During Advent the Roman liturgy celebrates the plan of salvation by which the merciful God called the patriarchs, united them to himself in a covenant of love, established the Law through Moses, raised up the prophets, and chose David as the one from whose line the Savior of the world was to be born. The books of the Old Testament, in foretelling the coming of Christ, "gradually bring into clearer light the figure of a woman, the Mother of the Redeemer" (Lumen Gentium (LG), n. 55): she is the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom the Church proclaims as the joy of Israel and the noble daughter of Zion.

In her sincere obedience to the Law and her wholehearted acceptance of God's will, she is ... "exalted among the humble and poor of the Lord, who trustingly hope in him for salvation and from him receive it. After the long period of waiting for the fulfillment of the promise, in her at last the fullness of time is reached, and a new order of providence is begun, when the Son of God takes from her a human nature in order to free the human family from sin through the mysteries of his earthly life" (LG, no. 55).

During Advent the liturgy reminds us every day of the message of Gabriel to our Lady: "The angel Gabriel said to Mary in greeting: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women," and prays each day: "Loving Mother of the Redeemer, you who received Gabriel's joyful greeting: have pity on us poor sinners" (Marian Antiphon). …

This Mass was formerly celebrated on the ember days of Advent. Because of its beauty it was frequently known in the Middle Ages as "the Golden Mass."

In this Mass our Lady is honored as:

- the new daughter of Zion, who in her womb ("in your midst") bears the Lord, the King of Israel (First reading, Zephaniah 3:14-18a);

- the new ark of the covenant, who, bearing the Word of God, brings "salvation and joy to the home of Elizabeth" (Opening Prayer, see I Chronicles 13:14);

- a new creation, formed by the Holy Spirit (see Prayer over Gifts (POG) and LG, no. 56), who is bathed in the dew of heavenly grace (see POG), and bears the fruit of salvation, Jesus Christ;

- the mother of the Lord, whom Elizabeth recognizes in words inspired by the Holy Spirit (see Preface) and who gives herself completely to the mystery of redemption;

- a holy woman, who, hearing the words of an angel, hastens to play her part in the work of salvation, proclaims God's greatness in her song of praise and thanksgiving (see Gospel Luke 1:39-56); a paragon of loving service (see Pref), she is rightly hailed as blessed "because she believed in your [God's] promise of salvation" (Pref, see All, Luke 1:45), whose humility is looked upon with favor by God (see Com Ant, Luke 1:48) and will be acclaimed by all generations.

This Mass celebrates the "wonderful and inexpressible mystery" (Pref), by which the Father of mercies sent his Son "from heaven into the womb of the Blessed Virgin" ... to be "[his] saving Word and our Bread of Life." It also commemorates both the faith and the humility with which our Lady "conceived your only Son and bore [him] in her pure womb."

The texts of this Mass echo the writings of the Fathers of the Church and ancient liturgical prayers, and in particular:

- the thought of St. Augustine (d. 430) that our Lady "conceived him [Christ] in her heart before she conceived him in her womb" (Opening Prayer, B; Sermo 25, 7: PL 38, 937); Augustine praises her faith and obedience and sets before us her spiritual relationship with her Son;

- the saying of St. Bernard (d. 1153) that though our Lady was pleasing to God because of her virginity, yet it was through her humility that she conceived him (see In Laudibus Virginis Matris, I, 5: Opera omnia, IV, ed. Cistercienses, Rome, 1966, p. 18).

This Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Savior, is found in The Roman Missal (Sacramentary) in the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Christmas Season (MR, pp. 674-675). Its texts are both ancient and full of beauty. …

This Mass, resounding with Christmas joy and light, celebrates:

- above all, the maternal role of our Lady in relation to her Son, acknowledged as the King "whose reign is unending," as the Son of God, as the "author of life," as the "sign and source of our salvation," as "a light for all nations," as "the Bridegroom," and as the Word made flesh;

- the fruitful virginity of our Lady and her virgin-motherhood, by means of which God gave to the human race the gift of "eternal salvation"....

During the Christmas season the Church celebrates the mystery of the revelation or manifestation of the Word made flesh to all nations: first, to the Jews, represented by the humble shepherds, "the first fruits of the Church from the people of Israel" (Pref), then to the Gentiles, represented by the wise men, "the firstfruits of the Church from the Gentiles." (Pref)

The following points seem especially noteworthy in this Mass:

- the celebration of light,

- the celebration of the role of Christ as Savior,

- the celebration of the mystery of the Church,

- the celebration of the ministry of the Virgin

This Mass commemorates the role of our Lady in the mystery of the presentation of the Lord (see Luke 2:27-35). …

Our Lady, who is given the title of "virgin daughter of Zion" in this mystery of salvation:

- in accordance with the Law of Moses (see Leviticus 12:1-8) submitted to the ritual of purification after childbirth, although as the "purest of virgins" from her "chaste womb" she had "brought forth in purity the Son of the eternal Father"; faithfully carried out the law of the firstborn, redeeming with the offering of the poor her Son, "the author of the New Law," "the Redeemer of us all," "the glory of" the "people Israel and the light of all nations," "the Lord, the Savior of the world";

- as "the handmaid of [God's] plan of salvation,"

- the prophecy of Simeon, who foretold that the child would be a sign of contradiction and that a sword of sorrow would pierce his mother's heart.

In fulfilling these roles in the mystery of salvation, our Lady is the exemplar of the Church.

The hidden life of our Lord at Nazareth belongs to the mystery of salvation, and is an example of holiness: in the home at Nazareth our Savior, subject to Mary and Joseph (see Luke 2:51), spent the greater part of his life on earth. …Many particular Churches and religious institutes also give liturgical honor to the Mother of God under the title of "Our Lady of Nazareth." This title celebrates in particular the role of our Lady at Nazareth in the service of her Son and his work of salvation.

In the gospel narrative (John 2:1-12) the "sign of Cana" belongs to the mystery of the manifestation of the Lord. … ... today water is changed into wine for the wedding feast; today Christ wills to be baptized by John in the river Jordan to bring us salvation" … specifically celebrates this "beginning of signs." In this manifestation of the Lord our Lady played an active part, and so the liturgy remembers her along with her Son in the text: "Blessed are you, Virgin Mary: through you your Son gave the first of his signs; the Bridegroom prepared the new wine for his Bride; through you the disciples learned to believe in their Master."