Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 08-22-07, Mem. Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

USSCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 08-22-07 | New American Bible

[Global2010]

Noon Daily Mass Bump.

[annalex]

Mt 20:1-16
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
1	The kingdom of heaven is like to an householder, who went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.	simile est enim regnum caelorum homini patri familias qui exiit primo mane conducere operarios in vineam suam
2	And having agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.	autem facta cum operariis ex denario diurno misit eos in vineam suam
3	And going out about the third hour, he saw others standing in the marketplace idle.	et egressus circa horam tertiam vidit alios stantes in foro otiosos
4	And he said to them: Go you also into my vineyard, and I will give you what shall be just.	et illis dixit ite et vos in vineam et quod iustum fuerit dabo vobis
5	And they went their way. And again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did in like manner.	illi autem abierunt iterum autem exiit circa sextam et nonam horam et fecit similiter
6	But about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing, and he saith to them: Why stand you here all the day idle?	circa undecimam vero exiit et invenit alios stantes et dicit illis quid hic statis tota die otiosi
7	They say to him: Because no man hath hired us. He saith to them: Go ye also into my vineyard.	dicunt ei quia nemo nos conduxit dicit illis ite et vos in vineam
8	And when evening was come, the lord of the vineyard saith to his steward: Call the labourers and pay them their hire, beginning from the last even to the first.	cum sero autem factum esset dicit dominus vineae procuratori suo voca operarios et redde illis mercedem incipiens a novissimis usque ad primos
9	When therefore they were come that came about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.	cum venissent ergo qui circa undecimam horam venerant acceperunt singulos denarios
10	But when the first also came, they thought that they should receive more: And they also received every man a penny.	venientes autem et primi arbitrati sunt quod plus essent accepturi acceperunt autem et ipsi singulos denarios
11	And receiving it they murmured against the master of the house,	et accipientes murmurabant adversus patrem familias
12	Saying: These last have worked but one hour. and thou hast made them equal to us, that have borne the burden of the day and the heats.	dicentes hii novissimi una hora fecerunt et pares illos nobis fecisti qui portavimus pondus diei et aestus
13	But he answering said to one of them: friend, I do thee no wrong: didst thou not agree with me for a penny?	at ille respondens uni eorum dixit amice non facio tibi iniuriam nonne ex denario convenisti mecum
14	Take what is thine, and go thy way: I will also give to this last even as to thee.	tolle quod tuum est et vade volo autem et huic novissimo dare sicut et tibi
15	Or, is it not lawful for me to do what I will? Is thy eye evil, because I am good?	aut non licet mihi quod volo facere an oculus tuus nequam est quia ego bonus sum
16	So shall the last be first and the first last. For many are called but few chosen.	sic erunt novissimi primi et primi novissimi multi sunt enim vocati pauci autem electi

[annalex]

Maesta

Duccio di Buoninsegna

Conjectural digitized reconstruction (front, by Lew Minter)
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[ELS]

Wow! How beautiful.

[Salvation]

Thanks for stopping by to bump the thread.

Beautiful reflections, no?

[Salvation]

Vultus Christi

 

August 22, 2007

Salve Regina, Mater Misericordiae

Farewell

Today is the last day of the Octave of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We take leave of the great liturgical festivals in much the same way as Jews take leave of the Sabbath, with a sweet sorrow. The Jewish farewell to the Sabbath is called escorting the Queen. Queen Sabbath leaves, escorted to the door by devout hearts and leaving behind her unmistakable fragrance.

The Need for Octaves

Our Catholic liturgical tradition of the Octave respects one of the human heart’s deepest needs; the need to prolong the feast, the need to linger in the presence of the loved one, savouring every moment and storing up precious memories. For those who enter into the great liturgical festivals of the year there is an unwillingness to let them go, even after eight days. The Church has always honoured the need to prepare, to celebrate, and to prolong her solemnities. The custom of fasting before a feast is a way of making room in one’s soul for the graces flowing from the mystery commemorated. The custom of lingering over the same mystery for eight days is a way of assimilating those graces.

Pius XII

The Octave Day of the Assumption has been celebrated in various ways. In 1944, in the midst of the Second World War, Pope Pius XII entrusted the whole world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He decreed that the feast of her Immaculate Heart would be celebrated on August 22nd, the Octave of the Assumption. The same Pope Pius XII, in his encyclical of October 11, 1954, instituted the feast of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary on May 31st.

