MONDAY Vespers

God, come to my assistance
Lord, make haste to help me
Your help, propitious Mother, lend us
And from the dreadful foe defend us.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Byzantine Prokimen Vespers
The Lord will hear me when I shall cry out to Him. When I have cried out, the God of
justice brought me relief.

God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
God, cleanse me of my sins and have mercy on me.
I have sinned without number, forgive me, O Lord.

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 vale 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 Loving, O Sweet Virgin Mary, pray for us O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. You are all beautiful, O Mary; in you there is no trace of original sin.

Psalm 136
Praise the Lord, for he is good:
for his mercy endures for ever.

Praise the God of gods:
for his mercy endures for ever.

Praise the Lord of lords:
for his mercy endures for ever.

Who alone does great wonders:
for his mercy endures for ever.

Who made the heavens in understanding:
for his mercy endures for ever.

Who established the earth above the waters:
for his mercy endures for ever.

Who made the great lights:
for his mercy endures for ever.

The sun to rule the day:
for his mercy endures for ever.

The moon and the stars to rule the night:
for his mercy endures for ever.

The Most High has made his dwelling place a holy temple.

Who smote Egypt with their firstborn:
for his mercy endures for ever.

Who brought out Israel from among them:
for his mercy endures for ever.

With a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm:
for his mercy endures for ever.

Who divided the Red Sea into parts:
for his mercy endures for ever.

And brought out Israel through the midst thereof:
for his mercy endures for ever.

And overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea:
for his mercy endures for ever.

Who led his people through the desert:
for his mercy endures for ever.

Who smote great kings:
for his mercy endures for ever.

And slew strong kings:
for his mercy endures for ever.

Sihon king of the Amorites:
for his mercy endures for ever.

And Og king of Bashan:
for his mercy endures for ever.

And he gave their land for an inheritance:
for his mercy endures for ever.

For an inheritance to his servant Israel:
for his mercy endures for ever.

For he was mindful of us in our affliction:
for his mercy endures for ever.

And he redeemed us from our enemies:
for his mercy endures for ever.

Who gives food to all flesh:
for his mercy endures for ever.

Give glory to the God of heaven:
for his mercy endures for ever.

Give glory to the Lord of lords:
for his mercy endures for ever.



Glorious things are said of you, O Virgin Mary.

Ephesians 1
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with spiritual blessings in heavenly places, in Christ: As he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and unspotted in his sight in charity. Who has predestinated us unto the adoption of children through Jesus Christ unto himself: according to the purpose of his will: Unto the praise of the glory of his grace, in which he has graced us in his beloved son. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the remission of sins, according to the riches of his grace, Which has superabounded in us in all wisdom and prudence, That he might make known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he has purposed in him, In the dispensation of the fullness of times, to re-establish all things in Christ, that are in heaven and on earth, in him.


Ephesians 5
Christ also loved the church, and delivered himself up for it: That he might sanctify it, cleansing it by the laver of water in the word of life: That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish.

St. Cyril of Alexandria
Mary, Mother of God, we salute you. Precious vessel, worthy of the whole world's reverence, you are an ever shining light, the crown of virginity, the symbol of orthodoxy, and indestructible temple, the place that held him whom no place can contain, mother and virgin. Because of you the holy gospels could say: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

We salute you, for in your holy womb he, who is beyond all limitation, was confined. Because of you the holy Trinity is glorified and adored; the cross is called precious and is venerated throughout the world; the heavens exult; the angels and archangels make merry; demons are put to flight; the devil, that tempter, is thrust down from heaven; the fallen race of man is taken up on high; all creatures possessed by the madness of idolatry have attained knowledge of the truth; believers receive holy baptism; the oil of gladness is poured out; the Church is established throughout the world; pagans are brought to repentance. What more is there to say? Because of you the light of the only-begotten Son of God has shone upon those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death; prophets pronounced the word of God; the apostles preached salvation to the Gentiles; the dead are raised to life, and kings rule by the power of the holy Trinity.

Angel's prayer at Fatima
I shall glorify you, Lord, for you have rescued me
You have not let my enemies rejoice over me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever.

I shall glorify you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
Most Holy Trinity--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--I adore Thee profoundly.

I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences whereby He is offended. And through the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.

St. Alphonsus
O Queen of Heaven, I, who was once a miserable slave of Lucifer, now dedicate myself to you, to be your servant forever; I offer myself to honor you, and serve you during my whole life; do accept me, and refuse me not, as I should deserve. O my Mother, in you have I placed all my hopes, from you do I expect every grace. I bless and thank God, who in his mercy has given me this confidence in you, which I consider a pledge of my salvation. Alas, miserable wretch that I am, I have hitherto fallen, because I have not had recourse to you. I now hope that, through the merits of Jesus Christ and your prayers, I have obtained pardon. But I may again lose divine grace; the danger is not past. My enemies do not sleep. How many new temptations have I still to conquer! Ah, my most sweet Lady, protect me, and permit me not again to become their slave: help me at all times. I know that you will help me, and that with your help I shall conquer, if I recommend myself to you; but this is what I fear--I fear that in time of danger I may neglect to call upon you, and thus be lost. I ask you, then, for this grace; obtain that, in the assaults of hell, I may always have recourse to you, saying, Mary, help me. My Mother, permit me not to lose my God.

The Magnificat
My soul now magnifies the Lord.
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
Because he has regarded the humility of his handmaid;
for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
Because he that is mighty, has done great things to me;
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him.
He has shown might in his arm:
he has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has put down the mighty from their seat,
and has exalted the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich he has sent empty away.
He has received Israel his servant,
being mindful of his mercy:
As he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his seed for ever.

Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, alleluia.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Mary, full of grace, intercede for us.
May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

Hail, wonderful dial Ezechias of old
Beheld when the prophet His destiny told;
The Word, That incarnate in you did become,
Receded, descending to man's lowly home.
Nine choirs He passed of superior powers,
To take up the tenth in this nature of ours.
The beams of this sun Are the light of your face,
And you the aurora Preceding his race.
The serpent that lurks In night's desperate gloom .
You crushed, and caused, All beauties
to bloom.

I have caused a never-fading light to rise in heaven;
And like a luminous veil have spread it over the earth.