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SERVICE OF LIGHT
Greeting/Invocation
We light the Evening Candle and say or sing:
Light and Peace in Jesus Christ our Lord!
~Thanks be to God!
My soul sings praise to Adonai
~my spirit dances in God my Savior!
EVENING HYMN for MARY
Star of steady guidance, safe and welcome haven,
with our song we greet you, God’s own Virgin Mother.
Gabriel’s great greeting now our salutation
Changes “Eve” to “Ave” Hail, our Virgin Mother!
Health with peace and pardon Gain for us from Jesus;
Prove your reputation: show yourself our Mother!
Sing with us now glory To the Word and Abba
And the Spirit binding all together as one. Amen!
Ave Maris Stella, transl. St. Meinrad, 1967
SERVICE OF THE WORD
PSALMODY
Antiphon
May your birthday, O Holy Mary,
bring us happiness and peace, Alleluia!
Psalm 102/103a
My soul, give thanks to Adonai,
all my being, bless the Holy Name.
My soul, give thanks to Adonai
and never forget all these blessings.
Bless God, who forgives all your sin,
who heals every one of your ills,
who snatches you free from death,
who enfolds you with tender compassion
who fills your life with goodness
and gives you the strength of an eagle.
Adonai does deeds of justice
and defends the poor and oppressed;
Teaches God’s ways to Moses
and God’s deeds to the children of Israel.
Adonai is compassion and love,
patient and rich in mercy.
God will not accuse us for long,
nor bring our sins to trial,
nor exact from us in kind
nor give us what our sins deserve.
As high as the heavens are above the Earth,
so great is God’s love for those who trust.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far does God remove our sins.
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
And to the BREATH of Love;
as always before,
so now and evermore. Amen.
May your birthday, O Holy Mary,
bring us happiness and peace, Alleluia!
Reading MICAH 5: 1-4
Thus says ADONAI:
You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah,
too small to be among the clans of Judah,
From you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel;
Whose origin is from of old,
from ancient times.
(Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time
when she who is to give birth has borne,
And the rest of his brethren shall return
to the children of Israel.)
He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock
by the strength of ADONAI,
in the majestic name of ADONAI, his God;
And they shall remain, for now his greatness
shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace.
Silent Prayer
Responsory
R. This day brought forth the Holy One, the Mother of the Savior. She is *the Throne of Wisdom, the Ark of the Covenant, the most blessed of all women. V. We celebrate your birthday O Holy Mother of God. *The Throne of Wisdom, the Ark of the Covenant, the most blessed of all women. V. Glory to the Abba and the Word and the Holy Breath of Love.
Gospel Canticle of Mary
Antiphon
She comes forth as the morning rising,
fair as the moon and bright as the sun.
It is customary to make the sign of the cross at the beginning of the Gospel Canticle.
My heart + is radiant with the Lord,
My whole being delights in God my Savior.
All people now will call me blessed
For God has loved this humble handmaid.
The Almighty has shown me great favor
Holy is the NAME,
Whose mercy embraces the faithful,
From one generation to the next.
The mighty arm of God,
Scatters the proud in their own conceit,
Pulls tyrants from their thrones
While lifting up the lowly:
Fills the famished with bounty,
And reveals the emptiness of riches.
Rescues lowly Israel,
Sharing such loving kindness,
As promised to our ancestors
To Abraham and Sarah, and their descendants forever.
Glory to the ONE and to WORD
And to the BREATH of Love!
As always before,
so now and evermore. Amen
She comes forth as the morning rising,
fair as the moon and bright as the sun.
SERVICE OF PRAYER
Litany of Intercession
Incarnate Word of God and Son of Mary of Nazareth,
~In your compassion, hear our prayer.
Gabriel brought the invitation to Mary;
~ give us her courage to say “Let your will be done.”
She conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit;
~may your Spirit make us bearers of the Word.
You and your parents were migrants and refugees from violence;
~may we welcome those who flee poverty and war.
Simeon and Anna recognized you in the temple and foretold the suffering your love would entail; ~help us to recognize you in others and comfort those whose hearts are pierced with sorrow.
You shared and entrusted your Mother to the Beloved disciple; ~may we include all who suffer loss in our circle of prayer and concern.
You lifted your mother from the sleep of death to the endless joy of heaven; ~may those loving arms that draw all people to yourself surround those who grieve with consolation and peace.
Prayer of Jesus
Our Father …
Closing Prayer & Blessing
Gracious God, you showed great favor to Mary of Nazareth and asked her to bring your eternal Word into the world. May we follow her example and carry your liberating word into a world that still longs for the poor to be lifted up, and the hungry to be filled with good things. May all who have celebrated her birth this day work together for the freedom and flourishing of all people and the whole of creation. We ask this through Jesus, the Incarnate Word, who lives and loves with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen
Blessing
May the Word of God, born of Mary of Nazareth, bless us with her courage and strength. ~Amen.
Let us bless Adonai.
~Thanks be to God.
Those who wish may end evening prayer with the Marian Antiphon.
Marian Antiphon
Mother of mercy, our Queen, we greet you! Our life, our hope, our happiness, we hail you.
We call to you as Eve’s own children, and exiles; To you we lift our heart in sorrow and fear, in this valley of tears. Turn then, our loving Advocate, and look with favor upon us. And after our life in exile, show us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus. O gracious, O loving, O Virgin benign, our Mother Mary.
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God;
~ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray. God of Love and Compassion, you considered the humility and strength of the Blessed Virgin Mary and invited her to give flesh to your Eternal Word, to accompany him in his ministry and stand beside him in his death. As we celebrate the feast of her Birth, join our prayers to hers for the needs of all, especially those who are sick or in the hour of death. – Amen.