The Octave Day of the Assumption

With the revision of the Roman Calendar in 1969, the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was moved from the Octave Day of the Assumption to the Saturday after the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The feast of the Queenship of Mary was moved from May 31st to the Octave Day of the Assumption, and May 31st became the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Writing in 1974, Pope Paul VI explained the reason for this adjustment:

The solemnity of the Assumption is continued into the celebration of the Queenship of Mary on the Octave Day. She who is enthroned next to the King of ages is contemplated as the radiant Queen and interceding Mother.

Pope Paul VI, writing in 1974, after the 1969 reform of the calendar, deliberately refers to the Octave Day of the Assumption. It would seem that he never intended the suppression of the Octave of the Assumption. Just as in the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary follows the Assumption, so too does the feast of the Queenship of Mary on August 22nd complete and crown the celebration of her Assumption on August 15th.

The Collect

The Collect for today’s feast calls Mary “our Mother and our Queen.” It echoes the language of the Salve Regina: "Hail, O Queen, Mother of mercy." Mary’s participation in her Son’s work of redemption surpasses that of every other creature. Being the Mother of the Redeemer, she entered at the foot of the Cross into the bloody sacrifice of the Fruit of her womb, offering Him and offering herself with Him.

Coredemptrix

Mary is the Coredemptrix not because of any deficiency in the redemption wrought by Christ, but because the Father willed that it should be so. This was the Father’s design from all eternity: that Mary, the New Eve, should enter fully into the saving work of the New Adam; that with Him she should become "obedient unto death on the Cross" (Phil 2:8); and that with Him she should be exalted forever in glory (cf. Phil 2:9).

Mediatrix of All Graces

Mary is the Mediatrix of All Graces because the Father willed that His Son should be “born of a woman” (Gal 4:4). The Father has given us all things in His Son. Saint Paul writes to the Romans, saying: “He that spared not even His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how hath He not also, with Him, given us all things?” (Rom 8:32). “And of His fullness we all have received, and grace for grace” (Jn 1:16).

Everything is given us in Christ. Christ is given us through Mary. Everything, then, is given us in Christ through Mary. Jesuit poet Gerard Manley Hopkins put it this way: “(Mary) mothers each new grace / That does now reach our race.”

The maternal role of Mary did not come to an end after the birth and childhood of her Son. Her participation in His divine mission grew and unfolded day by day, until on the day He suffered, she heard Him say from the Cross, “Woman, behold thy Son” (Jn 19:26). In that hour Mary became the mother of the Beloved Disciple and of every disciple until the end of time; and in that hour Our Lord provided her with the means to exercise her universal maternity freely and lavishly on behalf of all her children. This is the divine logic of her universal mediation. In his homily for the canonization of Saint Anthony of Saint Anne Galvão in Brazil last May 11th, Pope Benedict XVI pronounced one of the clearest statements ever made by the Popes on Mary as Mediatrix of All Graces. This is what the Holy Father said: “There is no fruit of grace in the history of salvation that does not have as its necessary instrument the mediation of Our Lady.”

Continue reading "Salve Regina, Mater Misericordiae" »

Posted by Father Mark on August 22, 2007 10:33 PM

[Salvation]

Continued -- Salve Regina, Mater Misericordiae

Sovereign Lady and Queen

We, by calling Mary our Sovereign Lady and our Queen, confess her unique participation in the work of Christ our Sovereign Lord and our King, and acknowledge that her singular role as Coredemptrix and Mediatrix will continue until the end of time. What precisely is that role?

Queen Omnipotent in Her Supplication

Look for a moment at the Preface of today’s Mass (Preface 39, Collectio Missarum de BVM, p. 153). Echoing the invocation, O Clemens, of the Salve Regina, the Preface calls her the Queen of clemency. Our Lady obtains pardon and mercy even for those who are undeserving of it. She pleads the cause of sinners before the Throne of Grace. She is omnipotent in her supplication; that is to say that God can refuse her nothing.

Mary is drawn to those who have most need of her. She places her all–powerful supplication at the service of the least of her children. She intercedes for those who have forgotten how to pray and for those who dare not pray. She prays, as Julian Green would say, for chaque homme dans sa nuit, for each man in his night.

