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Our Lady of Walsingham | Pre-1955 Missal | Traditional Latin Mass Readings | 09/24/2026 · Vox Liturgica

• 0:00
  Vox Liturgica: The propers of the day according to the Roman Missal before 1955. The feast of Our Lady of Walsingham, September 24 in the year of our Lord 2026. Today, because both the pre 1955 and 1962 missiles would normally have Our Lady of Ransom, In the pre 1955 series, I present the propers for the feast of Our Lady of Walsingham with the introduction being a homily given by Dom Alban Baker of the cannons regular of the New Jerusalem in 2021. Although typically I do not include the seasonally required collects that were in use before 1955, in this episode, I include the Acunctis Collects, which are prayers for the intercession of all the saints. A homily on Our Lady of Walsingham by Dom Alban Baker of the Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem.
• 1:18
  Dearly beloved, in 1061 Our Lady appeared to a noblewoman in Norfolk, England and took her in spirit to Nazareth showing her the House Of The Annunciation and instructing her to reproduce that house on her property. That house, dutifully built by the woman to honor the mother of God in the mystery of the incarnation, soon enough became the site of an Augustinian canonry. And Augustinian canons, like us took care of the holy house, the shrine Of Our Lady Of Walsingham until its dissolution in August 1538. For hundreds of years, it was the most popular shrine in Europe visited by pilgrims of all nationalities and the English kings. Our little community is founded in reparation for what happened at Walsingham during the reign of Henry the eighth when at the instigation of the king, the great majority of the canons signed the oath of supremacy and allowed Henry to seize their monastery and its grounds, including the holy house and the image of Our Lady housed there.
• 2:45
  They chose to save their lives rather than defend the place which honored the incarnation of the Son of God. And for that unspeakable sin we give our lives in reparation. In lady masses, including today's mass, the first reading is almost always taken from wisdom literature, usually from Sirach, also called Ecclesiasticus. The church likes to apply the passages written about divine wisdom to Our Lady since they cause us to consider how fundamental she is in the mind of God. Though she was made at a certain time in history well after the world had been created nevertheless she was always in the mind of God and in a sense she was the reason for all material creation for she was made with the incarnation in mind.
• 3:55
  All history leads to the annunciation the moment in which God came to dwell among us and began to recreate the world. But another feature of these readings from the Books of Wisdom is the frequent mention of God's desire to dwell with us. There is often mentioned a general divine desire to live in the human race as in Proverbs. When he prepared the heavens, I was present. When with a certain law and compass, he enclosed the depths.
• 4:38
  When he established the sky above and poised the fountains of waters, I was with him forming all things and was delighted every day playing before him at all times, playing in the world, and my delights were to be with the children of men. In other words, although the Son of God was he through whom all things were made, though he was ever with the Father in the creation of the world. He took pleasure in dwelling with us. Besides this desire to dwell with us there is also the mention of dwelling in a particular people. In the reading for today for example, God speaks to wisdom and says, let thy dwelling be in Jacob and thine inheritance in Israel and take root in my elect.
• 5:43
  Wisdom not only dwells with the human race, there is an intensive dwelling in the Jewish people. Wisdom dwelt with that nation through the law, the prophets, the priesthood, and above all in the temple. Just as each of us has a duty to respond to the divine wisdom which we find in our minds and consciences rightly formed, the Jews had a duty to respond to this special presence of wisdom in their nation. And once he had taken root in the Jewish nation, he revealed by the prophets that he wished to dwell in each person. As he says in Jeremiah, but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days saith the Lord.
• 6:41
  I will give my law in their bowels and I will write it in their heart And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother saying, know the Lord for all shall know me from the least of them even to the greatest saith the Lord. The response to this divine wisdom is twofold. It requires welcoming the wisdom of God and honoring it. If God wants to dwell with us as he has made clear to us in holy scripture and in his incarnation then we must respond.
• 7:33
  First, we make ourselves open to the divine wish and we welcome him into our hearts, our homes, our society, and then we honor his presence by living worthy lives and offering him fitting worship. If you think about the parables of Christ, many of them pertain to the welcome that a prominent man receives and the honor given him. There are the banquet parables where the father invites us to rejoice in the marriage of his son. Some accept the invitation, some spurn it, and of those who accept it, some are found worthy. We can call to mind the man who is not wearing the garment provided for him.
• 8:28
  There are also the vineyard parables with the tenants welcoming the gifts of the owner, the right to use and benefit from the land. But they dishonor those sent to collect the rent and fruits even to the point of killing the son of the owner. Lastly, the parable of the sower is in effect a parable of welcome and honor. Some welcome the word with enthusiasm but fail to honor it because they are not willing to undergo persecution for it or they are unwilling to forego their pleasures and riches. The moment of the Annunciation is the epitome of welcoming divine wisdom and the life of Our Lady is the height of honoring that wisdom.
