Little Office of the
Blessed Virgin

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Vespers

Office II (Advent), 1909 Dominican calendar

Prayers 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.

℟ Amen.

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

Introduction

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

℣ O God, ✠ come to my assistance;

℟ 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. (Outside Lent:) Alleluia. (from Septuagesima to Holy Saturday:) Praise be to Thee, O Lord, King of glory everlasting.

Psalms

Psalm 109

  • The Lord said to my Lord: Sit Thou at My right hand.
  • Until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool.
  • The Lord will send forth the scepter of Thy power out of Sion: rule Thou in the midst of Thine enemies.
  • Thine is dominion in the day of Thy power, amid the brightness of the saints: from the womb before the day-star have I begotten Thee.
  • The Lord hath sworn, and He will not repent: Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchisedech.
  • The Lord upon Thy right hand: hath overthrown kings in the day of His wrath.
  • He shall judge among the nations; He shall fill the land with the fallen. He shall smite in sunder the heads in the land of many.
  • He shall drink of a brook in the way: therefore shall He lift up His 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.

Psalm 112

  • Praise the Lord, ye servants: praise the name of the Lord.
  • Blessed be the name of the Lord, from this time forth for evermore.
  • From the rising of the sun unto its going down, the name of the Lord is worthy to be praised.
  • The Lord is high above all nations; and His glory is above the heavens.
  • Who is like unto the Lord our God, Who dwelleth on high, yet regardeth lowly things in heaven and on earth?
  • Who raiseth up the needy from the earth, and lifteth the poor out of the dunghill;
  • That He may set him with the princes, even with the princes of His people.
  • Who maketh the barren woman to dwell in her 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.

Psalm 121

  • I was glad at the things that were said unto me : We will go into the house of the Lord.
  • Our feet were standing within thy courts, O Jerusalem.
  • Jerusalem, which is built as a city, that is compact together.
  • For thither the tribes went up, the tribes of the Lord : an ordinance for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
  • For there are setup thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.
  • Pray ye for the things that are for the peace of Jerusalem; and plenty be to them that love Thee.
  • Let peace be in Thy stronghold, and plenty in Thy towers.
  • For my brethren and my neighbors' sake, I spake peace concerning thee.
  • For the sake 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.

Psalm 126

  • Unless the Lord build a house, they labor in vain that build it.
  • Unless the Lord keep the city, he watcheth in vain that keepeth it.
  • In vain do ye rise before the light: rise not till ye have rested, O ye that eat the bread of sorrow.
  • When He giveth sleep to His beloved: lo, children are an heritage from the Lord, and the fruit of the womb a reward.
  • Like as arrows in the hand of the mighty One, so are the children of the outcast.
  • Blessed is the man whose desire is satisfied with them: he shall not be confounded when he speaketh with 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.

Psalm 147

  • Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem: praise thy God, O Sion.
  • For He hath strengthened the bars of thy gates: He hath blessed thy children within thee.
  • Who maketh thy borders peaceful, and filleth thee with the fat of corn.
  • Who sendeth forth His decree upon earth: very swiftly runneth His word.
  • Who giveth snow like wool: He scattereth mist like ashes.
  • He sendeth His ice like morsels: who shall stand before the face of His cold?
  • He sendeth forth His word and melteth them; His wind bloweth, and the waters flow.
  • Who declareth His word unto Jacob : His justice and judgment to Israel.
  • He hath not done so to every nation; nor hath He shown them His judgments.
  • 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. Holy Mother of God, Mary ever virgin, intercede for us with the Lord our God. Mother of God, intercede for us.

Little Chapter

Eccl. 24

Like a vine, I gave forth a sweet perfume like cinnamon and aromatical balm: I yielded an odor of sweetness, like the choicest myrrh.

℟ Thanks be to God.

Hymn

The first verse of the hymn is said kneeling.

Hail, thou star of ocean!
Portal of the sky!
Ever Virgin Mother
Of the Lord most high!

Oh! by Gabriel's Ave,
Uttered long ago,
Eva's name reversing,
Establish peace below.

Break the captives' fetters,
Light on blindness pour;
All our ills expelling,
Every bliss implore.

