FEASTS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY II
MORNING AND EVENING PRAYER
GREETING
Spirit of the living God,
Come fill us with your wisdom.
Mary, woman of the word,
Teach us to listen with open hearts.
DOXOLOGY
PSALM 45
A great song fills my heart. I will sing in praise of my God.
A great song fills my heart,
I will recite it to the king,
my tongue as skilled as the scribal pen.
Unrivaled in beauty,
gracious in speech –
how God has blessed you!
Hero, take up your sword,
majestic in your armor.
Ride on for truth,
show justice to the poor,
wield your power boldly.
Your weapons are ready;
nations fall beneath your might,
your enemies lose heart.
Your throne is as lasting
as the everlasting God.
Integrity is the law of your land.
Because you love justice and hate evil,
God, your God, anoints you
above your peers with festive oil.
Your clothes are fragrant
with myrrh and aloes
and cinnamon flowers.
Music of strings welcomes you
to the ivory palace
and lifts your heart.
Royal women honor you.
On your right hand the queen,
wearing gold of Ophir.
Mark these words, daughter:
leave your family behind,
forget your father’s house.
The king desires your beauty.
He is your lord.
Tyre comes with gifts,
the wealthy honor you.
The robes of the queen
are embroidered with gold.
In brilliant attire
she is led to the king;
her attendants follow.
In high spirits
they enter the royal palace.
Your sons will inherit
throne your fathers held.
They shall reign throughout the land.
Every age will recall your name.
This song will fix it in their memory.
ISAIAH 66:10-14a
As a child nestles in the arms of its mother, I rest in you, my God.
Rejoice with Jerusalem!
Be glad for her,
all who love her.
Share her great joy,
all who know her sadness.
Now drink your fill
from her comforting breast,
enjoy her plentiful milk.
For this is what the Lord says:
“Look! to her I extend
peace like a river,
the wealth of the nations
like a stream in full flood.
And you will drink!
I will carry you on my shoulders,
cuddle you on my lap.
I will comfort you
as a mother nurses her child.
“Jerusalem will be your joy.
Your heart will rejoice to see it.
You will flourish like grass in spring.”
READING: Isaiah 7:10-14
Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. Then Isaiah said: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.”
CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH
His mother treasured all these things in her heart.
CANTICLE OF MARY
Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.
INTERCESSIONS
Loving God, you have given us Mary to be
the model of the contemplation and action that
are at the heart of our vocation to Mercy. May
we learn from her the way of faithfulness.
Mary, you were blessed in you humility:
--May we also seek to be servants of God’s people.
Mary, you journeyed to Elizabeth in her time of joy and expectation:
--May we have a tender care for all women awaiting the birth of their
children.
Mary, you pondered all things in your heart:
--May we learn to see the face of God in our experience.
Mary, you saw the needs of the bridal couple at Cana:
--May we never be blind to the needs of the persons around us.
Mary, you felt the pain of seeing your child rejected and killed:
--May we share the pain of mothers who see their children die through
violence or hunger.
Mary, you placed your trust in God even when you did not understand:
--May we have confidence in the saving providence of God, even in times of darkness or confusion.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
PRAYER
God of mercy, and compassion, fill us with the same spirit of obedience and love that filled the heart of Mary. Through her intercession may we be people of mercy and justice. Mary placed her trust in you, and all creation rejoiced in the birth of its Savior, Jesus Christ. Give us the confidence in you that will sustain us and give us life. May your desires come to fulfillment in us. Amen.
BLESSING
Bless us, O God, with faith. Amen.
Bless us, O God, with mercy. Amen.
Bless us, O God, with the energy and vision of the gospel. Amen.