Vespers (Evening Prayer)
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 121 (122)
Jerusalem, the holy city
Mary has been assumed into heaven: the angels rejoice. They sing for joy and praise the Lord.
They filled me with joy when they said,
“We will go to the house of the Lord.”
Now our feet are standing
within your gates, Jerusalem.
Jerusalem, built as a city,
whole and self-contained:
there the tribes have gone up,
the tribes of the Lord –
the witness of Israel,
to praise the Lord’s name.
For there are the thrones of justice,
the thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“Safety for those who care for you,
peace inside your walls,
security within your ramparts!”
For my brethren and those near to me I will say
“Peace be upon you.”
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will call blessings upon you.
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.
Mary has been assumed into heaven: the angels rejoice. They sing for joy and praise the Lord.
Psalm 126 (127)
Without the Lord, we labour in vain
The Virgin Mary has been assumed to the heavenly dwelling-place where the King of kings sits on a throne of stars.
If the Lord does not build the house,
its builders labour in vain.
If the Lord does not watch over a city,
its watchmen guard it in vain.
It is vain for you to rise before the dawn
and go late to your rest,
eating the bread of toil –
to those he loves, the Lord gives sleep.
The Lord bestows sons as an heirloom,
the fruit of the womb as a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior –
so are the sons of one’s youth.
Happy the man who fills his quiver thus:
when he disputes with his enemies at the gate,
he will not be the loser.
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 assumed to the heavenly dwelling-place where the King of kings sits on a throne of stars.
Canticle
Ephesians 1
God the Saviour
You are blessed, daughter, by the Lord your God; through you we partake of the fullness of life.
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.
You are blessed, daughter, by the Lord your God; through you we partake of the fullness of life.
Short Reading
1 Corinthians 15:22-23
©
Just as all men die in Adam, so all men will be brought to life in Christ; but all of them in their proper order: Christ as the first-fruits and then, after the coming of Christ, those who belong to him.
Short Responsory
The Virgin Mary has been exalted high above the choirs of angels.
– The Virgin Mary has been exalted high above the choirs of angels.
Blessed is the Lord, who raised her up.
– The Virgin Mary has been exalted high above the choirs of angels.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– The Virgin Mary has been exalted high above the choirs of angels.
Canticle
Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
Today the Virgin Mary was assumed into heaven: rejoice and be glad, for she will reign for ever with Christ.
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.
Today the Virgin Mary was assumed into heaven: rejoice and be glad, for she will reign for ever with Christ.
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.