Show thyself a Mother;
Offer Him our sighs,
Who for us Incarnate
Did not thee despise.

Virgin of all virgins!
To thy shelter take us:
Gentlest of the gentle!
Chaste and gentle make us.

Still, as on we journey,
Help our weak endeavor,
Till with thee and Jesus
We rejoice for ever.

Through the highest heaven,
To the almighty Three,
Father, Son, and Spirit,
One same glory be.

Amen.

℣ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.

℟ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Canticle of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Luke 1

  • My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
  • For He hath regarded the lowliness of His handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
  • For He that is mighty hath done great things unto me; and holy is His name.
  • And His mercy is from generation to generation unto them that fear Him.
  • He hath showed strength with His arm: He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
  • He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble.
  • He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He hath sent empty away.
  • He hath upholden His servant Israel, being mindful of His mercy.
  • As He spake unto our fathers, unto 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.

Ant. O Virgin of virgins, how will this be done! For thou art seen to have none like thee either before or after. Ye daughters of Jerusalem, why look ye at me in wonder? This mystery which ye see is all divine.

Collect

℣ O Lord, hear my prayer.

℟ And let my cry come unto Thee.

Let us pray.

O God, Who wast please that, at the message of an angel, Thy Word should take flesh from the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant that we, Thy suppliants, who truly believe her to be the Mother of God, may be helped by her intercession with Thee. Through the same Christ our Lord.

℟ Amen.

Commemoration of Our Holy Father Saint Dominic

Ant. O great and holy Father, Dominic, at the hour of death take us to thyself, and while here regard us always graciously.

℣ The mouth of the just man shall speak wisdom.

℟ And his tongue shall speak judgment.

Let us pray.

O God, Who didst vouchsafe to enlighten Thy Church by the merits and teachings of Thy blessed Confessor, Our Father Dominic, grant through his intercession that it may never be destitute of temporal help, and may always increase in spiritual growth. Through Christ our Lord."

℟ Amen.

Commemoration of All the Saints of the Dominican Order

Ant. The holy grace of Christ hath exalted the saints, whom the Order of Father Dominic has raised up. We beg to be helped by their merits and to be commended to God by their prayers.

℣ The wisdom of the holy the peoples shall speak.

℟ And their praise the Church shall proclaim.

Let us pray.

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that the examples for the saints of our Order may incite us to a better life; that we may imitate the deeds of them whose memory we celebrate. Through Christ our Lord.

℟ Amen.

Commemoration of All Saints

Ant. All ye saints of God vouchsafe to make intercession for our salvation, and for that of all.

℣ Pray for us, all ye saints of God.

℟ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that all Thy saints may pray for us unceassingly, and vouchsafe in Thy clemency to hear them. Through Christ our Lord.

℟ Amen.

Commemoration for Peace

Ant. Give peace, O Lord, in our days, because there is no other who will fight for us, except Thee, our God.

℣ Let peace be in thy strength.

℟ And abundance in thy towers.

Let us pray.

O God, from Whom are holy desires, right counsels, and just works, grant to Thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that our hearts being devoted to Thy commandments, and the fear of enemies being taken away, the times may, by Thy protection, be peaceful. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who with Thee liveth and reignth in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.

℟ Amen.

Conclusion

℣ O Lord, hear my prayer.

℟ And let my cry come unto Thee.

℣ Let us bless the Lord.

℟ Thanks be to God.

℣ Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

℟ Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Prayers After the Office

To the most holy and undivided Trinity, to the manhood of our crucified Lord Jesus Christ, to the fruitful virginity of the most blessed and glorious Mary, ever a virgin, to the entire assembly of the saints, be ascribed everlasting praise, honor, power, and glory, by every creature; and to us be granted the remission of all our sins, world without end.

℟ Amen.

℣ Blessed is the Virgin Mary's womb, which bore the Son of the everlasting Father.

℟ And blessed are the breasts which nourished Christ our Lord.

Pater and Ave in silence.

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. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace; The Lord is with thee; Blessed art thou amongst women, And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

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Original Sources

Other Little Offices

Little Office of the Sacred Heart Little Office of Divine Wrath

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