Key Of Heaven/Vespers
Vespers for Sundays.
Our Father, etc.
Hail Mary, etc.
INCLINE unto my aid, O God!
R. O Lord! make haste to help me.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Alleluia. In Lent: Praise be to Thee, O Lord! King of eternal glory.
Psalm 109.
THE Lord said to my Lord: Sit Thou at my right hand:
Until I make Thy enemies Thy footstool.
The Lord will send forth the sceptre of Thy power out of Sion: rule Thou in the midst of Thy enemies.
With Thee is the principality in the day of Thy strength: in the brightness of the saints: from the womb before the day-star I begot Thee.
The Lord hath sworn, and He will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech.
The Lord at thy right hand, hath broken kings in the day of His wrath.
He shall judge among nations; He shall fill ruins; He shall crush the heads in the land of many.
He shall drink of the torrent in the way; therefore shall He lift up the head.
Glory be to the Father, etc.
Psalm 110.
I WILL praise Thee, O Lord! with my whole heart; in the council of the just, and in the congregation.
Great are the works of the Lord; sought out according to all His wills.
His work is praise and magnificence; and His justice coutinueth for ever and ever.
He hath made a remembrance of His wonderful works, being a merciful and gracious Lord. He hath given food to them that fear Him.
He will be mindful for ever of His covenant: He will show forth to His people the power of His works:
That he may give them the inheritance of the gentiles; the works of His hands are truth and judgment.
All His commandments are faithful; confirmed for ever and ever, made in truth and equity.
He hath sent redemption to His people: He hath commanded His covenant for ever.
Holy and terrible is His name: the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
A good understanding to all that do it: His praise continueth for ever and ever.
Glory, etc.
Psalm 111.
BLESSED is the man that feareth the Lord: he shall delight exceedingly in His commandments.
His seed shall be mighty upon earth, the generation of the righteous shall be blessed.
Glory and wealth shall be in his house: and his justice remaineth for ever and ever.
To the righteous a light is risen up in darkness: he is merciful, and compassionate and just.
Acceptable is the man that showeth mercy and lendeth; he shall order his words with judgment: because he shall not be moved for ever.
The just shall be in everlasting remembrance: he shall not fear the evil hearing.
His heart is ready to hope in the Lord: his heart is strengthened, he shall not be moved until he look over his enemies.
He hath distributed, he hath given to the poor: his justice remaineth for ever and ever: his horn shall be exalted in glory.
The wicked shall see, and shall be angry; he shall gnash with his teeth, and pine away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.
Glory, etc.
Psalm 112.
PRAISE the Lord, ye children: praise ye the name of the Lord.
Blessed be the name of the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.
From the rising of the sun, unto the going down of the same, the name of the Lord is worthy of praise.
The Lord is high above all nations; and His glory above the heavens.
Who is as the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, and looketh down on the low things in heaven and earth?
Raising up the needy from the earth, and lifting up the poor out of the dunghill:
That He may place him with princes, with the princes of his people.
Who maketh the barren woman to dwell in a house, the joyful mother of children.
Glory, etc.
Psalm 113.
WHEN Israel when out of Egypt, the house of Jacob, from a barbarous people:
Judea was made his sanctuary, Israel his dominion.
The sea saw, and fled: Jordan was turned back.
The mountains skipped like rams, and the hills like the lambs of the flock.
What aileth thee, O thou sea! that thou didst flee? and thou, O Jordan! that thou wast turned back?
Ye mountains! that ye skipped like rams, and ye hills, like lambs of the flock?
At the presence of the Lord the earth was moved, at the presence of the God of Jacob.
Who turned the rock into pools of waters, and the stony hill into fountains of waters.
Not to us, O Lord, not to us; but to Thy name give glory.
For Thy mercy and for Thy truth's sake: lest the gentiles should say: "Where is their God?
But our God is in heaven: he hath done all things whatsoever He would.
The idols of the gentiles are silver and gold, the works of the hands of men.
They have mouths, and speak not; they have eyes, and see not:
They have ears, and hear not: they have noses, and smell not:
They have hands, and feel not: they have feet, and walk not: neither shall they cry out through their throat:
Let them that make them, become like unto them, and all such as trust in them.
The house of Israel hath hoped in the Lord: He is their helper and their protector.
The house of Aaron hath hoped in the Lord: He is their helper and their protector.
They that fear the Lord have hoped in the Lord: He is their helper and their protector.
The Lord hath been mindful of us, and hath blessed us.
He hath blessed the house of Israel: He hath blessed the house of Aaron.
He hath blessed all that fear the Lord, both little and great.
May the Lord add blessings upon you; upon you, and upon your children.
Blessed be you of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The heaven of heaven is the Lord's: but the earth He hath given to the children of men.
The dead shall not praise Thee, O Lord! nor any of them that go down to hell.
But we that live bless the Lord, from this time now and for ever.
Glory, etc.
