Morning Prayer - the Visitation

Morning Prayer
Feast of the Visitation
May 31
______
Lord open our lips
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One
Have mercy on us (3x)

Invitatory

Antiphon: Let us sing to the Lord as we celebrate the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

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: Let us sing to the Lord as we celebrate the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

You will know that I am in the midst of Israel, that I am the Lord your God, with none to equal me. My people will not be disappointed any more. After this I will pour out my spirit on all mankind, and your sons and daughters will prophesy.- Joel 2:27-28

Hymn

Tune: Au Fort de Ma Détresse

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 man 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.

The Psalms

Antiphon 1: When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant in her womb leaped for joy, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit.

72 Deus, judicium

1: Give the King your justice, O God, *
and your righteousness to the King's son;
2: That he may rule your people righteously *
and the poor with justice.
3: That the mountains may bring prosperity to the people, *
and the little hills bring righteousness.
4: He shall defend the needy among the people; *
he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor.
5: He shall live as long as the sun and moon endure, *
from one generation to another.
6: He shall come down like rain upon the mown field, *
like showers that water the earth.
7: In his time shall the righteous flourish; *
there shall be abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more.
8: He shall rule from sea to sea, *
and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Antiphon 1: When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant in her womb leaped for joy, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Antiphon 2: God's blessing is upon you above all women, and his blessing is upon the fruit of your womb.
9: His foes shall bow down before him, *
and his enemies lick the dust.
10: The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall pay tribute, *
and the kings of Arabia and Saba offer gifts.
11: All kings shall bow down before him, *
and all the nations do him service.
12: For he shall deliver the poor who cries out in distress, *
and the oppressed who has no helper.
13: He shall have pity on the lowly and poor; *
he shall preserve the lives of the needy.
14: He shall redeem their lives from oppression and violence, *
and dear shall their blood be in his sight.
15: Long may he live!
and may there be given to him gold from Arabia; *
may prayer be made for him always,
and may they bless him all the day long.
16: May there be abundance of grain on the earth,
growing thick even on the hilltops; *
may its fruit flourish like Lebanon,
and its grain like grass upon the earth.
17: May his Name remain for ever
and be established as long as the sun endures; *
may all the nations bless themselves in him and call him blessed.
18: Blessed be the Lord GOD, the God of Israel, *
who alone does wondrous deeds!
19: And blessed be his glorious Name for ever! *
and may all the earth be filled with his glory. Amen. Amen.

Antiphon 2: God's blessing is upon you above all women, and his blessing is upon the fruit of your womb.

Antiphon 3: Glorious things are said of you, O Virgin Mary.

122

Laetatus sum

1: I was glad when they said to me, *
"Let us go to the house of the LORD."
2: Now our feet are standing *
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
3: Jerusalem is built as a city *
that is at unity with itself;
4: To which the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD, *
the assembly of Israel,
to praise the Name of the LORD.
5: For there are the thrones of judgment, *
the thrones of the house of David.
6: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: *
"May they prosper who love you.
7: Peace be within your walls *
and quietness within your towers.
8: For my brethren and companions' sake, *
I pray for your prosperity.
9: Because of the house of the LORD our God, *
I will seek to do you good."

Antiphon 3: Glorious things are said of you, O Virgin Mary.

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.

First Reading

1Samuel 1:1-20

There was a certain man of Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham son of Elihu son of Tohu son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives; the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

Now this man used to go up year by year from his town to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; but to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. Her rival used to provoke her severely, to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. So it went on year after year; as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. Her husband Elkanah said to her, ‘Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?’

After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, Hannah rose and presented herself before the Lord. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord, and wept bitterly. She made this vow: ‘O Lord of hosts, if only you will look on the misery of your servant, and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a male child, then I will set him before you as a nazirite until the day of his death. He shall drink neither wine nor intoxicants, and no razor shall touch his head.’

As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying silently; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought she was drunk. So Eli said to her, ‘How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Put away your wine.’ But Hannah answered, ‘No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time.’ Then Eli answered, ‘Go in peace; the God of Israel grant the petition you have made to him.’ And she said, ‘Let your servant find favour in your sight.’ Then the woman went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband, and her countenance was sad no longer.

They rose early in the morning and worshipped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. Elkanah knew his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. In due time Hannah conceived and bore a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, ‘I have asked him of the Lord.’

Canticle
Te Deum Laudamus

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.

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.

Second Reading

Hebrews 3:1-6
Therefore, brothers and sisters, holy partners in a heavenly calling, consider that Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses also ‘was faithful in all God’s house.’ Yet Jesus is worthy of more glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house has more honour than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that would be spoken later. Christ, however, was faithful over God’s house as a son, and we are his house if we hold firm the confidence and the pride that belong to hope.

Responsory
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
The Lord is with you.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to he Holy Spirit
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.

Second Canticle

Benedictus

Antiphon: When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, she cried out and said, Who am I that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?

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: When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant in her womb leaped for joy, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit..

Collect
Father in heaven, by your grace the virgin mother of your incarnate Son was blessed in bearing him, but still more blessed in keeping your word: Grant us who honor the exaltation of her lowliness to follow the example of her devotion to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen..

Intercessions
Our Saviour deigned to be born of the Virgin Mary. Let us give him worship and turn to him in prayer:
- Lord, may your mother intercede for us.
Shining Sun of justice, the immaculate Virgin is the dawn that heralds your coming:
  -  grant that we may always walk in the light of your presence. (R.)
Lord, your mother Mary chose the part that was best:
  -  make us, like her, desire the bread of eternal life.(R.)
Saviour of the world, your redeeming power preserved your mother from the stain of sin:
  -  keep us pure and sinless.(R.)
Our Redeemer, you made the Virgin Mary a pure habitation for you and a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit:
  -  make us an everlasting temple of your Spirit.(R.)

Our Father…

Closing Prayer:
Almighty and ever-living God, you inspired Mary, while she was expecting your son, to visit her cousin Elizabeth.
Grant that we may obey the inspiration of the Spirit
and join her in proclaiming your greatness for ever.

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.