• 9:23
  The Holy House reminds us of these things because it was where Mary accepted God into her womb and it was also where she honored him for thirty years by feeding him, clothing him, teaching him, contemplating his growth in wisdom, age, and grace. By being here tonight, we make evident that we have welcomed the son of God and that we have begun to make a return on our need to honor him. As we strive to do this remember two things. First, the cannons at Walsingham did welcome divine wisdom in their midst. They staffed the shrine and encouraged pilgrims but they did not persevere in honoring his presence for it was their calling to shed their blood for him and they would not.
• 10:34
  Their honor extended only so far and no further but we cannot be like that. Our honor paid to the Lord must be complete whatever that means for each of us. Many of you face a dilemma not unlike that of the canons. Give in to the coercion of the state or stand firm in your principles and risk your livelihood, your reputation, even your lives. Second, what Our Lady did in honoring her son is fundamental to what each of us does in striving to do the same.
• 11:22
  In other words, the simplicity of her life is a model for ours. She did not do what the world would consider any great things, but she did what the Lord asked of her. Above all, she made a home for him to rest his head and a heart for him to find consolation. Divine wisdom is no longer welcome in our country, let alone honored, but we can give the refugee harbor in our homes and our hearts and that is not a small thing. One woman did it two thousand years ago and she changed human history.
• 12:12
  More important for our purposes she crushed the head of Satan. On this holy feast each of us should think of how we can more profoundly honor the Son of God. Perhaps it is in making more frequent confessions or in being more faithful to our prayers. For others, it is coming to daily mass or making visits to the blessed sacrament, spending more time with the Lord. For others it is in finally casting off a vice we dearly love, in giving up the things that hinder our growth in holiness.
• 12:59
  The cannons at Walsingham had all the trappings of honoring the Lord but in the end their hearts were found to lack the conviction to resist the whims of the crown. We make our resolve more firm by the little things we do to honor Christ as Mary did in a hidden way, a daily way. By her fidelity to her son in little things, she was given the grace to stand by his cross despite the jeering bystanders in the Roman soldiers. May our lady through her prayers grant us the same grace that the one who has come to dwell in us may be forever honored by us even as he hangs on the cross crucified yet again by this generation. May the honor we pay to the Holy House which was sanctified by wisdom incarnate win for us divine mercy and perseverance.
• 14:16
  Oh Mary, recall the solemn moment when Jesus your divine son dying on the cross confided us to your maternal care. You are our mother. We desire ever to remain your devout children. Let us therefore feel the effects of your powerful intercession with Jesus Christ. Make your name again glorious in the place once renowned by your visits, favors, and many miracles.
• 14:52
  Pray, oh, holy mother of God, for the conversion of this nation, restoration of the sick, consolation for the afflicted, repentance of sinners, peace to the departed. Oh gracious lady, glory of Jerusalem, Cyprus of Zion, and joy of Israel, rose of Jericho, star of Bethlehem. O gracious lady, our asking do not repel in mercy all women ever thou dost excel. Therefore blessed lady grant then thy great grace to all that thee devoutly visit in this place. Amen.
• 15:49
  Dom Alban Baker Priory of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Charlestown West Virginia 2021. In the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy ghost. Amen. The introit. What a fearsome place is this?
• 16:22
  This can be nothing other than the house of God. This is the gate of heaven. Oh, Lord of hosts, how I love thy dwelling place. For the courts of the Lord's house, my soul faints with longing. Glory be to the father and to the son and to the Holy Ghost as it was in the beginning is now and will be through all ages of ages.
• 16:54
  Amen. What a fearsome place is this? This can be nothing other than the house of God. This is the gate of heaven.
• 17:09
  Vox Liturgica: The Collect, let us
• 17:11
  Vox Liturgica: pray. O God, who in thy mercy didst sanctify the blessed Virgin Mary's house by the mystery of the word made flesh and didst miraculously place it in the heart of thy church, grant that we may shun the abodes of sinners and become worthy to dwell in thy own holy house
• 17:36
  Vox Liturgica: through the same Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God through all ages of ages. Amen. A
• 17:53
  Vox Liturgica: prayer for the intercession of all the saints. From all perils of mind and body defend us we beseech thee, O Lord, and through the intercession of the blessed and glorious Mary, ever Virgin, mother of God, together with blessed Joseph and thy blessed apostles Peter and Paul and all the saints, graciously grant us salvation and peace that all evils and errors being overthrown, thy church may serve thee in untroubled freedom through our Lord Jesus Christ,
• 18:30
  Vox Liturgica: thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God through all ages of ages. Amen.