Mater Misericordiae

Again drawing on the Salve Regina, the Preface calls her the Mother of Mercy. There is not a single moment of the day or night when Mary is not wholly attentive to each of her children in this valley of tears. She is the Mother who keeps a tireless vigil over the whole world. She is present to every single soul redeemed by the Blood of her Son. You need do nothing to get her attention; you already have it. You have only to lift your eyes to her radiance and pronounce her name.

Ministra Pietatis

Finally the Preface uses a remarkable expression in Latin. It calls Mary the Father’s ministra pietatis. She is the minister of God’s faithful tender love for each of us. She administers that love whenever and wherever it is needed. Our Lady is charged by God with dispensing the graces of his lovingkindness. Ministra pietatis: this particular title evokes the mystery of the Blessed Virgin’s universal mediation of graces. The graces of the Heart of Jesus are administered by her maternal hands.

Our Life, Our Sweetness, and Our Hope

She who was assumed body and soul into heaven remains present and attentive to all of us and to each of us as Mother and as Queen. She is our life, our sweetness, and our hope because God has so willed it.

By honouring Mary as Mother and as Queen we honour the infinite wisdom of God. By acknowledging her as Coredemptrix and Mediatrix of all graces, we say “Yes” to the inscrutable designs of God and gain for ourselves the advocacy of one who is omnipotent in her supplications on our behalf.

Posted by Father Mark on August 22, 2007 10:33 PM | Permalink

[Salvation]

Vultus Christi

August 23, 2007

Blessing of Herbs and Flowers

This morning at the Monastery of the Glorious Cross we had the Blessing of Herbs and Flowers to mark the Octave Day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Christians of both East and West have, from very early times, blessed herbs and fruit on the Feast of the Assumption. Thus blessed, these creatures become sacramentals of the Church and portents of divine protection from dangers to soul and body. In some places the herbs were placed on the altar, and even beneath the altar linens, so that from this proximity to the Most Holy Eucharist they might receive a special hallowing, beyond that conferred by the blessing prayers of the Church.

The prayers of the rite suggest that this custom of the Church hearkens back to the ancient customs ordained by God through Moses. According to Christian tradition, when the Apostles accompanied Saint Thomas, who had been absent at the time of the Blessed Virgin's death, to her tomb, upon opening it they discovered that her body was not there. Instead, they found the tomb filled with fragrant herbs and flowers. Blessed herbs recall the lingering fragrance of the virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Church.

I regret that I was not able to take photos of the rite of blessing. Sister Elfriede had prepared a table covered with a white linen cloth. I brought my own basket containing spearmint, lavender, oregano, sage, thyme, and black-eyed susans. We used the rite given by my boyhood mentor, Father Philip T. Weller, in his magnificent Roman Ritual. Father Weller's three volume edition of the Roman Ritual was recently reprinted and is now available from Preserving Christian Publications.

Blessing of Herbs and Flowers in Honour of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

After the Asperges if it is a Sunday, otherwise immediately before Mass, the priest, standing before the altar and facing the people who hold the sheaves of new grain, garden vegetables, flowers and new herbs and the finest fruits of their orchards in their hands, says in a clear voice:

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord. All: Who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 64

P: To you we owe our hymn of praise, O God, in Sion; to you must vows be fulfilled, you who hear prayers. All: To you all flesh must come* because of wicked deeds. P: We are overcome by our sins; * it is you who pardon them. All: Happy the man you choose, * and bring to dwell in your courts. P: May we be filled with the good things of your house, * the holy things of your temple. All: With awe-inspiring deeds of justice you answer us, * O God our Savior, P: The hope of all the ends of the earth * and of the distant seas. All: You set the mountains in place by your power, * you who are girt with might; P: You still the roaring of the seas, * the roaring of their waves and the tumult of the peoples. All: And the dwellers at the earth's ends are in fear at your marvels; * the farthest east and west you make resound with joy. P: You have visited the land and watered it; * greatly have you enriched it. All: God's watercourses are filled; you have prepared the grain. * Thus have you prepared the land: P: Drenching its furrows, * breaking up its clods, All: Softening it with showers, * blessing its yield. P: You have crowned the year with your bounty, * and your paths overflow with a rich harvest; All: The untilled meadows overflow with it, * and rejoicing clothes the hills. P: The fields are garmented with flocks and the valleys blanketed with grain. * They shout and sing for joy. All: Glory be to the Father. P: As it was in the beginning.

