December 10
Our Lady of Loreto
Thursday, week 2 of Advent
Our Lady of Loreto refers to the Blessed Virgin Mary as venerated at the Holy House of Loreto in Italy, which tradition holds to be the very home where Mary lived and where the Annunciation occurred. According to longstanding legend, the house was miraculously transported from the Holy Land to Loreto in the late 13th century, sparking a thriving Marian pilgrimage that has endured for centuries.
The historical roots of this tradition are complex; while the precise circumstances of the Holy House’s arrival remain the subject of ongoing study and some dispute, the site quickly became an important center of Marian devotion in Western Christianity. The basilica that now surrounds the Holy House has been a focus for prayer, especially for travelers and aviators (who regard Our Lady of Loreto as their patron). The Church established this feast to invite the faithful to meditate on the mystery of the Incarnation and the central place of Mary in God's plan of salvation.
Honoring Our Lady of Loreto is an opportunity to contemplate the humility and obedience of Mary, asking for her intercession and seeking to imitate her fiat—her steadfast 'yes' to God. In current Catholic practice, this day invites believers, especially during Advent, to open their hearts to Christ coming into the 'house' of our lives, just as He was welcomed into Mary's home.
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Questions about Our Lady of Loreto (Novus Ordo Missae)
The liturgical day
Mass readings
ReadingIs 41, 13-20
It is I, the Lord your God,
who take hold of your right hand,
and who say to you:
"Do not be afraid, I myself will help you."
Do not be afraid, Jacob, you little worm,
Israel, mere mortal.
I am coming to help you – oracle of the Lord;
your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
I have made you into a threshing sledge,
new, with double-edged teeth;
you will crush the mountains and grind them down;
you will make the hills like chaff.
You will winnow them, the wind will carry them away,
a whirlwind will scatter them.
But you, you will rejoice in the Lord;
in the Holy One of Israel, you will find your praise.
The poor and needy seek water,
and there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.
I, the Lord, will answer them,
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
On the barren heights I will make rivers flow,
and springs in the depths of the valleys.
I will turn the desert into a lake,
and the arid land into fountains.
I will plant in the desert the cedar and acacia,
the myrtle and the olive tree;
I will place together in the wasteland
the cypress, elm, and larch,
so that all may see and know,
so that they may consider and understand
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
that the Holy One of Israel is its creator.
– The word of the Lord.
Psalm144 (145), 1.9, 10-11, 12-13ab
I will exalt you, my God, my King,
I will bless your name forever and ever!
The Lord is good to all,
his tenderness for all his works.
May your works give you thanks, Lord,
and may your faithful bless you!
They will speak of the glory of your reign,
they will tell of your mighty deeds,
They will make known to everyone your mighty deeds,
the glory and splendor of your reign:
your reign is a reign for all ages,
your dominion endures through every generation.
GospelMt 11, 11-15
At that time,
Jesus declared to the crowds:
"Amen, I say to you:
Among those born of women,
no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the kingdom of heaven
is greater than he.
From the days of John the Baptist until now,
the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence,
and the violent are taking it by force.
All the Prophets and the Law
prophesied up to John.
And if you are willing to accept it,
he is Elijah who is to come.
Whoever has ears,
let them hear!"
– Let us acclaim the Word of God.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org