The Little Office of Our Blessed Lady

Prime

At the time of Our Lord, the day, from sunrise until evening, was divided into four hours; the first hour (6-9 A.M.), the third hour (9 A.M to noon), the sixth hour (noon to 3 P.M), the ninth hour (3 P.M. to 6 P.M.). Wishing to consecrate all these divisions of the day to God, the Church appointed a prayer appropriate for each hour. Prime is the prayer of the first hour of daylight, and its purpose is to offer all the works of the day to God and obtain for them His protection and blessing

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: 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.

Hymn:,
Author of grace, sweet Saviour mine,
Remember that Thy flesh divine,
From the unsullied Virgin came,
Made like unto our mortal frame.

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 119.
A prayer in tribulation

When I was in trouble, I called upon the Lord, * and he heard me.
2  Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, * and from a deceitful tongue.
3  What shall be given unto thee, or what shall be added unto thee, * to a deceitful tongue?
4 Even the sharp arrows of the mighty, * with hot burning coals.
5  Woe is me, that I sojourning is prolonged; I have dwelt with the inhabitants of Kedar : * my soul hath long dwelt among them.
6 With them that hated peace I was peaceable : * when I spake unto them, they fought against me without cause.

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 120.
God is the keeper of his Servant

I have lifted up mine eyes unto the hills; * from whence cometh my help.
2  My help cometh even from the Lord, * who hath made heaven and earth.
3  May he not suffer thy foot to be moved; * neither let him slumber that keepeth thee.
4  Behold, he that keepeth Israel * shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5  The Lord is thy keeper, the Lord is thy defence * upon thy right hand.
6  The sun shall not burn thee by day, * neither the moon by night.
7  The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil; * yea, it is even he that shall keep thy soul.
8  The Lord shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming in, * from this time forth for evermore.

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 121.
The desire and hope of the just for the coming of the kingdom of God, and the peace of His Church

I rejoiced at the things that were said unto me, * We will go into the house of the Lord.
2  Our feet shall stand * in thy gates, O Jerusalem.
3  Jerusalem is built as a city * that is at unity in itself.
4  For thither did the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord, * to testify unto Israel, to give thanks unto the Name of the Lord.
5  For their seats have sat in judgment, * even the seats upon the house of David.
6  O pray for the peace of Jerusalem; * they shall prosper that love thee.
7  Peace be within thy walls, * and plenteousness within thy palaces.
8  For my brethren and companions' sakes, * I spake peace of thee.
9  Yea, because of the house of the Lord our God, * I have sought to do thee good.

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.

Ant. Vouchsafe that I may praise thee, O sacred Virgin: give me strength against thine enemies.

V: O Lord, hear my prayer.

R: And let my cry come unto Thee.

Little Chapter
ECCL. 24

From the beginning and before the world, was I created, and unto the world to come I shall not cease to be; and in the holy dwelling-place I ministered before Him.

R: Thanks be to God.

R: After childbirth, a virgin, * thou still didst remain undefiled.
Repeat:After childbirth, a virgin, * thou still didst remain undefiled.

V: Mother of God, intercede for us.

Repeat:Thou still didst remain undefiled.

V: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
Repeat:After childbirth, a virgin, * thou still didst remain undefiled.

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

R: And blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

V: O Lord, hear my prayer.

R: And let my cry come unto Thee.

Let us pray
Pour forth, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ thy Son was made known by the message of an Angel, may by his Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of the Resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord.

R: Amen.

V: O Lord, hear my prayer.

R: And let my cry come unto Thee.

R: Thanks be to God.
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.

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