Station at St. Mary Beyond the Tiber

Thursday of the Second Week of Lent.
Station at St. Mary Beyond the Tiber.
(S. Maria in Trastevere.)

One of the most venerable churches in Rome.
A.D. 233

Today's Station takes place in a basilica
that is considered to be
one of the most venerable
of all the Christian buildings in Rome. I
ts history reaches much further back than the time of Constantine.

The historian Lampridius relates that during the pontificate of Callixtus I the Christians were in possession of a place of assembly in Trastevere, the right to which was, however, disputed by the corporation popinarii, or tavern-keepers.

The question was brought before the Emperor Alexander Severus, who decided in favour of the Christians, saying that it was better that God should be worshipped there, in whatever fashion it might be, than that the place should be given over to revelry. The original oratory was erected by St. Callixtus I about the year 233, not long before his martyrdom.

The Nativity of Our Lord.
(S. Maria in Trastevere.)

+
Oremus.
Let us pray.

Hail Mary, full of grace!
dear Mother of Jesus, and hope of the world!
O gate of heaven! O temple of God!
O haven of the sea,
where sinners confidently seek shelter and repose.

Thou art the worthy bride of the great King,
and, by Thy powerful prayers,
Thou art kind and loving to all.

Thou art the light to the blind,
and a sure path to such as are lame.
Thou art by Thy loving affection,
both Martha and Mary to the needy.

Thou was the flower among the thorns;
the flower that, by its rich graces,
bloomed to the divine Flower, thy Jesus.

Thou didst speak Thy word,
and then conceivedst the Word;
Thou didst give birth to the King of kings,
Thou wast a pure Virgin.

Thou was ever faithful to this King, Thy child;
and using a mother's privilege,
Thou didst feed Him at Thy breast.

Now, thou art united with Him,
and in reward for Thy merits,
Thou art made the Queen of heaven and earth.

Then pray for us, O Queen,
to Him that is our King,
beseeching Him to pardon us poor fallen sinners.

Show us Thy wonted clemency, and,
having obtained for us the new life
of remission of our sins,
bring us to the kingdom,
there to reign for ever. Amen.
(Sequence from the Cluny Missal)

Thou didst feed Him at Thy breast.
This is probably the first representation of
Our Lady nursing the Infant Jesus.
(S. Maria in Trastevere.)
(12th century mosaic.)