P: The Lord will be gracious. All: And our land will bring forth its fruit. P: You water the mountains from the clouds. All: The earth is replenished from your rains. P: Giving grass for cattle. All: And plants for the benefit of man. P: You bring wheat from the earth. All: And wine to cheer man's heart. P: Oil to make his face lustrous. All: And bread to strengthen his heart. P: He utters a command and heals their suffering. All: And snatches them from distressing want. P: O Lord, hear my prayer. All: And let my cry come unto you. P: The Lord be with you. All: And with your spirit.

Let us pray. Almighty everlasting God, who by your word alone brought into being the heavens, earth, sea, things seen and things unseen, and garnished the earth with plants and trees for the use of man and beast; who appointed each species to bring forth fruit in its kind, not only for the food of living creatures, but for the healing of sick bodies as well; with mind and word we urgently call on you in your great kindness to bless + these various herbs and fruits, thus increasing their natural powers with the newly given grace of your blessing. May they keep away disease and adversity from men and beasts who use them in your name; through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.

Let us pray. God, who through Moses, your servant, directed the children of Israel to carry their sheaves of new grain to the priests for a blessing, to pluck the finest fruits of the orchard, and to make merry before you, the Lord their God; hear our supplications, and shower blessings + in abundance upon us and upon these bundles of new grain, new herbs, and this assortment of produce which we gratefully present to you on this festival, blessing + them in your name. Grant that men, cattle, flocks, and beasts of burden find in them a remedy against sickness, pestilence, sores, injuries, spells, against the fangs of serpents or poisonous creatures. May these blessed objects be a protection against diabolical mockery, cunning, and deception wherever they are kept, carried, or otherwise used. Lastly, through the merits of the blessed Virgin Mary, whose Assumption we are celebrating, may we all, laden with the sheaves of good works, deserve to be taken up to heaven; through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.

Let us pray. God, who on this day raised up to highest heaven the rod of Jesse, the Mother of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, that by her prayers and patronage you might communicate to our mortal nature the fruit of her womb, your very Son; we humbly implore you to help us use these fruits of the soil for our temporal and everlasting welfare, aided by the power of your Son and the prayers of His glorious Mother; through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.

And may the blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, + and Holy Spirit, come upon these creatures and remain always. All: Amen.

They are sprinkled with holy water and incensed.

Posted by Father Mark on August 23, 2007 4:03 AM | Permalink

[Salvation]

Vespers -- Evening Prayer

Vespers (Evening Prayer)

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
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. Alleluia.

---

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 138 (139)

The Lord knows all things

Lord, you have examined me, you know me:
 you know when I sit down and when I rise.
From far away you know my thoughts:
 you know every step I take,
 when I walk, when I lie down:
 you have seen all that I do.
Before a word even reaches my lips,
 you know, Lord, all that I will say.

You are close in front of me and close behind me:
 you have laid your hand upon me.
Your knowledge is beyond my understanding:
 it is too high, I cannot reach it.

Where shall I go, to escape your spirit?
 Where shall I go, to flee your face?
If I rise to the heavens, you are there.
 If I sink to the depths, you are there.
If I put on the wings of the dawn itself –
 if I make my abode beyond the farthest sea –
 it is still your hand that will lead me there,
 it is still your right hand that will hold me.
If I say “May the shadows cover me:
 let there be no light around me” –
the shadows will not hide me from you,
 and the night will shine like the day:
for shadows and light are the same to you.

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.

---

Psalm 138 (139)

For you created my innermost being
 as you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I will praise you, for you made me so wonderfully:
 so wonderful are your works,
 so perfect your knowledge.

Even my bones were not hidden from you
 as I was being created in secret,
 put together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw me before ever I was completed.
 All my days were written in your book
 before any of them came into being.
Your thoughts, O God, are precious to me:
 precious above all things and too many to count.
If I try to count them, they are more than the sand:
 if I come to an end, still I am with you.

Look into me, God, and know my heart:
 examine me and know my paths.
See if I am wandering on ways that lead nowhere,
 and set my feet on the path to eternity.

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.

