Do ask your pastor. Mine has said that Marian settings are not appropriate for communion.

Maybe your choir director actually knows that the *proper* communion antiphon for the 4th Sunday of Advent is, "Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel." So... halfway about Mary? Not a battle I would die fighting...

I wonder if the Canadian Bishops would object to an "Ave Maria" being sung for the Offertory of the 4th Sunday of Advent? ;-)

(ETA: and if your diocese mandates, like mine, that whatever is sung at communion have a "refrain," then I don't think "Gentle Woman" is all that bad of a choice for 4 Advent...)

As the esteemed Fr. John Orr, now at CharlesW's parish, once said to a pastor in response to complaints about my scheduling Marian hymns for Mass, "Is she not the Mother of God?"

Being a Canadian, I would not put much in comments from the CCCB.

Ok, we have in the Church devotion to the Eucharistic Heart of Mary. We have religious orders named after the Eucharistic Heart of Mary. Our Lady is the Mother of God, the Gate of Heaven and Star of the Sea. She is no mere Saint, but took an active role in Salvation history.
At my Parish (dedicated to Our Lady) it is not uncommon for us to use a Marian chant at communion time after we have sung the proper antiphon (SEP) with psalm.

Wasn't it common place to sing a meditation Marian hymn after communion in the past?

Also as stated above the propers for the 4th Sunday in Advent as well as the propers for the immaculate conception are Marian Centric.

A more appropriate hymn would be "The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came" - a traditional Basque Carol.

"The Angel Gabriel from Heaven came,
his wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;
'all hail,' said he, 'thou lowly maiden Mary,'
Most highly favoured lady, Gloria!

The SEP Chant isn't hard at all. You might even be able to get away with chanting this with a Psalm verse, glory-be and repeating the antiphone before going into the Hymn.

"Hail Mary, Gentle Woman" is just not appropriate for Mass on any day, since it's bad music.

Gentul womun, qui-et lite...Gentul mother, peeceful duv...Blessed are you amung wimmin...

You have to live in, or be from the South, to appreciate.

I would shy away from a Marian hymn during the Communion procession, as well. I cannot think of a specific norm banning this, but it seems like good liturgical sense to me. The focus during reception of Holy Communion should not be on Mary, but on Christ. Yes, our theology is "To Jesus through Mary," but at Communion it's just Jesus; Marian intercession is unnecessary.

I see no reason why the Marian hymn cannot wait until after reception is completed, using it as a reflection or *shudder* "Communion meditation."

I will never understand the popularity of this song. It isn't even a good translation. It is an earworm. Perhaps that explains some of it.

You might try the hymn for the Feast of Our Lady's Expectation (December 18), "Like the Dawning of the Morning," which is #158 in the St. Pius X Hymnal (words are by Father Faber). The hymn, with different melodies, appears in several pre-Vatican II hymnals.

Like the dawning of the morning, on the mountain's golden heights,
Like the breaking of the moonbeams, on the gloom of cloudy nights,
Like a secret told by angels, getting known upon the earth,
Is the Mother's expectation of Messiah's speedy birth.

Thou wert happy, blessed Mother, with the very bliss of Heaven,
Since the angels salutation, in thy raptured ear was given;
Since the Ave of that midnight, when thou wert annointed Queen,
Like a river overflowing, hath the grace within thee been.

Thou hast waited, child of David, Any thy waiting now is o'er,
Thou hast seen Him, blessed Mother, And wilt see Him ever more,
Oh, His human face and features, They were passing sweet to see!
Thou beholds them at this moment, Mother show then now to me.

Hi oldhymns, and welcome! "Like the dawning of the morning" has several more stanzas (8 total). The Pius X Hymnal provides the 1st, 2nd, and last. Here's the full text (87. 87. D):

Like the dawning of the morning
  On the mountains’ golden heights,
Like the breaking of the moon-beams
  On the gloom of cloudy nights;
Like a secret told by Angels,
  Getting known upon the earth,
Is the Mother’s Expectation
  Of Messiah’s speedy birth.

Thou wert happy, Blessed Mother,
  With the very bliss of Heaven,
Since the Angel’s salutation
  In thy raptured ear was given;
Since the Ave of that midnight,
  When thou wert anointed Queen,
Like a river over-flowing
  Hath the grace within thee been.

On the mountains of Judea,
  Like the chariot of the Lord,
Thou wert lifted in thy spirit
  By the uncreated Word;
Gifts and graces flowed upon thee
  In a sweet celestial strife
And the growing of thy Burden
  Was the lightening of thy life.

And what wonders have been in thee
  All the day and all the night,
While the angels fell before thee,
  To adore the Light of Light.
While the glory of the Father
  Hath been in thee as a home,
And the sceptre of creation
  Hath been wielded in thy womb.

And the sweet strains of the Psalmist
  Were a joy beyond control,
And the visions of the prophets
  Burnt like transports in thy soul;
But the Burden that was growing,
  And was felt so tenderly,
It was Heaven, it was Heaven,
  Come before its time to thee.

Oh the feeling of thy Burden,
  It was touch and taste and sight;
It was newer still and newer,
  All those nine months, day and night.
Like a treasure unexhausted,
  Like a vision uconfess’d,
Like a rapture unforgotten,
  It lay ever at they breast.

Every moment did that Burden
  Press upon thee with new grace;
Happy Mother! Thou art longing
  To behold the Saviour’s Face!
Oh his Human face and features
  Must be passing sweet to see
Thou hast seen them, happy Mother!
  Ah then, show them now to me.

Thou hast waited, Child of David,
  And thy waiting now is o’er;
Thou hast seen Him, Blessed Mother,
  And wilt see Him evermore!
O His Human Face and Features,
  They were passing sweet to see;
Thou beholdest them this moment,
  Mother, show them now to me.

Like the Dawning and other old Marian hymns are in the Catholic HYMNAL Anthology

It includes Eucharistic Hymns and Benediction Hymns.

Thank you so much.
This has been helpful and great to see and hear what other music ministers are doing.
:)

I always thought the double dots in Be Not Afraid meant strum the chord once and let the consonants fall where they may. ;)

I've pretty much snuffed out Gentle Woman at our parish. Replaced it with Kantor's Ave Maria which can be preceded or followed by the Latin Chant Ave Maria (which can also be sung along with Kantor's melody. Not a bad contemporary setting of the Hail Mary and can still be accompanied on Guitar in placed where that is important! Fans of Night of Silence will be similarly pleased.

Still I typically program it at offertory on Marian Feasts not during communion. Even on Marian Feasts I tend to do a Magnificat at communion--which while defiantly Marion, is directed to God rather than Mary. Likewise with any other Ave Maria (Schubert et al) post-communion, offertory or prelude but not during communion procession--unless of course the pastor specifically requests it--pastoral trump card always wins.