Vespers (Evening Prayer)
(First Vespers of tomorrow, The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
INTRODUCTION
O God, come to our aid.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.
Hymn
I’ll sing a hymn to Mary,
the Mother of my God,
the Virgin of all virgins,
of David’s royal blood.
O teach me, holy Mary,
a loving song to frame,
when wicked men blaspheme thee,
to love and bless thy name.
The Saints are high in glory,
with golden crowns so bright;
but brighter far is Mary,
upon her throne of light.
O that which God did give thee,
let mortal ne’er disclaim;
when wicked men blaspheme thee,
I’ll love and bless thy name.
But in the crown of Mary,
there lies a wondrous gem,
as Queen of all the Angels,
which Mary shares with them.
‘No sin hath e’er defiled thee’,
So doth our faith proclaim;
when wicked men blaspheme thee,
I’ll love and bless thy name.
Psalm 112 (113)
Praise of the Lord's name
When Christ ascended into heaven, he prepared there an immortal place for his most chaste Mother. Alleluia.
Praise, servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord.
Let the Lord’s name be blessed,
now and for ever.
From the sun’s rising to its setting,
the Lord’s name is to be praised.
The Lord is high over all peoples,
his glory is above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God, who lives on high,
who bends down to watch over heaven and earth?
He raises the weak from the ground,
the poor from the dunghill,
raises them among the princes,
the princes of his people.
He gives the barren woman a household,
makes her the happy mother of children.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
When Christ ascended into heaven, he prepared there an immortal place for his most chaste Mother. Alleluia.
Psalm 147 (147B)
God, the foundation of Jerusalem
The gates of paradise were closed to all men because of Eve, but they have been opened again through the Virgin Mary. Alleluia.
Praise the Lord, Jerusalem
— Zion, praise your God.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates,
he has blessed your children.
He keeps your borders in peace,
he fills you with the richest wheat.
He sends out his command over the earth,
and swiftly runs his word.
He sends down snow that is like wool,
frost that is like ashes.
He sends hailstones like crumbs
— who can withstand his cold?
He will send out his word, and all will be melted;
his spirit will breathe, and the waters will flow.
He proclaims his word to Jacob,
his laws and judgements to Israel.
He has not done this for other nations:
he has not shown them his judgements.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
The gates of paradise were closed to all men because of Eve, but they have been opened again through the Virgin Mary. Alleluia.
Canticle
Ephesians 1
God the Saviour
The Virgin Mary has been exalted high above the heavens. Come, let us all glorify Christ the great King, whose kingdom has no end.
Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us, in Christ,
with every spiritual blessing in heaven.
In love, he chose us before the creation of the world,
to be holy and spotless in his sight.
He predestined us to be his adopted children through Jesus Christ,
simply because it pleased him to do so.
This he did for the praise of the glory of his grace,
of his free gift to us in his Beloved,
in whose blood we have gained redemption,
and the forgiveness of our sins.
This he did according to the riches of his grace,
which he gave us in abundance,
with all wisdom and discernment,
revealing to us the mysteries of his will,
because it pleased him to do so.
In this action he has planned, in the fulfilment of time,
to bring all things together in Christ,
from the heavens and from the earth.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
The Virgin Mary has been exalted high above the heavens. Come, let us all glorify Christ the great King, whose kingdom has no end.
Short Reading
Romans 8:30
©
He called those he intended for this; those he called he justified, and with those he justified he shared his glory.
Short Responsory
Mary has been assumed into heaven: the angels rejoice.
– Mary has been assumed into heaven: the angels rejoice.
They sing for joy and praise the Lord.
– Mary has been assumed into heaven: the angels rejoice.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– Mary has been assumed into heaven: the angels rejoice.
Canticle
Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
All generations will call me blessed, for the Almighty has done great things for me, alleluia.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation.
For he has shown me such favour –
me, his lowly handmaiden.
Now all generations will call me blessed,
because the mighty one has done great things for me.
His name is holy,
his mercy lasts for generation after generation
for those who revere him.
He has put forth his strength:
he has scattered the proud and conceited,
torn princes from their thrones;
but lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
All generations will call me blessed, for the Almighty has done great things for me, alleluia.
Prayers and intercessions
Let us praise God the Father who chose Mary as the mother of his Son and wanted all generations to call her blessed. With confidence we pray:
– May the Virgin Mary intercede for us.
Father, you did great things for the Virgin Mary and brought her, body and soul, to the glory of heaven;
fill the hearts of your children with the hope of Christ’s glory.
– May the Virgin Mary intercede for us.
Through the prayers of Mary, our mother, heal the sick, comfort the sorrowful, pardon sinners;
grant peace and salvation to all.
– May the Virgin Mary intercede for us.
You favoured Mary with the fullness of grace;
bestow on all men your overflowing blessings.
– May the Virgin Mary intercede for us.
May your Church be united heart and soul, held fast by love;
and may your faithful be joined in continuous prayer, with Mary the mother of Jesus.
– May the Virgin Mary intercede for us.
Father, you exalted the Virgin Mary and crowned her queen of heaven;
may the dead enter your kingdom and rejoice with your saints for ever.
– May the Virgin Mary intercede for us.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Almighty, ever-living God,
you have taken the mother of your Son,
the immaculate Virgin Mary,
body and soul into the glory where you dwell.
Keep our hearts set on heaven
so that, with her, we may share in your glory.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.