---

Canticle	(Colossians 1)
Christ, firstborn of all creatures and firstborn from the dead
Let us give thanks to God the Father, who has made us worthy to share in the light that is the saints’ inheritance. He has rescued us from the power of the shadows and brought us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption and the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation, for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, thrones and dominations, principalities and powers. All things were created through him and for him: he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the Church. He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, and so he is pre-eminent above all. For it was the Father’s will that the fullness of God should dwell in him, and that through him all things should be reconciled to himself. Through the blood of the Cross he brought peace to all things, both on Earth and in the heavens. 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.

---

Short reading	1 John 2:3 - 6 ©
We can be sure that we know God only by keeping his commandments. Anyone who says, ’I know him’, and does not keep his commandments, is a liar, refusing to admit the truth. But when anyone does obey what he has said, God’s love comes to perfection in him. We can be sure that we are in God only when the one who claims to be living in him is living the same kind of life as Christ lived.

---

Canticle	Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,  and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation. For he has shown me such favour –  me, his lowly handmaiden. Now all generations will call me blessed,  because the mighty one has done great things for me. His name is holy,  his mercy lasts for generation after generation  for those who revere him. He has put forth his strength:  he has scattered the proud and conceited,  torn princes from their thrones;  but lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things;  the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel,  he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers,  to Abraham and his children for ever. 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.

---

Prayers and Intercessions

?

Let us acclaim the eternal Father, whose compassion for his people is too great to be measured: - Lord, may all who hope in you rejoice. Lord, you sent your Son into this world not to judge the world but so that it should be saved by him: may his glorious death bear abundant fruit in us. You have made your priests ministers of Christ and celebrants of his sacred mysteries: give them the gifts of faithfulness, knowledge and love. May those whom you have called to chastity for the sake of your kingdom follow your Son fearlessly and with faith. From the beginning you created mankind male and female: give all families a true and enduring love. Through Christ’s sacrifice you took away the sins of mankind: grant remission of sins to all those who have died.

Our Father, who art in Heaven,
 hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
 thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
 and forgive us our trespasses
 as we forgive those that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
 but deliver us from evil.

Remember, Lord, your mercy and loving kindness.
 As you fill the hungry with the good things of heaven,
 so relieve our poverty with your abundant riches.

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.
Amen.

---

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

A M E N

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Wednesday, August 22, 2007 Meditation Matthew 20:1-16 It’s easy to get distracted by the pay issue in this parable: one denarius, one day’s pay at minimum wage. The master wasn’t paying lavishly, but he was paying fairly—at least those he hired first. And they were grumbling about pay they’d agreed to. So it’s easy to view those first laborers as small-minded and petty, and the ones hired late in the day as lucky. But what if the payment had been more? What if it had been all the riches of heaven? Oh, then we wouldn’t be judging the workers’ reactions. We’d be asking: “Where do I sign up?” Early, late, all such considerations would fade in the light of that kind of pay. So consider the offer. Here’s the pay God is offering us: mercy (1 Peter 1:3), grace (Ephesians 2:7), wisdom (Romans 11:33), understanding (Colossians 2:2-3), all his glory (Romans 9:23), all the resources of Christ (Ephesians 3:8). That’s a fabulous offer! Nothing in this world can touch it. And the thing is, payday is today, tomorrow, every day. Many things can delay us from presenting ourselves to the Lord: “I have purchased a field [or started a new business venture]”; “I have purchased five yoke of oxen [or a new car that I have to pay off]”; “I have just married [or graduated or been incarcerated or hospitalized]” (Luke 14:18-20). We can be so full of excuses and even good reasons, but still, the Master’s question sounds clearly: “Why do you stand here idle all day?” (Matthew 20:6). God has a plan for our lives right now. He knows our circumstances, obligations, abilities, and shortcomings. And he has something for us to do, right now while it is still today—something productive, rewarding, adventurous, compelling, and fulfilling. Something that doesn’t depend wholly on our ability, because his grace is sufficient for us, and his power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). For our part, we need to be ready when the Master calls. Are you listening? Are you making yourself available to be “hired?” Will you go to work right now? “Father, here I am today, ready to serve you. I am willing to put aside my agenda to fulfill yours. My ears and my heart are open. Help me to hear your voice.” Judges 9:6-15; Psalm 21:2-7

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

<< Wednesday, August 22, 2007 >>

Queenship of Mary

Judges 9:6-15

Psalm 21

Matthew 20:1-16

View Readings  

IT'S A MUST

"Must I give up my...?" —Judges 9:9, 11, 13

 

I read today's Scripture readings during Mass. Then I reflected on them throughout the workday, hoping to hear what words the Lord would want me to write in this teaching. After I "worked a full day" (Mt 20:12) and cooked supper for my family, I was tired and lay down to rest. My body was weary, but the Scriptures reverberated in my mind. I asked the Lord, "Must I give up my rest to teach Your people?" (cf Jgs 9:9) "Yes," He replied.

