The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Aperi Domine
(Prayer before the hours)
Prayer Before Vespers
O divine and adorable Lord Jesus Christ, Who hast graciously redeemed us by Thy bitter passion and death, we offer up these Vespers to Thy honor and glory, humbly beseeching Thee, through Thy dolorous agony and bloody sweat which Thou didst suffer in the garden, to grant us true contrition of heart, and sorrow for our sins, with a pious resolution never more to offend Thee, but to satisfy Thy divine justice for our past iniquities. Amen.
7. Vespers
Office 3. From Christmas to the Purification. Standing, All say the Hail Mary in silence. Then make the large sign of the Cross: V. O God, hasten to mine aid, R. O Lord, make haste to help me. * 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. * Alleluia. Ant. O wonderous union! Psalm 109 - Dixit Dominus The Messiahs, King, and Priest, victorious over His enemies 1. The Lord said to my Lord: Sit thou at my right hand: * Until I make Thine enemies thy footstool. 2. The Lord will send forth the scepter of thy power out of Sion: * rule thou in the midst of thy enemies. 3. With thee is the principality in the day of thy strength: * in the brightness of the saints: from the womb before the day star I begot thee. 4. The Lord hath sworn, and he will not repent: * Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech. 5. The Lord at thy right hand * hath broken kings in the day of his wrath. 6. He shall judge among nations, he shall fill ruins: * he shall crush the heads in the land of the many. 7. He shall drink of the torrent in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head. 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. * Alleluia. Ant. O wonderous union! The Creator of mankind, taking a body with a living soul, vouchsafed to be born of a virgin, and becoming man without man's concurrence, bestowed upon us his deity.
Ant. When thou wast born.
Psalm 112 - Laudate, pueri.
Glory to God, so infinitely great and so admirably condescending
1. Praise the Lord, ye children: * praise ye the name of the Lord.
All bow at the following verse:
2. Blessed be the name of the Lord, * from henceforth now and for ever.
3. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, * the name of the Lord is worthy of praise.
4. The Lord is high above all nations; * and his glory above the heavens.
5. Who is as the Lord our God, * who dwelleth on high:
6. And looketh down on the low things * in heaven and in earth?
7. Raising up the needy from the earth, * and lifting up the poor out of the dunghill:
8. That he may place him with princes, * with the princes of his people.
9. Who maketh a barren woman to dwell in a house, * the joyful mother of children.
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. * Alleluia.
Ant. When thou wast born of a Virgin, after an ineffable manner, then were the Scriptures fulfilled: thou didst come down like rain upon the fleece, that thou mightest save mankind: we praise thee, O our God.
Ant. In the bush which Moses saw.
Psalm 121 - Lætatus sum in his.
Song of the pilgrims in honor of Jerusalem
1. I rejoiced at the things that were said to me: * We shall go into the house of the Lord.
2. Our feet were standing in thy courts, * O Jerusalem.
3. Jerusalem, which is built as a city, * which is compact together.
4. For thither did the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord: * the testimony of Israel, to praise the name of the Lord.
5. Because their seats have sat in judgment, * seats upon the house of David.
6. Pray ye for the things that are for the peace of Jerusalem: * and abundance for them that love thee.
7. Let peace be in thy strength: * and abundance in thy towers.
8. For the sake of my brethren, and of my neighbours, * I spoke peace of thee.
9. Because of the house of the Lord our God, * I have sought good things for thee.
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. * Alleluia.
Ant. In the bush which Moses saw unconsumed, we acknowledge thy admirable virginity preserved: intercede for us, O Mother of God.
Ant. The root of Jesse hath budded.
Psalm 126 - Nisi Dominus.
Man can do nothing without God's help
1. Unless the Lord build the house, * they labour in vain that build it.
Unless the Lord keep the city, * he watcheth in vain that keepeth it
2. It is vain for you to rise before light, rise ye after you have sitten, you that eat the bread of sorrow. * When he shall give sleep to his beloved,
3. Behold the inheritance of the Lord are children: * the reward, the fruit of the womb.
4. As arrows in the hand of the mighty, * so the children of them that have been shaken.
5. Blessed is the man that hath filled the desire with them; * he shall not be confounded when he shall speak to his enemies in the gate.