• 18:42
  Vox Liturgica: A lesson from the wisdom of Sirach. In all things I sought rest, and I shall abide in the inheritance of the Lord. Then the Creator of all things commanded, and he that made me rested in my tabernacle. And his command to me was that I should find my home in Jacob, throw in my lot with Israel, take root among his chosen race. And now I made Zion my stronghold, the holy city my resting place, Jerusalem my throne.
• 19:24
  My roots spread out among the people that enjoys his favor. My God has granted me a share in his own domain. Where his faithful servants are gathered,
• 19:36
  Vox Liturgica: there I love to linger. I grew to my full stature as cedars grow in Lebanon, as cypress on Zion's Hill, as palm tree in the Cades, or rose bush in Jericho, fair
• 19:56
  Vox Liturgica: as olive tree in the plain, or as plain tree by the waterside, cinnamon or scented balm have no scent like mine. My fragrance is like the choicest myrrh. The gradual. One request I have ever made of the lord. Let me claim it still, to dwell in the Lord's house my whole life long, gazing
• 20:29
  Vox Liturgica: at the beauty of the Lord, haunting his sanctuary. Alleluia. Alleluia. How blessed, O Lord, they who dwell in that house of thine. Through ages upon ages they shall praise thee.
• 20:51
  Alleluia.
• 20:55
  Vox Liturgica: A continuation of the Holy Gospel according to Luke.
• 21:01
  Vox Liturgica: At that time God sent the angel Gabriel to a city of Galilee called Nazareth where a virgin dwelt, betrothed to a man of David's lineage. His name was Joseph and the virgin's name was Mary. Into
• 21:21
  Vox Liturgica: her presence the angel came and said, Hail, thou who art full of
• 21:27
  Vox Liturgica: grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women. She was much perplexed at hearing him speak so, and cast about in her mind what she was to make of such a greeting. Then the angel said to her, Mary, do not be afraid. Thou hast found favor in the sight of God.
• 21:56
  And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bear a son,
• 22:03
  Vox Liturgica: and shalt call him Jesus. He shall be great, and men will know him for the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob eternally. His kingdom shall never have
• 22:24
  Vox Liturgica: an end. But Mary said to the angel, How can that be since I have no knowledge of man? And the angel answered her, The Holy Spirit will come upon thee, and the power of the Most High will overshadow thee. Thus
• 22:45
  Vox Liturgica: this holy offspring of thine shall be known for the Son of God. See moreover how it fares with thy cousin Elizabeth. She is old, yet she too has conceived a son. She who was reproached with barrenness is now in her sixth month to prove that nothing can be impossible with God.
• 23:12
  Vox Liturgica: And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord, let it be unto me according to thy word. The Offertory. I will betake myself to thy house and bow down before thy sanctuary and praise thy name.
• 23:39
  Vox Liturgica: The secret. O Lord, we pray thee graciously accept the gifts we offer in this holy house and grant that, with the merits of the Blessed Virgin pleading for us, these same gifts may prove a help to our salvation. A prayer for the intercession of all the saints. Hear us, O God our Saviour, that by the virtue of this sacrament thou mayest defend us from all enemies of mind and body bestowing upon us both grace in this life and glory in the life to come through our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God through all ages of ages. Amen.
• 24:41
  The Preface of Our Lady It is truly meet and just, right and for our salvation that we should at all times and in all places give thanks unto thee, O Holy Lord, Father Almighty, everlasting God, and that we should praise and bless and proclaim thee in the festivity of blessed Mary ever Virgin, who also conceived thine only begotten Son by the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost and the glory of her virginity still abiding gave forth to the world the everlasting light, Jesus Christ, our Lord, through whom the angels praise thy majesty, the dominions worship it, the powers stand in awe, the heavens and the heavenly hosts together with the blessed Seraphim in triumphant chorus unite to celebrate it, together with them we entreat thee that thou mayest bid our voices also to be admitted while we say with humble praise. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts, the heavens and the earth are full of thy glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
• 26:20
  The communion. Blessed is he who hears my voice, who watches daily before my gates, and waits at the threshold of my
• 26:31
  Vox Liturgica: doors, he who shall find me shall find life and draw from the Lord salvation. The post communion. Let us pray.
• 26:49
  Vox Liturgica: We beseech thee, O Lord our God, that the sacred rights thou hast bestowed upon us to safeguard this new life of ours may through the intercession of blessed Mary the ever Virgin bring us healing now and in the time to come. A prayer for the intercession of all the saints. Cleanse and fortify us, we beseech thee, O Lord, by the oblation of this divine sacrament and through the intercession of the blessed virgin Mary, mother of God, of blessed Joseph, of thy blessed apostles Peter and Paul, and of all the saints, may it both purify us from all wickedness and deliver us from all evil through our Lord Jesus Christ, thy son, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God through all ages of ages. Amen. In the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy ghost.
• 28:08
  Amen. Our lady of Walsingham, pray for us.