to whom God sent the Angel Gabriel
to announce that you should be the mother of His Only-Begotten Son,
pray for us who have recourse to you.
Holy, lovely Mary we give our all to you:
what is past and present, and the future, too.
Blessed be the holy and Immaculate Conception
of the most blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God.
O Mary, Blessed Mother of God, when the angel greeted you,
you were surprised and fearful; yet, in wonder you listened and
opened your heart to the divine message.
Your life had been ordinary,
like so many of Adam's children,
but your "yes" changed your life and led to the salvation of us all,
because you invited Christ Our Lord to grow inside of you.
Mother of Our Savior, help me to open my heart to the Father's will in my life.
Pray for me to the Lord God as I pray to Him:
O God, prepare my heart
for it is hard for me to trust in your will.
Give me clarity of vision, that I may see your way.
Open my ears, that I may hear your words.
Place your hand on my shoulder, that I may feel your guidance.
Enlighten the darkness of my soul, that I may be filled with your light.
Generous and loving God, like your daughter Mary
help me to know and do your will in this life and in the next.
Grant me a grateful heart and help me to always pray as Mary prayed:
my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour.
He looks on his servant in her lowliness;
henceforth all ages will call me blessed.
The Almighty works marvels for me.
Holy his name!
His mercy is from age to age,
on those who fear him.
He puts forth his arm in strength
and scatters the proud-hearted.
He casts the mighty from their thrones
and raises the lowly.
He fills the starving with good things,
sends the rich away empty.
He protects Israel, his servant,
remembering his mercy,
the mercy promised to our fathers,
to Abraham and his sons for ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now,
nd ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’”) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
Shape us in the likeness of the divine nature of our Redeemer,
whom we believe to be true God and true man,
since it was your will, Lord God,
that he, your Word, should take to himself our human nature
in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.