[Rank]
Vigil of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary;;Simplex;;1.5

[Oratio]
O God, Who wast pleased to choose for thy dwelling-place the maiden palace of Blessed Mary, grant, we beseech thee, that her protection may shield us, and make us glad in her commemoration.
$Qui vivis

[Lectio1_]
The Lesson is taken from the Holy Gospel according to Luke
!Luke 11:27-28
At that time: It came to pass as Jesus spoke, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him: Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. And so on, and that which followeth.
_
Homily by St. John Chrysostom
!Homily 20 on John ch. 2, toward the end
When you give ear to the saying of that woman: Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked: and to the Lord's reply: Yea, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it: think not that he made this observation as slighting his Mother, but as wishing to shew that it would profit her nothing to be called his Mother, unless she excelled in goodness and faith. Now, if a mother's love would avail Mary nothing without virtue, much less will it avail us to be a good father, brother, mother, or son, unless we are good in ourselves.

[Lectio1t]
!For the Eve of the Assumption.
From the Holy Gospel according to Luke 
!Luke 11:17-28 
At that time As Jesus spake unto multitudes, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto Him Blessed is the womb that bare thee. And so on. 
_
Homily by StAugustine, Bishop (of Hippo.) 
!10th Tract on John.
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, because she did the will of the Father. (Matth. xii. 50.) This it was that the Lord praised in her, namely, that she did the will of His Father, not that her flesh had given birth to His Flesh. Be kind enough to give me your attention, my dear brethren. When the Lord amazed the crowd by working signs and wonders, and showing thereby What was veiled in His Flesh, a woman, in the astonishment of her mind, cried out Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which Thou hast sucked. But He said Yea, rather, blessed are they that hear the Word of God, and keep it. That is to say Even My Mother, whom ye call blessed, hath her blessedness from this, that she keepeth the word of God not because it was in her that the Word of God was made Flesh, and dwelt among us, but because she heareth and keepeth that Word of God by Which she was made, (John i. 3,) and Which in her was made Flesh.
&teDeum

[Lectio2]
For indeed, salvation for anyone, apart from the divine grace, is to be hoped for in nothing else but his own virtues. For if her kinship in itself could have profited Mary, it would also have profited the Jews, for Christ was their kinsman according to the flesh; it would have profited the city in which he was born; it would have profited his brethren. Yet as long as his brethren cared only for their own interests, their relationship to Christ profited them nothing, but they were condemned with the rest of the world.

[Lectio3]
Then only did they begin to be worthy of admiration, when they shone by their own virtue. His native land, indeed, having gained nothing from its own connection with him, fell and was burnt by fire; his fellow-citizens were put to death and perished miserably; his kindred according to the flesh gained nothing towards their salvation; insofar as all these lacked the protection of virtue. But of them all, the Apostles became the most renowned, since by obedience they joined themselves to him in a right and desirable friendship and companionship. From this we learn, that we always have need of faith, and a life shining with virtues; since this alone will have power to save us.
