The Little Office of Our Blessed Lady

PRAYER BEFORE THE OFFICE

Open, O Lord, my mouth to bless Thy Holy Name: cleanse also my heart from all vain, perverse and distracting thoughts; enlighten my understanding, inflame my will , that I may worthily, attentively, and devoutly recite this Office, and deserve to be heard in the presence of Thy divine Majesty. Through Christ, our Lord.

R: Amen.

O Lord, in union with that divine intention wherewith Thou didst offer praises on earth to God. I offer these Hours to Thee.

Matins

The first Hour of the Office is called Matins, or Morning Offices, because it seems to be the continuation of the Vigils or Night Watches of the primitive Christians, who were accustomed to spend the time from midnight till dawn in prayers and meditations as a preparation for the great feasts. A suitable intention for the recitation of Matins is preparation for the coming of Our Lord, whether in Holy Communion on the following day, or in His judgment at the hour death.

V: Hail Mary,full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
R: Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
V: O Lord, open my lips.
R: And my mouth shall announce thy praise.
V: Incline unto my aid O God.
R: O Lord make haste to help me.
V:Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost.
R:as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end, Amen. Alleluia.
So Alleluia is said at all hours, from the Vespers of Easter eve, unto the Compline of the Saturday before the Sunday of Septuagesima. For then unto the Vespers of Easter eve is said: Praise be to thee O Lord, King of eternal glory.

Invitatory:
Our King, a Virgin's Son: * Come, let us adore.
In the time of Easter is added Alleluia, and in like manner in the end of the Antiphons, Versicles, and Responses.
Psalm [94]:
An invitation to adore and serve God and to hear his voice
Come let us praise the Lord with joy: let us joyfully sing to God our Saviour: let us approach to his presence in confession, and in Psalms let us make joy unto him.
R. Our King, a Virgin's Son: * Come, let us adore.
V. For God is a great Lord, and a great King above all Gods: because our Lord repelleth not his people: for that in his hand are all the bounds of the earth, and he beholdeth the heights of the mountains.
R. Come, let us adore.
V. For the sea is his, and he made it: and his hands founded the dry land: come let us adore, and fall down before God: let us weep before our Lord, that made us: because he is the Lord our God: we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
R. Our King, a Virgin's Son: * Come, let us adore.
V. Today if ye shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation according to the day of temptation in the wilderness: where your fathers tempted me: proved, and saw my works.
R. Come, let us adore.
V. Forty years was I nigh unto this generation: and said, they always err in heart: and they have not known my ways, to whom I swear in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest.
R. Our King, a Virgin's Son: * Come, let us adore.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost.
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end, Amen.
R. Come, let us adore.
Our King, a Virgin's Son: * Come, let us adore.

Hymn:,
Whom earth, and sea, and sky proclaim,
The ruler of the triple frame,
He unto Whom their praises,
Within the womb of Mary lies.

Her womb, the seat of every grace,
Is now the Lord's abiding place, -
That Lord's to Whom the sun by day,
The moon by night, their service pay.

O Happy Mother that thou art,
Close underneath thy beating heart,
Lies thy Creator-God, who plann'd,
The world He holds within His hand.

Blest by herald angel's tongue,
O'er thee God's shadowing Spirit hung,
And fill'd thy womb which issued forth,
The long-desir'd of all the earth.

O Mary, Mother of all grace,
Mother of Mercy to our race,
Protect us now from Satan's power,
And own us at life's closing hour.

All glory be Thee, O Lord,
The Virgin's son, by all ador'd,
And equal praise forever greet,
The Father and the Paraclete. Amen.

Psalm [8]:
God is wonderful in His works: especially in mankind, singularly exalted by the Incarnation of Christ

O Lord our Governour, * how excellent is thy Name in all the world!
2 For thou hast set thy glory * above the heavens.
3 Out of the mouth of very babes and sucklings hast thou perfected praise, because of thine enemies, * that thou mightiest destroy the enemy and the avenger.
4 For I will consider thy heavens, even the works of thy fingers; * the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained;
5 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? * and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
6 Thou madest him lower than the Angels, thou hast crowned him with glory and worship : * thou makest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands.
7 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet : * all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
8 The fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea; * and whatsoever walketh through the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord our Governour, * how excellent is thy Name in all the world!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost: as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Psalm [18]:
The works of God show forth His glory: His law is to be greatly esteemed and loved

The heavens declare the glory of God; * and the firmament sheweth his handy-work.
2  Day to day uttereth speech; * and night to night sheweth knowledge.
3  There is neither speech nor language; * where their voices are not heard.
4  Their sound is gone out into all lands; * and their words into the ends of the world.
5  In the sun hath he set his tabernacle; * and he, as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
6 Hath rejoiced as a giant to run his course, * his going forth is from the uttermost part of the heaven.
7 And his circuit even unto the end thereof; * and there is no one that can hide himself from his heat.
8  The law of the Lord is an undefiled law, converting the soul; * the testimony of the Lord is sure, and giveth wisdom unto the simple.
9  The statutes of the Lord are right, and rejoice the heart; * the commandment of the Lord is pure, and giveth light unto the eyes.
10  The fear of the Lord is holy, and endureth for ever; * the judgments of the Lord are true, justified in themselves.
11  More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much precious stone; * sweeter also than honey, and the honeycomb.
12  For thy servant keepeth them; * and in keeping of them there is great reward.
13  Who can tell how oft he offendeth? O cleanse thou me from my secret faults : * save thy servant also from the sins of others.
14 If they get not the dominion over me, so shall I be undefiled, * and innocent from the great offence.
15  And the words of my mouth shall be such as may please, * and the meditation of my heart be alway in thy sight.
16 O Lord, my strength * and my redeemer.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost: as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Psalm [23]:
Who are they that shall ascend into heaven: Christ's triumphant ascension thither.

