The Blessed Virgin Mary Compared to the Moon
September 5, O Luna Tota Pulchra
| ANT. O Luna tota pulchra et sine macula, semper gratia et gloria plena! Luna perfecta in æternum! Luna splendidissima et candidissima! Veni, ne tardes, atque noctis tenebras discutiens, universum mundum tuo jubare illustra. | ANT. O Moon all fair and without spot; of grace and glory ever full! O Moon, perfect for eternity! O Moon most pure shining and radiant! Come, delay not, and, shattering the darkness of night, Enlighten the whole world with thy radiance. |
| ℣. Si subito apparuerit aurora. ℟. Replebuntur lætitia corda nostra. |
℣. If the dawn should suddenly appear. ℟. Our hearts will be filled with joy. |
| Oremus. Dignare, Domine, corda nostra benedictionibus gratiæ tuæ prævenire ; ut cujus Nativitatem expectamus, Sanctissimæ Genitrici tuæ digne placere possimus. Qui vivis et regnas in sæcula sæculorum. Amen. |
Let us pray. Deign, O Lord, to precede our hearts with the blessings of Thy grace that we may be able to please worthily Thy most holy Mother, whose nativity we are awaiting. Thou Who livest and reignest forever and ever. Amen. |
The Qualities of the Moon
Mary here is compared to the terrestrial moon that shines at night. What is the basis for this comparison? When we consider the moon, we note that it appears as the largest, the brightest, the fairest light in the night sky. It dazzles and attracts the eyes. When it shines most brightly, it appears so luminous that the moon’s light appears entirely pure. The moon appears in stages, conquering the darkness, and when it is at its fullest, the world is visible even at night, such that one can walk and navigate by its light. When we study it, moreover, we discover that the moon shines with the light of the sun. It is not the sun, but it reflects the sun to us in the darkness of night.
All of these qualities are brought out in this antiphon. Mary, under the likeness of the moon, is called tota pulchra. “Thou art all fair, my love, and there is no spot in thee” (Canticle 4:7). She is called full of grace (Lk 1:28), and also of glory. All of this is because Mary, at her rising, was the largest light in the night of this sin-struck world. Her light shone out over the darkness of a world that had lost paradise (Gen 3). The beauty of her soul attracted the angels and even God, such that He overshadowed her, and came down from heaven (without, though, leaving His Father’s side). Her coming came in stages, for it was prophesied of old, and then she grew in her mother’s womb, was prepared in a hidden life in the temple, and became more visible through the centuries. Her light, reflected from her Son, the Sun of Justice, was the first light that conquered the darkness of this age, and for many, she is the light that leads our weakened eyes to the bright light of her Son. She is perfect for all eternity, pure and radiant. From her we see the fullness of the Light of God reflected, but in a way we can see.
May her birth be a light to each of us.
