Antiphona ad Magnificat (II Vesperis)

This antiphon draws from the Stabat Mater sequence: 'Virgo Virginum praeclara, mihi jam non sis amara: fac me tecum plangere' (O most glorious Virgin of virgins, be not bitter to me now: make me weep with thee). The petition to share Mary's grief expresses the feast's spiritual purpose: compassion in its root sense of 'suffering with.' The phrase 'fac me tecum plangere' requests the grace of tears - the gift of compunction before the Cross. At Second Vespers, this antiphon personalizes the day's devotion: not merely commemorating Mary's sorrows but entering into them.