Little Office of the
Blessed Virgin Mary

Vespers

Office III (Christmas To Candlemas), 1962 Roman calendar

Introduction

℣ 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. (In Lent:) Praise be to Thee, O Lord, King of glory everlasting.

Psalms

Ant. O wondrous union! The Creator of mankind, taking a living body, vouchsafed to be born of a virgin, and becoming man, without man's concurrence, bestowed upon us His Godhead.

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.

Ant. O wondrous union! The Creator of mankind, taking a living body, vouchsafed to be born of a virgin, and becoming man, without man's concurrence, bestowed upon us His Godhead.

Ant. When thou wert wondrously born of a virgin, and becoming man without man's concurrence, bestowed upon us His Godhead.

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.

Ant. When thou wert wondrously born of a virgin, and becoming man without man's concurrence, bestowed upon us His Godhead.

Ant. The bush which Moses saw unconsumed we acknowledge to be thine admirable virginity, which thou didst keep inviolate; Mother of God, plead for us.

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.

Ant. The bush which Moses saw unconsumed we acknowledge to be thine admirable virginity, which thou didst keep inviolate; Mother of God, plead for us.

Ant. The root of Jesse hath budded, a star hath arisen out of Jacob; a virgin hath brought forth a Saviour; we give praise to Thee, Our God.

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.

Ant. The root of Jesse hath budded, a star hath arisen out of Jacob; a virgin hath brought forth a Saviour; we give praise to Thee, Our God.

Ant. Behold, Mary, hath brought us forth a Saviour, Whom when John saw, he cried aloud, saying: Behold the Lamb of God! Behold Him Who taketh away the sins of the world, Alleluia.

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. Behold, Mary, hath brought us forth a Saviour, Whom when John saw, he cried aloud, saying: Behold the Lamb of God! Behold Him Who taketh away the sins of the world, Alleluia.

Little Chapter

Sir 24:24

From the beginning, and before the world was I created, and unto the world to come I shall not cease to be, and in the holy dwelling-place have I ministered before Him.

℟ Thanks be to God.

Hymn

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.

℣ Grace is poured forth on thy lips.

℟ Therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.

Canticle of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Ant. How great the mystery of our inheritance! The womb of one that knoweth not man hath become the temple of God! He was not defiled in taking flesh of her. All nations shall come and shall say: Glory be to Thee, O Lord.

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.

Collect

℣ O Lord, hear my prayer.

℟ And let my cry come unto Thee.

Let us pray.

O God, Who, by the fruitful virginity of blessed Mary, hast given to mankind the rewards of eternal salvation; grant, we beseech Thee, that we may experience her intercession for us, by whom we deserved to receive the Author of life, Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.

℟ Amen.

Conclusion