℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May God the Father Omnipotent, be to us merciful and clement.
℟. Amen.
Reading 4
De Sermone sancti Joannis Damasceni.
Orat. 2. de Dormitione Deiparae, sub finem.
We have received from ancient tradition that at the time of the glorious sleep of the blessed Virgin, all the holy Apostles, who had traveled the world for the salvation of the Gentiles, were lifted up on high in a moment of silence, and assembled in Jerusalem: and while they were there, an angelic vision appeared to them, and the psalmody of the heavenly Powers was heard; and thus with divine glory she delivered her holy soul into the hands of God. But her body, which by some ineffable reason received God, was carried up with angelic care and apostolic hymnody, and was laid in a coffin in Gethsemane: in which place the singing of the Angels continued for three days continuously.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. When the Lord beheld the daughter of Jerusalem adorned with her jewels, He greatly desired her beauty
* And when the daughters of Zion saw her, they cried out that she was most blessed, saying thy name is as ointment poured forth.
℣. Upon thy right hand did stand the Queen in a vesture of gold wrought about with diverse colours.
℟. And when the daughters of Zion saw her, they cried out that she was most blessed, saying thy name is as ointment poured forth.
℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May Christ to all His people give, for ever in His sight to live.
℟. Amen.
Reading 5
After three days, when the angelic song had ceased, the apostles who were present, when one Thomas, who had been absent, came after the third day, and wished to adore the body which God had received, opened the tomb; but when they had prayed for part of his sacred body, they could not find it. But when they had found only the things in which it had been laid, and were filled with the ineffable odor that proceeded from them, they closed the tomb. Astounded by the miracle of His mystery, they could only think this: that He who was pleased to take flesh from the Virgin Mary, and to become and be born a man, was God the Word, and the Lord of glory: who after childbirth preserved her virginity incorrupt, was pleased also to honor His spotless body, preserved incorrupt, by translation before the common and universal resurrection.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. All generations shall call me blessed. * For He that is mighty, even the Lord, hath done to me great things; and Holy is His Name.
℣. And his mercy is on them that fear Him, from generation to generation.
℟. He that is mighty, even the Lord, hath done to me great things; and Holy is His Name.
℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May the Spirit’s fire Divine in our hearts enkindled shine.
℟. Amen.
Reading 6
Present with the Apostles were then the most holy Timothy, the first bishop of Ephesus, and Dionysius the Areopagite, as he himself testifies in what he wrote to the aforementioned Timothy about blessed Hierotheus, who was also present at the time, saying thus: For even among them were the prelates of the sacred things, inspired by God, when we also, as you know, and many of our holy brethren, had come together to contemplate the body which gave the beginning of life and received God (and James the brother of the Lord was present, and Peter, the highest and most ancient summit of theologians): and having seen the sacred body, it pleased all, as each could, to celebrate with hymns the infinite goodness of the divine power.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. Blessed art thou, O Virgin Mary, who hast carried the Lord, the Maker of the world.
* Thou hast borne Him Who created thee, and thou abidest a virgin for ever.
℣. Hail, Mary, full of grace. the Lord is with thee.
℟. Thou hast borne Him Who created thee, and thou abidest a virgin for ever.
℣. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
℟. Thou hast borne Him Who created thee, and thou abidest a virgin for ever.
℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May the Gospel’s holy lection Be our safety and protection.
℟. Amen.
Reading 7
From the Holy Gospel according to Luke
Luke 10:38-42
At that time Jesus entered into a certain village, and a woman named Martha received Him into her house. And so on.
Homily by St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo.
27th on the Words of the Lord.
The troubling about many things passeth away, but the love for the one thing remaineth. Therefore that which Mary hath chosen shall not But that which thou hast chosen, O Martha, it must needs follow, it must needs be understood, shall be taken away from thee. But it will be taken away from thee for thy good, that that which is better may be given unto thee. Work will be taken away from thee that thou mayest rest. Thou art on the voyage Mary is already in port.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. Grace is poured into thy lips
* Therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.
℣. thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces whereby kings’ daughters among thy honourable women have made thee glad.
℟. Therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.
℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. She whose feast-day we are keeping, Mary, blessed Maid of Maidens, be our Advocate with God.
℟. Amen.
Reading 8
Ye see then, my dearly beloved brethren, and, as I think, ye now understand that in these two women, who were both well-pleasing in the sight of the Lord, both lovely, both disciples, ye see, I say, and whosoever ye be that understand, ye understand something great, which ye also that do not understand ought to hear and know, that in these two women there were figured two lives, that which now is, and that which is to come, the toilful and the restful, the sorrowing and the blessed, the temporal and the eternal.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. O Virgin Mary, Mother of God, blessed art thou that didst believe the Lord, for there hath been a performance of those things which were told thee from the Lord. Behold, thou art exalted over choirs of Angels.
* Plead for us with the Lord our God.
℣. Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
℟. Plead for us with the Lord our God.
℣. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
℟. Plead for us with the Lord our God.
℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May He that is the Angels’ King to that high realm His people bring.
℟. Amen.
Reading 9
There are two lives. Think more about them. Whatsoever this present life hath, I say not of evil, not of wickedness, not of crime, not of uncleanness, not of ungodliness, but toilsome and full of troubles, chastened by fears, and tried by temptations, so, I say, is even the guileless life which Martha must have. Look into this, then, as well as ye can, and, as I have said, think more about it than I speak. There was no wrong life in that house, either in the case of Martha, or in the case of Mary, and if ever there had been, it fled away when the Lord came in.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
Te Deum