Morning Prayer - the Nativity of Mary

Morning Prayer
Feast of the Nativity of Mary
September 8
______
The following is a personal breviary for Morning Prayer, compiled from the Catholic Liturgy of the Hours and the Monastic Breviary of Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, New York.

Domine labia mea aperies
et os meum adnuntiabit laudem tuam.

Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One.
Have mercy on us
Hagios o Theos, Hagios Ischyros, Hagios Athanatos,
Eleison imas.
Sanctus Deus, Sanctus Fortis, Sanctus Immortalis
Miserere nobis.

A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. - Isaiah 11:1-3a

HYMN

O sancta mundi domina,
regina caeli inclita,
o stella maris fulgida,
virgo mater mirifica.

Appare, dulcis filia,
nitesce iam virguncula,
florem latura nobilem,
Christum Deum et hominem.

Natalis tui annua
en colimus sollemnia,
quo stirpe dilectissima
mundo fulsisti genita.

Per te sumus, terrigenae
simulque iam caeligenae,
pacati pace nobili,
more non aestimabili.

Sit Trinitati gloria
per saeculorum saecula,
cuius vocaris munere
mater beata Ecclesiae.
O holy lady of the world,
renowned Queen of Heaven,
O shining Star of the Sea,
wonderful Virgin Mother.

Appear, sweet daughter,
Grow verdant, little branch.
You will bear the noble flower:
Christ, God and man.

Your annual birth
We solemnly celebrate.
From the most beloved root
You shine upon the earth.

Through you, we, the earth-born,
Are likewise born of heaven,
and are given perfect peace
in a priceless way.

Thus the glorious Trinity
through the ages of ages
have named you to be
the Blessed Mother of the Church.

Antiphon: Come let us celebrate the birth of the Virgin Mary; let us worship her Son, Christ the Lord.

Venite (Psalm 95:1-7)

Come let us sing to the Lord; *
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *
and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.

For the Lord is a great God, *
and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *
and the heights of the hills are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it, *
and his hands have molded the dry land.

Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *
Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!

Antiphon: Come let us celebrate the birth of the Virgin Mary; let us worship her Son, Christ the Lord.

The Psalms

Ant. 1: We commemorate the birth of the blessed Virgin Mary, a descendent of Abraham, born of the tribe of Judah and of David's seed.

Psalm 63:1-8
Deus, Deus meus

1: O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you; *
my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you,
as in a barren and dry land where there is no water.
2: Therefore I have gazed upon you in your holy place, *
that I might behold your power and your glory.
3: For your loving-kindness is better than life itself; *
my lips shall give you praise.
4: So will I bless you as long as I live *
and lift up my hands in your Name.
5: My soul is content, as with marrow and fatness, *
and my mouth praises you with joyful lips,
6: When I remember you upon my bed, *
and meditate on you in the night watches.
7: For you have been my helper, *
and under the shadow of your wings I will rejoice.
8: My soul clings to you; *
your right hand holds me fast.

Ant. 1: We commemorate the birth of the blessed Virgin Mary, a descendent of Abraham, born of the tribe of Judah and of David's seed.

Ant. 2: When the most holy Virgin was born, the whole world was made radiant; blessed is the branch and blessed is the stem which bore such holy fruit.

Psalm 113

¹ Praise the Lord,
O sing praises, you that are his servants *
O praise the name of the Lord.

² Let the name of the Lord be blessed *
from this time forward and for ever.

³ From the rising of the sun to its going down *
let the name of the Lord be praised.

⁴ The Lord is exalted over all the nations *
and his glory is above the heavens.

⁵ Who can be likened to the Lord our God *
in heaven or upon the earth,

⁶ Who has his dwelling so high *
yet condescends to look on things beneath?

⁷ He raises the lowly from the dust *
and lifts the poor from out of the dungheap;

⁸ He gives them a place among the princes *
even among the princes of his people.

⁹ He causes the barren woman to keep house *
and makes her a joyful mother of children.
Praise the Lord.

Ant. 2: When the most holy Virgin was born, the whole world was made radiant; blessed is the branch and blessed is the stem which bore such holy fruit.