The following Psalm is sung on sundry festivals, in place of the foregoing.
Psalm 116.
O PRAISE the Lord, all ye nations: praise Him, all ye people.
For his mercy is confirmed upon us: and the truth of the Lord remaineth for ever. Glory, etc.
The Little Chapter.
BLESSED be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulation.
R. Thanks be to God.
The Hymn.
O GREAT Creator of the light!
Who from the darksome womb of night,
Brought'st forth new light at nature's birth,
To shine upon the face of earth.
Who, by the morn and evening ray, Hast measured time and called it day;
Whilst sable night involves the spheres,
Vouchsafe to hear our prayers and tears;
Lest our frail mind, with sin defiled,
From gift of life should be exiled,
Whilst on no heavenly thing she thinks;
But twines herself in Satan's links.
O may she soar to heaven above,
The happy seat of life and love;
Meantime, all sinful actions shun,
And satisfy for evil done.
This prayer, most gracious Father! hear;
Thy equal Son incline his ear,
Who, with the Holy Ghost and thee,
Doth live and reign eternally.
Amen.
V. May my prayer, O Lord! be directed.
R. As incense in thy sight.
The Magnificat; or, the Canticle of the Blessed Virgin.
MY soul doth magnify the Lord.
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
Because He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid: for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For He that is mighty hath done great things to me, and holy is His name.
And His mercy is from generation to generation to them that fear Him.
He hath showed might in 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 received Israel His servant, being mindful of His mercy.
As He spoke to our fathers; to Abraham and to His seed for ever.
Glory, etc.
[Then follows the prayer, which is different every Sunday.]
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.
V. Let us bless the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.
V. May the souls of the faithful through the mercy of God rest in peace.
R. Amen.
Our Father, etc
[When Complin is not said immediately after Vespers, after the verse, Fidelium animae, etc., — May the souls, etc. and Our Father, are said:]
V. Our Lord grant us His peace!
R. And life everlasting. Amen.
[Then is said one of the following anthems, according to the time.]
The Anthem, from the first Sunday of Advent, till the Purification, inclusive.
MOTHER of Jesus! heaven's open gate,
Star of the sea, support the fallen state
Of mortals; thou whose womb thy Maker bore;
And yet, strange thing, a virgin, as before;
Who didst, from Gabriel's hail, this news receive.
Repenting sinners by thy prayers relieve.
In Advent.
THE angel of the Lord declared his message to Mary.
R. And she conceived by the Holy Ghost.
Let us pray.
POUR forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ Thy Son has been made known by the message of an angel, may, by His passion and cross, be brought to the glory of His resurrection; through the same Christ, our Lord.
R. Amen.
From Christmas Day to the Purification.
AFTER child-birth, thou didst remain an inviolate virgin.
R. Mother of God! make intercession for us.
Let us pray.
O GOD! who by the fruitful virginity of the blessed Virgin Mary, hast given to mankind the rewards of eternal salvation; grant, we beseech Thee, that we may be sensible of the benefits of her intercession, by whom we have received the Author of life, our Lord, Jesus Christ, Thy Son.
R. Amen.
From the Purification till Easter.
HAIL, Mary, queen of heavenly spheres!
Hail, whom the angelic host reveres.
Hail, fruitful root, hail, sacred gate!
Whence the world's light derives its date.
O glorious maid, with beauty blessed!
May joys eternal fill thy breast!
Thus crowned with beauty and with joy,
Thy prayers with Christ for us employ.
V. Vouchsafe, O sacred Virgin! to accept my praises.
R. Give me power against thy enemies.
Let us pray.
GRANT us, O merciful God! strength against all our weakness; that we, who celebrate the memory of the holy Mother of God, may by the help of her intercession, rise again from our iniquities: through the same Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
From Easter until Trinity.
O QUEEN of heaven! rejoice, Alleluia; For He whom thou didst deserve to bear, Alleluia.
Is risen again as He said, Alleluia.
Pray for us to God, Alleluia.
V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary! Alleluia.
R. Because our Lord is truly risen. Alleluia.
Let us pray.
O God! who by the resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, hath been pleased to fill the world with joy; grant, we beseech Thee, that by the Virgin Mary, His mother, we may receive the joys of eternal life, through the same Christ, our Lord.
R. Amen.
From Trinity Sunday until Advent.
HAIL, Holy Queen, Mother of mercy! our life, our sweetness, and our hope.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn, then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us.
And after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus:
O clement! O pious! O sweet Virgin Mary!
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God!
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray.
ALMIGHTY and eternal God! who by the cooperation of the Holy Ghost, didst prepare the body and soul of the glorious Virgin Mother, Mary, that she might become a worthy habitation for Thy Son; grant, that as with joy we celebrate her memory, so by her pious intercession we may be delivered from present evils and eternal death: through the same Christ, our Lord.
R. Amen.
V. May the divine assistance remain always with us.
R. Amen.