Not wanting to get up, my body lay still, but the image of Jesus and the Father came to mind. I pictured the Father and Jesus looking down on the people of the earth and observing our wretchedness. What if the Father said: "Must I give up My only Son to save people who will reject Him, mock Him, and crucify Him?" What if Jesus said to the Father, "Must I give up this bliss with You here in heaven to go to earth and suffer in agony for those who would kill Me?" Then the Father and the Son looked at each other. Filled to overflowing with love for us, they said: "Yes."

What questions do you find yourself asking the Lord? Must I give up food at times to defeat Satan? (Mt 17:21, NAB) Must I give up sex and money to be a priest? Must I give up my career to stay at home with the kids? Must I give up my weekend to visit the sick and imprisoned? (Mt 25:36) Must I give up all to serve You? (Lk 9:23) And the Lord replies: "Yes" (see 2 Cor 1:19).

 

Prayer: Father, I beg You to send out willing leaders and laborers to gather Your harvest. "Here I am...send me!" (Is 6:8)

Promise: "You have granted him his heart's desire; you refused not the wish of his lips." —Ps 21:3

Praise: Blessed be Mary who gave up everything, including her Beloved only Son, and said "yes" to her God (Lk 1:38).

[Salvation]

Compline -- Night Prayer

Compline (Night Prayer)

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
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. Alleluia.

---

This is an excellent moment for an examination of conscience. In a communal celebration of Compline, one of the penitential acts given in the Missal may be recited.

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

---

Psalm 30 (31)

Trustful prayer in time of adversity

O God, protect me; be my refuge.

In you, Lord, I put my trust: may I never be put to shame.
 In your justice, set me free,
Turn your ear to me,
 make haste to rescue me.
Be my rampart, my fortification;
 keep me safe.

For you are my strength and my refuge:
 you will lead me out to the pastures,
 for your own name’s sake.
You will lead me out of the trap that they laid for me –
 for you are my strength.

Into your hands I commend my spirit:
 you have redeemed me, Lord God of truth.

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.

O God, protect me; be my refuge.

---

Psalm 129 (130)

Out of the depths

Out of the depths I have cried to you, Lord.

Out of the depths I have cried to you, Lord: Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears listen out for the voice of my pleading.

If you took notice of our transgressions, Lord – Lord, who would be left?
But with you is forgiveness, and for this we revere you.
I rely on you, Lord, my spirit relies on your promise;
my soul hopes in the Lord, more than the watchman for daybreak.

More than the watchman for daybreak, let Israel hope in the Lord:
for with the Lord there is kindness and abundant redemption.
He himself will redeem Israel from all its transgressions.

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.

Out of the depths I have cried to you, Lord.

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Reading	Ephesians 4:26-27
Be angry if you must, but do not sin: do not let your anger outlast the sunset: do not give the Devil his chance.

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Short Responsory	?
Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. - Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. You have redeemed us, Lord, God of faithfulness. - Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. - Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

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Canticle	Nunc Dimittis
Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace.
Now, Master, you let your servant go in peace.  You have fulfilled your promise. My own eyes have seen your salvation,  which you have prepared in the sight of all peoples. A light to bring the Gentiles from darkness;  the glory of your people Israel. 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.
Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace.

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Prayer
Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, you lay a gentle yoke upon those who follow you. Meek and humble, you give them a light burden to carry. Receive the work and the prayers we have offered to you today; and give us rest, to make us more eager to serve you, who live and reign for ever and ever, Amen.

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May the almighty Lord grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.

A M E N

An antiphon to Our Lady should be recited here.

[Ciexyz]

Impressive statue of the Virgin Mary in post #26. Quite ethereal, with her eyes on heaven.

[Ciexyz]

I offer up the thanksgiving of praise to the Lord for a good medical report. I'm doctoring, while walking with the Lord and praising Him for His loving kindness.