Prayer for the Evening. August 15, 2023.
Blessed be God Most High
through the Blessed Virgin Mary!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia!
Hymn
(Meter: 10 10 10 with alleluias. This hymn can be sung to the tune used for For All the Saints)
Planted like seeds, our bodies wait the sound:
The angel’s final trumpet shakes the ground,
And saints who died in Christ with life are crowned.
Alleluia, alleluia.
The human person, made of breath and earth,
Lives for the day: the harvest morning’s mirth,
When bodies rise to share the soul’s rebirth.
Alleluia, alleluia.
But Mary never knew these waiting days.
At this life’s close, in mysteries of grace,
Her soul and body to the heav’ns were raised.
Alleluia, alleluia.
For Christ redeemed her body and her soul.
Righteously made, unseparated whole,
Her first beginnings mastering the goal,
Alleluia, alleluia.
Canticle of Sirach 39:13-16a
Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them: Be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy. (Lv 19:2)
Holiness of life is God’s gift and our decision, both given through the gift of Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of the Virgin Mary, his first disciple and his gift of hope to all who follow her as servants of the living Word.
Listen, my faithful children: open up your petals,
like roses planted near running waters;
Send up the sweet odor of incense,
break forth in blossoms like the lily.
Send up the sweet odor of your hymn of praise;
bless the Lord for all he has done!
Proclaim the greatness of his name,
loudly sing his praises,
With music on the harp and all stringed instruments;
sing out with joy as you proclaim:
The works of God are all of them good.
Glory to the Father….
Word of God. Judith 13:17b-18
“Blessed are you, our God, who today have brought to nought the enemies of your people.” […] “Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God, above all the women on earth; and blessed be the Lord God, the creator of heaven and earth.”
Those he predestined he also called;
and those he called he also justified;
and those he justified he also glorified. (Rom 8:30)
Te Deum
Put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth. (Eph 4:24)
You are God: we praise you;
You are the Lord: we acclaim you;
You are the eternal Father:
All creation worships you.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise you.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you:
Father, of majesty unbounded,
your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,
and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the king of glory,
the eternal Son of the Father.
When you became man to set us free
you did not spurn the Virgin’s womb.
You overcame the sting of death,
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come, and be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people,
bought with the price of your own blood,
and bring us with your saints
to glory everlasting.
Intercessions
On this day when Mary has entered into glory, let us bless Jesus Christ our Savior:
R/Glory to you, O Lord!
Through Mary, Ark of the Covenant, you came to dwell among us:
– today she dwells with you. R/
Through Mary, the mirror of grace, you came to reveal to us the Father:
– today she contemplates his splendor. R/
Through Mary, the gate of heaven, you came to crown our hope with fulfillment:
– today she goes before us into your kingdom. R/
(Personal intentions)
Our Father….
May the God of peace himself make us perfectly holy and may we entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. (cf. 1 Thes 5:23)
Marian Antiphon
Virgin most prudent, whither have you gone forth,
shining as exceedingly as the dawn?
Daughter Zion, you are all beautiful and sweet,
lovely as the moon, bright as the sun.
Translated by James Monti
Salve, Regina, mater misericordiae;
vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve.
Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evae.
Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes
in hac lacrimarum valle.
Eia ergo, advocata nostra,
illos tuos misericordes oculos
ad nos converte.
Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,
nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.
O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.
Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy,
our life, our sweetness, and our hope.
To you do we cry,
poor banished children of Eve.
To you do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, O most gracious advocate,
your eyes of mercy toward us,
and after this our exile
show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
V/ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
R/ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