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. * Alleluia.
Ant. The root of Jesse hath budded, a star hath arisen out of Jacob; a virgin hath borne the Saviour: we praise thee, O our God.
Ant. Behold Mary.
Psalm 147 (v12-20) - Lauda Jerusalem.
Thanksgiving for the restoration of Jerusalem
12. Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem: * praise thy God, O Sion.
13. Because he hath strengthened the bolts of thy gates, * he hath blessed thy children within thee.
14. Who hath placed peace in thy borders: * and filleth thee with the fat of corn.
15. Who sendeth forth his speech to the earth: * his word runneth swiftly.
16. Who giveth snow like wool: * scattereth mists like ashes.
17. He sendeth his crystal like morsels: * who shall stand before the face of his cold?
18. He shall send out his word, and shall melt them: * his wind shall blow, and the waters shall run.
19. Who declareth his word to Jacob: * his justices and his judgments to Israel.
20. He hath not done in like manner to every nation: * and his judgments he hath not made manifest to them.
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. * Alleluia.
Ant. Behold, Mary hath borne us the Saviour, whom John beholding, exclaimed, saying: Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who taketh away the sins of the world. Alleluia.
The Little Chapter
Ecclus. xxiv. 14.
O. 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 have ministered before Him.
R. Thanks be to God.
Hymn
All kneel during the first stanza of this Hymn.
1. Hail, thou star of the ocean, * Portal of the sky,
Ever Virgin Mother, * Of the Lord most high!
2. Oh, by Gabriel's Ave, * Uttered long ago,
Eva's name reversing, * Establish peace below.
3. Break the captives' fetters, * Light on blindness pour;
All our ills expelling, * Every bliss implore.
4. Show thyself a mother, * Offer him our sighs,
Who for us incarnate, * Did not thee despise.
5. Virgin of all virgins, * To thy shelter take us.
Gentlest of the gentle, * Chaste and gentle make us.
6. Still as on we journey, * Help our weak endeavor,
Till with thee and Jesus * We rejoice forever.
7. Through the highest Heaven, * To the almighty Three,
Father, Son, and Spirit, * One same glory be.
8. Amen.
V. Grace was poured forth on thy lips,
R. Therefore hath the Lord blessed thee forever.
Ant. A great mystery of inheritance.
The Magnificat.
Luke i, 46 - 55.
46. My soul doth magnify * the Lord.
47. And my spirit hath rejoiced * in God my Savior.
48. Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; * for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49. Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me; * and holy is his name.
50. And his mercy is from generation unto generations, * to them that fear him.
51. He hath shewed might in his arm: * he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
52. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, * and hath exalted the humble.
53. He has filled the hungry with good things, * and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54. He hath received Israel his servant, * being mindful of his mercy.
55. As he spoke to our fathers, * to Abraham and to his seed for ever.
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. * Alleluia.
Ant. A great mystery of inheritance: the womb of one that knew not man hath become the temple of God; taking flesh of her he was not defiled: all nations shall come, saying, Glory be to thee, O Lord.
Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer,
R. And let my cry come unto thee.
The Oration
(From Christmas until Candlemas )
O. Let us pray. O God, who, by the fruitful virginity of the blessed Mary, hast given to mankind the rewards of eternal salvation; grant, we beseech thee, that we may be sensible of her intercession, through whom we have received the author of life, our Lord Jesus Christ. Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
R. Amen.
Commemoration of the Saints
Ant. All ye Saints of God, vouchsafe to intercede for our salvation, and that of all mankind.
V. Rejoice in the Lord, and be glad, ye just,
R. And glory, all ye that are right of heart.
O. Let us pray: Protect thy people, O Lord, and preserve them by thy continual defense, who trust in the patronage of Peter and Paul, and all thy other Apostles. Let all thy Saints, we beseech thee, O Lord, assist us everywhere; that, while we venerate their merits, we may experience their patronage. Grant us thy peace in our times, and drive away all mischief from thy Church. Dispose our way, our acts and wills, and those of all thy servants, in the good success of thy salvation. Render to our benefactors everlasting blessings, and grant to all the faithful departed eternal rest. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto thee.
V. Let us bless the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.
V. May the souls of the faithful, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R. Amen.
On to Close Vespers or continue on to Compline .
