March 25, 2021 – vespers

monk INTRODUCTION
HYMN—Beata Es Maria
PSALMODY
pope INCENSE PSALM
Ant. Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Psalm 141
O LORD, I call to you; come to me quickly; *
hear my voice when I cry to you.
Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense, *
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Set a watch before my mouth, O LORD,
and guard the door of my lips; *
let not my heart incline to any evil thing.
Let me not be occupied in wickedness with evildoers, *
nor eat of their choice foods.
Let the righteous smite me in friendly rebuke;
let not the oil of the unrighteous anoint my head; *
for my prayer is continually against their wicked deeds.
Let their rulers be overthrown in stony places, *
that they may know my words are true.
As when a plowman turns over the earth in furrows, *
let their bones be scattered at the mouth of the grave.
But my eyes are turned to you, Lord GOD; *
in you I take refuge;
do not strip me of my life.
Protect me from the snare which they have laid for me *
and from the traps of the evildoers.
Let the wicked fall into their own nets, *
while I myself escape.

Glory to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.
Ant. Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Ant. 1. The angel of the Lord brought God’s message to Mary. And she conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 110
The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, *
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
The LORD will send the scepter of your power out of Zion, *
saying, “Rule over your enemies round about you.
Princely state has been yours from the day of your birth; *
in the beauty of holiness have I begotten you,
like dew from the womb of the morning.”
The LORD has sworn and he will not recant: *
“You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”
The Lord who is at your right hand
will smite kings in the day of his wrath; *
he will rule over the nations.
He will heap high the corpses; *
he will smash heads over the wide earth.
He will drink from the brook beside the road; *
therefore he will lift high his head.

Glory to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

Psalm Prayer

God of power and mercy, though your Son’s passion and resurrection you have freed us from the bonds of death and the anguish of separation from you. Be ever with us on our pilgrimage; then we shall sing rather than weep. Keep our feet from stumbling, so that we may be able to follow you until we come to eternal rest.
Ant. 1. The angel of the Lord brought God’s message to Mary. And she conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Ant. 2. Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son, and he will be called the Son of the Most High.
Psalm 130
Out of the depths have I called to you, O LORD;
LORD, hear my voice; *
let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.
If you, LORD, were to note what is done amiss, *
O Lord, who could stand?
For there is forgiveness with you; *
therefore you shall be feared.
I wait for the LORD; my soul waits for him; *
in his word is my hope.
My soul waits for the LORD,
more than watchmen for the morning, *
more than watchmen for the morning.
O Israel, wait for the LORD, *
for with the LORD there is mercy;
With him there is plenteous redemption, *
and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.

Glory to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.
Psalm Prayer
Listen with compassion to our prayers, Lord. The forgiveness of sins is yours. Do not look on the wrong we have done, but grant us your merciful kindness.
Ant. 2. Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son, and he will be called the Son of the Most High.
Ant. 3. I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you have said.
Canticle: Colossians 1:12-20
The Father has delivered us from the dominion of darkness, •
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son;

In whom we have redemption, •
the forgiveness of our sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, •
the firstborn of all creation.

For in him all things were created, •
in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.

All things were created through him and for him, •
he is before all things and in him all things hold together.

He is the head of the body, the Church, •
he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.
In him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell; •
and through him God was pleased to reconcile all things.
Ant. 3. I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you have said.
READING
1 John 1:1-3
He who was from the beginning, whom we have heard, whom we have seen with our eyes, upon whom we have gazed, and whom our hands have certainly touched: He is the Word of Life. And that Life has been made manifest. And we have seen, and we testify, and we announce to you: the Eternal Life, who was with the Father, and who appeared to us. He whom we have seen and heard, we announce to you, so that you, too, may have fellowship with us, and so that our fellowship may be with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
CANTICLE OF MARY
Ant. 4. The angel Gabriel said to Mary in greeting: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women.
Luke 1:46-55
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed.
The Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
In every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
He has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
And has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
For he has remembered the promise of mercy.
The promise he made to our fathers,
To Abraham and his children forever.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning is now, and will be forever, Amen.
Ant. 4. The angel Gabriel said to Mary in greeting: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women.
INTERCESSIONS
On this day the eternal Father sent his angel to bring Mary the good news of our salvation. Let us turn to God and pray with confidence:
Lord, fill our hearts with your love.

You chose the Virgin Mary as the mother of your Son,
– have mercy on all who look for your gift of salvation.
Lord, fill our hearts with your love.

You sent Gabriel to give Mary your message of peace and joy,
– give to the whole world the joy of salvation and your gift of true peace.
Lord, fill our hearts with your love.

Mary gave her consent, the Holy Spirit overshadowed her, and your Word came to dwell among us,
– touch our hearts that we may welcome Christ as Mary did.
Lord, fill our hearts with your love.

You look with love on the humble, and fill the hungry with your gifts,
– raise up the downcast, help all in need, comfort and strengthen the dying.
Lord, fill our hearts with your love.

Lord our God, you alone work wonders and with you all things are possible,
– give us the fullness of salvation when you raise up the dead on the last day.
Lord, fill our hearts with your love.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
(And now let us pray as the Lord told us:)
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 who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Lord our God, help us to prepare for the coming of Christ your Son.
May he find us waiting, eager in joyful prayer.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen
DISMISSAL
May the Lord + bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
– Amen.
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