The earth is the Lord's, and all the fulness thereof; * the compass of the world, and they that dwell therein.
2  For he hath founded it upon the seas, * and stablished it upon the rivers.
3  Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord? * or who shall stand in his holy place?
4  Even he that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; * and that hath not lift up his soul unto vanity, nor deceitfully sworn to his neighbour.
5  He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, * and mercy from God his saviour.
6  This is the generation of them that seek him; * even of them that seek the face of the God of Jacob.
7  Lift up your gates, O ye princes; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting gates; * and the King of glory shall come in.
8  Who is this King of glory? * It is the Lord strong and mighty, even the Lord mighty in battle.
9  Lift up your gates, O ye princes; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting gates; * and the King of glory shall come in.
10  Who is this King of glory? * Even the Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost: as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

V: Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

V: Grace is poured forth on thy lips.

R: Therefore God hath blessed thee forever.

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.

V: And lead us not into temptation.

R: But deliver us from evil. Amen.

V: We pray thee, vouchsafe us a blessing.

Blessing

May the tender Virgin of virgins intercede for us with the Lord.

R: Amen.

The first lesson:
O Holy Mary, Virgin of virgins, Mother and daughter of the King of Kings! bestow upon us thy consolation, that through thee we may deserve the reward of the heavenly kingdom, and reign with the elect of God unto all eternity. But thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.

R: Thanks be to God.

R: O holy and immaculate Virginity, with what praises to extol thee, I know not for thou gavest from thy bosom Him Whom the heavens could not contain.

V: Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

R:For thou gavest from thy bosom Him, Whom the heavens could not contain.

V: We pray thee, vouchsafe us a blessing.

Blessing

May the holy Mother of God be our helper.

R: Amen.

The second lesson:
O Holy Mary, most compassionate of all the compassionate, and holiest of all the holy, make intercession for us. Through thee, O Virgin, may He receive our prayers, Who, born for us of thee, reigneth above the skies; that so, by His loving-kindness, our sins may be cleansed away. But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.

R: Thanks be to God.

R: Blessed art thou, O Virgin Mary, who didst bear the Lord, the Creator of the world. Thou gavest birth unto Him Who made thee, and remainest a virgin evermore.

V: Hail Mary,full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
R:Thou gavest birth unto Him Who made thee, and remainest a virgin evermore.

V: We pray thee, vouchsafe us a blessing.

May the Virgin Mary, with her loving Child, bless us.

R: Amen.

The third lesson:
O holy Mother of God, who didst worthily deserve to conceive Him Whom the whole world cannot contain, cleanse away our sins by thy loving intercession that we who have been redeemed may through thee be able to ascend to the seat of perpetual glory, where, with Him, thy Son, thou reignest forever. But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us

R: Thanks be to God.

R: Happy thou, O sacred Virgin Mary, and most worthy of all praise, for out of thee arose the Sun of Justice, Christ our God.

V: Pray for the people, plead for the clergy, make intercession for the devout female sex; let all feel thy helping power who celebrate thy blessed memory.

R: For out of thee arose the Sun of Justice, Christ our God.

V: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost:

R:Christ our God.

R: Happy thou, O sacred Virgin Mary, and most worthy of all praise, for out of thee arose the Sun of Justice, Christ our God.

STAND
TE DEUM
CALLED THE CANTICLE OF STS. AMBROSE AND AUGUSTINE

We praise thee, O God, * we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee, * the Father everlasting.
To thee all Angels cry aloud, * the Heavens, and all the Powers therein.
To thee Cherubim and Seraphim * continually do cry.
During the following Tersanctus all make a profound reverence:
Holy,
Holy,
Holy, * Lord God of Sabaoth;
Heaven and earth are full * of the Majesty of thy glory.
The glorious company of the Apostles * praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the Prophets * praise thee.
The noble army of Martyrs * praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world * doth acknowledge thee;
The Father, * of an infinite Majesty.
Thine honourable, true, * and only Son;
Also the Holy Ghost, * the Comforter.
Thou art the King of Glory, * O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting * Son of the Father.

During the following verse all make a profound reverence:
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man, * thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, * thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God, * in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come * to be our Judge.
Here all genuflect.
We therefore pray thee, help thy servants, * whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious Blood.
Here all rise.
Make them to be numbered with thy Saints, * in glory everlasting.
O Lord, save thy people, * and bless thine heritage.
Govern them, * and lift them up for ever.
Day by day * we magnify thee;
During the following verse by local custom a profound reverence is made:
And we worship thy Name * ever, world without end.
Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us * this day without sin.
O Lord, have mercy upon us, * have mercy upon us.
O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us, * as our trust is in thee.
O Lord, in thee have I trusted, * let me never be confounded.
V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

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