Prayerbook, Prayers for all occasions, Little Office-FRIDAY Morning

The Morning Prayer is suggested as you start your day and begins with the verse "God, come to my assistance. Lord make haste to help me." The elements or outline of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary shown below, are provided to help with the recitation of prayers for both the Morning and Evening Prayers. The Evening Prayer concludes with the recitation of "May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

Morning Prayer		Evening Prayer
Introduction		Introduction
Verse		Verse
Doxology		Doxology
Hymn		Hymn
Psalmody		Psalmody
Antiphon 1		Antiphon 1
Psalm		Psalm
Antiphon 2		Antiphon 2
OT Canticle		Psalm
Antiphon 3		Antiphon 3
Psalm		NT Canticle
1st Reading		1st Reading
2nd Reading		2nd Reading
Responsory		Responsory
Antiphon 4		Antiphon 4
Zechariah's Canticle		Mary's Canticle
Intercessions		Intercessions
Concluding Prayer		Concluding Prayer
Conclusion		Conclusion

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.

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness. In your compassion blot out my offense. 0 wash me more and more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin.

My offenses truly I know them; my sin is always before me. Against you, you alone, have I sinned; what is evil in your sight I have done.

That you may be justified when you give sentence and be without reproach when you judge. 0 see, in guilt I was born, a sinner was I conceived.

Indeed you love truth in the heart; then in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom. O purify me, then I shall be clean; O wash me, I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me hear rejoicing and gladness, that the bones you have crushed may revive. From my sins turn away your face and blot out all my guilt.

A pure heart create for me, 0 God, put a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, nor deprive me of your holy spirit.

Give me again the joy of your help; with a spirit of fervor sustain me, that I may teach transgressors your ways and sinners may return to you.

O rescue me, God, my helper, and my tongue shall ring out your goodness. O Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall declare your praise.

For in sacrifice you take no delight, burnt offering from me you would refuse, my sacrifice, a contrite spirit. A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.

In your goodness, show favor to Zion; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will be pleased with lawful sacrifice, holocausts offered on your altar.

O Jerusalem, holy city, he scourged you for the works of your hands, but will again pity the children of the righteous.

Praise the Lord for his goodness, and bless the King of the ages, so that his tent may be rebuilt in you with joy.

May he gladden within you all who were captives; all who were ravaged may he cherish within you for all generations to come.

A bright light will shine to all parts of the earth; many nations shall come to you from afar, and the inhabitants of all the limits of the earth, drawn to you by the name of the Lord God, bearing in their hands their gifts for the King of heaven.

Every generation shall give joyful praise in you, and shall call you the chosen one, through all ages forever.

Go, then, rejoice over the children of the righteous, who shall be gathered together and shall bless the Lord of the ages.

Happy are all the men who shall grieve over you, over all your chastisements, for they shall rejoice in you as they behold all your joy forever.

It has pleased the Father to reconcile all creation in himself through the blood of Christ.

He has strengthened the bars of your gates, he has blessed the children within you. He established peace on your borders, he feeds you with finest wheat.

He sends out his word to the earth and swiftly runs his command. He showers down snow white as wool, he scatters hoar-frost like ashes.

He hurls down hailstones like crumbs. The waters are frozen at his touch; he sends forth his word and it melts them: at the breath of his mouth the waters flow.

He makes his word known to Jacob, to Israel his laws and decrees. He has not dealt thus with other nations; he has not taught them his decrees.

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church, of which I am a minister in accordance with God�s stewardship given to me to bring to completion for you the word of God.

While Mary contemplated all she had come to know through reading, listening and observing, she grew in faith, increased in merits, and was more illuminated by wisdom and more consumed by the fire of charity. The heavenly mysteries were opened to her, and she was filled with joy; she became fruitful by the Spirit, was being directed toward God, and watched over protectively while on earth.

So remarkable are the divine graces that they elevate one from the lowest depths to the highest summit, and transform one to a greater holiness. How entirely blessed was the mind of the Virgin which, through the indwelling and guidance of the Spirit, was always and in every way open to the power of the Word of God. She was not led by her own senses, nor by her own will; thus she accomplished outwardly through her body what wisdom from within gave to her faith.

It was fitting for divine Wisdom, which created itself a home in the Church, to use the intervention of the most blessed Mary in guarding the law, purifying the mind, giving an example of humility and providing a spiritual sacrifice.

Imitate her, 0 faithful soul. Enter into the deep recesses of your heart so that you may be purified spiritually and cleansed from your sins. God places more value on good will in all we do than on the works themselves.

Therefore, whether we give ourselves to God in the work of contemplation or whether we serve the needs of our neighbor by good works, we accomplish these things because the love of Christ urges us on. The acceptable offering of the spiritual purification is accomplished not in a man-made temple but in the recesses of the heart where the Lord Jesus freely enters.

Through you we drink from the wellsprings of salvation, 0 Blessed Virgin Mary.

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.

Rejoice, 0 sorrowful Mother; after your great sufferings, you shine forth as Queen, enthroned beside your Son.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior, born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old that he would save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to set us free from the hands of our enemies, free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

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.

Let us glorify our Savior, who chose the Virgin Mary for his mother. Let us ask him: May your mother intercede for us, Lord.

Sun of Justice, the immaculate Virgin was the white dawn announcing your rising, grant that we may always live in the light of your coming.

Eternal Word, you chose Mary as the uncorrupted ark of your dwelling place, free us from the corruption of sin.

Savior of mankind, your mother stood at the foot of your cross, grant, through her intercession, that we may rejoice to share in your passion.

With ultimate generosity and love, you gave Mary as a mother to your beloved disciple, help us to live as worthy sons of so noble a mother.

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. Amen.

Father, as your Son was raised on the cross, his mother Mary stood by him, sharing his sufferings. May your Church be united with Christ in his suffering and death and so come to share in his rising to new life, where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

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