Ant. 3: Let us joyfully celebrate the birth of blessed Mary so that she may intercede for us before Jesus Christ the Lord.

Psalm 147:12-20

¹² Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem *
sing praises to your God, O Zion.

¹³ For he has strengthened the bars of your gates *
and blessed your children within you.

¹⁴ He makes peace within your borders *
and satisfies you with the finest wheat.

¹⁵ He sends his command to the earth *
and his word runs very swiftly.

¹⁶ He gives snow like wool *
and scatters the hoar-frost like ashes.

¹⁷ He sprinkles his ice like morsels of bread *
and the waters harden at his frost.

¹⁸ He sends out his word and melts them *
he blows with his wind and the waters flow.

¹⁹ He made his word known to Jacob *
his statutes and judgements to Israel.

²⁰ He has not dealt so with any other nation *
nor have they knowledge of his laws.

Praise the Lord.

Ant. 3: Let us joyfully celebrate the birth of blessed Mary so that she may intercede for us before Jesus Christ the Lord.

Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto,:
Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper,
et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

FIRST READING          Isaiah 28:15-18
Because you have said, "We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement; when the overwhelming scourge passes through it will not come to us; for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter"; therefore thus says the Lord GOD, See, I am laying in Zion a foundation stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation: "One who trusts will not panic." And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plummet; hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter. Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overwhelming scourge passes through you will be beaten down by it.

CANTICLE          TE DEUM

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 shun 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.

V. Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance;
R. govern and uphold them, now and always.
V. Day by day we bless you;
R. we praise your name for ever.
V. Keep us today, Lord, from all sin;
R. have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
V. Lord, show us your love and mercy;
R. for we put our trust in you.
V. In you, Lord, is our hope;
R. and we shall never hope in vain.

The concluding part of the hymn may be omitted.

SECOND READING Luke 1:26-38
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.

Second Canticle
Benedictus

Antiphon: Your birth, O Virgin Mother of God, proclaims joy to the whole world, for from you arose the glorious Sun of Justice, Christ our God; he freed us from the age-old curse and filled us with holiness; he destroyed death and gave us eternal life.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old,
that he would save us from our enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

Free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

To give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Antiphon: Your birth, O Virgin Mother of God, proclaims joy to the whole world, for from you arose the glorious Sun of Justice, Christ our God; he freed us from the age-old curse and filled us with holiness; he destroyed death and gave us eternal life.

Responsory
The Lord has chosen her, his loved one from the beginning.
The Lord has chosen her, his loved one from the beginning.
He has taken her to live with him,
his loved one from the beginning.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to he Holy Spirit
The Lord has chosen her, his loved one from the beginning.

PRAYERS

Our Father...

By Your Nativity, O Most Pure Virgin,
Joachim and Anna are freed from barrenness;
Adam and Eve, from the corruption of death.
And we, your people, freed from the guilt of sin, celebrate and sing to you:
The barren woman gives birth to the Theotokos, the nourisher of our life!

Impart to your servants, we pray, O Lord,
the gift of heavenly grace,
that the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin
may bring deeper peace
to those for whom the birth of her Son
was the dawning of salvation.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

Let us glorify our Savior, who chose the Virgin Mary for his mother. Let us ask him:
(R.) May your mother intercede for us, Lord.

Sun of Justice, the immaculate Virgin was the white dawn announcing your rising,
- grant that we may always live in the light of your coming. (R.)

Eternal Word, you chose Mary as the uncorrupted ark of your dwelling place,
-free us from the corruption of sin. (R.)

Savior of mankind, your mother stood at the foot of your cross,
- grant, through her intercession, that we may rejoice to share in your passion. (R.)

With ultimate generosity and love, you gave Mary as a mother to your beloved disciple,
-help us to live as worthy sons of so noble a mother.(R.)

Your Nativity, O Virgin,
Has proclaimed joy to the whole universe!
The Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God,
Has shone from You, O Theotokos!
By annulling the curse,
He bestowed a blessing.
By destroying death, He has granted us eternal Life.