintain some vestige of it. They discontinued, therefore, to celebrate the Annunciation on this day but the faithful were requested to consider, with devotion, what must have been the sentiments of the Holy Mother of God during the days immediately preceding her giving Him birth. A new feast was instituted, under the name of the Expectation of the Blessed Virgin's Delivery.
This Feast, which sometimes goes under the name of Our Lady of O, or the Feast of O, on account of the Great Antiphons which are sung during these days, and, in a special manner, of that which begins O Virgo Virginum (which is still used in the Vespers of the Expectation, together with the Adonai, the Antiphon of the Advent Office [I could have sworn I have a text of the Office of the Expectation somewhere in one of these books here, in order to see what is meant here, about the two Os, but I cannot find it, eh]) is kept with great devotion in Spain. High Mass is sung, at a very early hour, each morning during the Octave, at which all who are with child, whether rich or poor, consider it duty to assist, that they may thus honour our Lady's Maternity, and beg her blessing upon themselves. It is not to be wondered at that the Holy See has approved of this pious practice being introduced into almost every other country. We find that the Church of Milan, long before Rome conceded this feast to the various dioceses of Christendom, celebrated the Office of our Lady's Annunciation on the sixth and last Sunday of Advent, and called the whole week following the Hebdomada de Exceptato (for thus the popular expression had corrupted the word Expectato).
But these details belong strictly to the archaeology of Liturgy, and enter not into the plan of our present work; let us, then, return to the Feast of our Lady's Expectation, which the Church has established and sanctioned as new means of exciting the attention of the faithful during these last days of Advent.
Most just indeed it is, Holy Mother of God, that we should unite in that ardent desire thou hadst to see Him, who had been concealed for nine months in thy chaste womb; to know the features of this Son of the heavenly Father, who is also thine; to come to that blissful hour of his Birth, which will give Glory to God in the highest, and, on earth, Peace to men of good-will. Yes, dear Mother, the time is fast approaching, though not fast enough to satisfy thy desires and ours. Make us redouble our attention to the great mystery; complete our preparation by thy powerful prayers for us, that when the solemn hour is come, our Jesus may find no obstacle to his entering into our hearts.
The Great Antiphon of Our Lady
This Feast, which sometimes goes under the name of Our Lady of O, or the Feast of O, on account of the Great Antiphons which are sung during these days, and, in a special manner, of that which begins O Virgo Virginum (which is still used in the Vespers of the Expectation, together with the Adonai, the Antiphon of the Advent Office [I could have sworn I have a text of the Office of the Expectation somewhere in one of these books here, in order to see what is meant here, about the two Os, but I cannot find it, eh]) is kept with great devotion in Spain. High Mass is sung, at a very early hour, each morning during the Octave, at which all who are with child, whether rich or poor, consider it duty to assist, that they may thus honour our Lady's Maternity, and beg her blessing upon themselves. It is not to be wondered at that the Holy See has approved of this pious practice being introduced into almost every other country. We find that the Church of Milan, long before Rome conceded this feast to the various dioceses of Christendom, celebrated the Office of our Lady's Annunciation on the sixth and last Sunday of Advent, and called the whole week following the Hebdomada de Exceptato (for thus the popular expression had corrupted the word Expectato).
But these details belong strictly to the archaeology of Liturgy, and enter not into the plan of our present work; let us, then, return to the Feast of our Lady's Expectation, which the Church has established and sanctioned as new means of exciting the attention of the faithful during these last days of Advent.
Most just indeed it is, Holy Mother of God, that we should unite in that ardent desire thou hadst to see Him, who had been concealed for nine months in thy chaste womb; to know the features of this Son of the heavenly Father, who is also thine; to come to that blissful hour of his Birth, which will give Glory to God in the highest, and, on earth, Peace to men of good-will. Yes, dear Mother, the time is fast approaching, though not fast enough to satisfy thy desires and ours. Make us redouble our attention to the great mystery; complete our preparation by thy powerful prayers for us, that when the solemn hour is come, our Jesus may find no obstacle to his entering into our hearts.
The Great Antiphon of Our Lady
O Virgo virginum quomodo fiet istud? quia nec primam similem visa es, nec habere sequentem. Filiae Jerusalem, quid me admiramini? Divinum est mysterium hoc quod cernitis.
O Virgin of virgins, how shall this be? for never was there one like thee nor ever will be. Daughters of Jerusalem, why look ye wondering at me? What ye behold is a divine mystery.
LDVM
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