God, come to my assistance.
 - Lord, make haste to help me.
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

O Mary of all women,
you are the chosen one,
Who, ancient prophets promised,
would bear God’s only Son;
All Hebrew generations
prepared the way to thee,
That in your womb the God-man
might come to see us free.

O Mary, you embody
all God taught to our race,
For you are first and foremost
in fullness of his grace;
We praise this wondrous honor
that you gave birth to Him
Who from you took humanity
and saved us from our sin.
Melody: Au fort detresse 76.76D; Music: 17th century Flemish Melody Text: Michael Gannon

Or:


Mary the dawn, Christ the Perfect Day;
Mary the gate, Christ the Heavenly Way!

Mary the root, Christ the Mystic Vine;
Mary the grape, Christ the Sacred Wine!

Mary the wheat, Christ the Living Bread;
Mary the stem, Christ the Rose blood-red!

Mary the font, Christ the Cleansing Flood;
Mary the cup, Christ the Saving Blood!

Mary the temple, Christ the temple's Lord;
Mary the shrine, Christ the God adored!

Mary the beacon, Christ the Haven's Rest;
Mary the mirror, Christ the Vision Blest!

Mary the mother, Christ the mother's Son
By all things blest while endless ages run. Amen.
Melody: Mary the Dawn; Music: Anon Text: Anon, alt. by the Dominican Sisters of Summit

or:


Praise to Mary, Heaven's Gate,
Guiding Star of Christians' way,
Mother of our Lord and King,
Light and hope to souls astray.

When you heard the call of God
Choosing to fulfill his plan,
By your perfect act of love
Hope was born in fallen man.

Help us to amend our ways,
Halt the devil's strong attack,
Walk with us the narrow path,
Beg for us the grace we lack.

Mary, show your motherhood,
Bring your children's prayers to Christ,
Christ, your son, who ransomed man,
Who, for us, was sacrificed.

Virgin chosen, singly blest,
Ever faithful to God's call,
Guide us in this earthy life,
Guard us lest, deceived, we fall.

Mary, help us live our faith
So that we may see your son;
Join our humble prayers to yours,
Till life's ceaseless war is won.

Praise the Father, praise the Son,
Praise the holy Paraclete;
Offer all through Mary's hands,
Let her make our prayers complete.
Melody: Gott sei dank 77.77 Music: Freylinghausen's , 1670-1739 Text: V.S.S. Coles, 1845-1929


PSALMODY

Antiphon: Christ ascended into heaven and prepared an everlasting place for his immaculate Mother.

High above all nations is the Lord,
above the heavens his glory.
Who is like the Lord, our God,
who has risen on high to his throne
yet stoops from the heights to look down,
to look down upon heaven and earth?

From the dust he lifts up the lowly,
from the dungheap he raises the poor
to set them in the company of princes,
yes, with the princes of his people.
To the childless wife he gives a home.

Antiphon: Christ ascended into heaven and prepared an everlasting place for his immaculate Mother.


Antiphon: Through Eve the gates of heaven were closed to all mankind: through the Virgin Mother they were opened wide again.

He has strengthened the bars of your gates
he has blessed the children within you.
He established peace on your borders,
he feeds you with finest wheat.

He sends out his word to the earth
and swiftly runs his command.
He showers down snow white as wool,
he scatters hoar-frost like ashes.

He hurls down hailstones like crumbs.
The waters are frozen at his touch;
he sends forth his word and it melts them:
at the breath of his mouth the waters flow.

He makes his word known to Jacob,
to Israel his laws and decrees.
He has not dealt thus with other nations;
he has not taught them his decrees.   Glory...

Antiphon: Through Eve the gates of heaven were closed to all mankind: through the Virgin Mother they were opened wide again.


Antiphon: The Virgin Mary has been exalted above all the heavens; come, let all men glorify Christ the King, whose kingdom will endure for ever.

God chose us in him
before the world began
to be holy
and blameless in his sight,
to be full of love.

He predestined us
to be his adopted sons through Jesus Christ,
such was his will and pleasure,
that all might praise the glorious favor
he has bestowed on us in his beloved.

In him and through his blood,we have been redeemed,
and our sins forgiven,
so immeasurably generous
is God’s favor to us.

God has given us the wisdom
to understand fully the mystery,
the plan he was pleased
to decree in Christ.
A plan to be carried out
in Christ, in the fulness of time,
to bring all things into one in him,
in the heavens and on earth.  Glory...

Antiphon: The Virgin Mary has been exalted above all the heavens; come, let all men glorify Christ the King, whose kingdom will endure for ever.


READING          Romans 8:29-30
Those whom God foreknew he predestined to share the image of his Son. Those he predestined he likewise called; those he called he also justified.


RESPONSORY
As Mary is taken up to heaven,
the angels of God rejoice.
 - As Mary is taken up to heaven,
the angels of God rejoice.
They worship the Lord and sing his praises;
 - The angels of God rejoice.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
 - As Mary is taken up to heaven,
the angels of God rejoice.


MAGNIFICAT (Canticle of Mary)
Antiphon: All generations will call me blessed; the Lord has looked with favor on his lowly servant.


INTERCESSIONS
Let us praise God, our almighty Father, who wished that Mary, his Son's mother, be celebrated by each generation.  Now in need we ask:

                          Mary, full of grace, intercede for us.

O God, worker of miracles, you made the immaculate Virgin Mary share, body and soul, in your Son's glory in heaven,
- direct the hearts of your children to that same glory.

You made Mary our mother.  Through her intercession grant strength to the weak, comfort to the sorrowing, pardon to sinners,
- salvation and peace to all.

You made Mary full of grace,
- grant all men the joyful abundance of your grace.

Make your Church of one mind and one heart in love,
- and help all those who believe to be one in prayer with Mary, the mother of Jesus.

You crowned Mary queen of heaven,
- may all the dead rejoice in your kingdom with the saints for ever.


Our Father…


PRAYER
Almighty God, you gave a humble virgin the privilege
of being the mother of your Son,
and crowned her with the glory of heaven.
May the prayers of the Virgin Mary
bring us to the salvation of Christ
and raise us up to eternal life.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.


May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.