Saturday Evening Visitation to Elizabeth

Third Sunday of Announcement
Ramsho
INTRODUCTION
DOXOLOGY
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as we begin and until we conclude.
May mercy and compassion be poured forth upon us
in this world and the next.
O Lord, our God, to you be glory for ever.
Amen.
OPENING PRAYER
O Lord,
with joyous hearts and souls,
may we glorify you in memory of that blessed day
when your Mother visited her cousin Elizabeth.
Mary’s greeting put joy into Elizabeth’s heart.
With Elizabeth may we say to the Virgin:
“Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit
of your womb.”
We shall give you glory and praise,
now and for ever. Amen.
GREETING
Peace be with the Church and her children.
PRAISE OF THE ANGELS
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace on earth and good will to all.
Praise the Lord all you nations,
glorify him all you peoples,
for steadfast is his mercy toward us,
and the truth of the Lord endures for ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever.
and peace on earth and good will to all.

PSALMODY
FIRST PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
Most High and hidden God,
for our salvation you became flesh in the Virgin Mary
and visited John your Forerunner when he was still in
the womb of his mother.
In your love, O God, visit our souls and bodies.
Enable us to give you thanks in purity and to adore
you in sanctity,
and we shall praise you with your Father and your Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.
PSALM OF THE DAY
Antiphon:
Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all you lands.

Psalm 96
Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all you lands.

Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
announce his salvation, day after day.

Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.

For great is the Lord and highly to be praised;
awesome is he, beyond all gods.

For all gods of the nations are things of nought,
but the Lord made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty go before him;
praise and grandeur are in his sanctuary.

Give to the Lord, your families of nations,
give to the Lord glory and praise.

Give to the Lord the glory due his name!

Bring gifts, and enter his courts;
Worship the Lord in holy attire.

Tremble before him, all the earth;
Say among the nations: The Lord is king.

He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!

Then shall all the trees of the forest exult
before the Lord, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.

He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.

Antiphon:
Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all you lands.

SECOND PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
Mary,
you are the glorious vessel in which the Light manifested
itself in glory.
We ask you to petition the eternal Light which was placed
within you
to remove from our souls the darkness of sin
and to fill us with the light of grace and sanctity.
Then, in justice and purity,
we shall celebrate the memory of your visitation
and give glory to the One who was placed within you,
now and for ever. Amen.

EVENING PSALMS
Psalm 141:1-4
O Lord, to you I call; hasten to me;
harken to my voice when I call upon you.
Let my prayer come like incense before you;
the lifting up of my hands, like the evening sacrifice.
O Lord, set a watch before my mouth,
a guard at the door of my lips.
Let not my heart incline to the evil
of engaging in deeds of wickedness
With men who are evildoers;
and let me not partake of their dainties.
Psalm 142
With a loud voice I cry out to the Lord;
with a loud voice I beseech the Lord.
My complaint I pour out before him;
before him I lay bare my distress.
When my spirit is faint within me,
you know my path.
In the way along which I walk
they have hid a trap for me.
I look to the right to see,
but there is no one who pays me heed.
I have lost all means of escape;
there is no one who cares for my life.
I cry out to you, O Lord:
I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land
of the living.”
Attend to my cry,
for I am brought low indeed.

Rescue me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me.
Lead me forth from prison,
that I may give thanks to your name.
The just shall gather around me
when you have been good to me.
Psalm 119: 105-112
A lamp to my feet is your word,
a light to my path.
I resolve and swear
to keep your just ordinances.
I am very much afflicted;
O Lord, give me life according to your word.
Accept, O Lord, the free homage of my mouth,
and teach me your decrees.
Though constantly I take my life in my hands,
yet I forget not your law.
The wicked have laid a snare for me,
but from your precepts I have not strayed.
Your decrees are my inheritance forever;
the joy of my heart they are.
I intend in my heart to fulfill you statutes
always to the letter.
Psalm 117
Praise the Lord, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!
For steadfast is his mercy toward us,
and the truth of the Lord endures for ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.
Alleluia.

[HYMN]

The Hymn, “The Resurrection of Christ” (page 165) may
be sung following the Evening Psalms.
HOOSOYO
PROEMION
Praise, glory and honor to the Most High,
who fills the heavens with glory and pours out his loving
kindness upon the earth.
The cherubim fear him when they bear him on the fiery chariot
but in his love he concealed himself within the
pure womb of Mary;
he filled his Forerunner John, with the Holy Spirit
when he was still in the womb of his mother.
To the Good One, is due glory and honor this evening,
and all the days of our lives,
now and for ever. Amen.
SEDRO
Glory to you, eternal Child begotten of the Father before all ages.
In the fullness of time you took flesh in the womb of the
Virgin Mary.
You are the King of kings who crowns princes and saves his
people.
You raised our human nature to the throne of your glory
when you descended from that throne,
took the condition of a slave and truly became man.
Our Spirit is not able to comprehend this humility
and our tongue is unable to describe it.
When you placed yourself within the womb of the Virgin,
she went to the hills of Judea where she met John,
still in the womb of Elizabeth.
She delighted in him with the gift of the Holy Spirit
and filled the mountain with joy.
And now, with angels and all your people, we proclaim:
“Praise the Lord our God, praise him for ever.”
We entreat you with your Forerunner:
pour your mercy upon us and assist us with your strength;
enlighten us with your teaching and guide us.
Then shall we go forth to meet you and be seated at your table, dressed in our wedding garments.

May the living and the dead be seated one day at your right hand in the heavenly dwellings.
And we shall give glory to you, your Father, and your Holy Spirit now and for ever. Amen.
QOLO
Bearing the One who bears the world, the Virgin goes to the
mountains of Judea as it was written.
She greets Elizabeth, who says: “Blessed is the fruit of your
womb.”
Blessed is the One who chose you, raised you above all other
women, and filled you with grace and holiness.
ETRO
Lord,
you are the peace who is placed between the heights and the
depths.
In your goodness you went to the mountains of Judea to visit
John your Forerunner.
With this incense (our prayer) which we present to you,
we ask you to make peace reign among nations and the
children of your Church.
Extend your merciful right hand over us and our dead,
and we shall glorify you, your Father, and Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.
READINGS
MAZMOORO
On this day, the Virgin Mary greets Elizabeth and says to her:
“The one you carry in your womb will announce the
kingdom of God.”
Rejoice on this day, O mountain of Zion, and quake with joy,
hills of Judea, because the one Elizabeth carries will
announce the kingdom of God.
The one who was barren says to the Mother of our Lord: “Draw
near because you carry the One who is the Creator and
Savior of the world.”

SYNAXARION
The third Sunday of the Season of Announcement commemorates another important event in the unfolding of the promises of God: Mary went to visit her cousin, Elizabeth.
After receiving such tremendous good news, Mary could have secluded herself in a life of prayer and contemplation, However, after the angel of the Lord had communicated the news of Elizabeth’s conception to her, Mary perceived it as the Lord’s will that she go to be with Elizabeth, and thus chose to share the divine life within her with another. Mary shared Jesus with others even before his birth. The fundamental task of an apostle is to share Jesus with others, and so, Mary is called the “Queen of the Apostles.”
Impelled by the Spirit of God, Mary left on a journey that required four days of difficult travel, especially for a poor girl such as herself. Yet, as the Mother of God and our Mother, she was already concerned for the welfare of others.
When Mary encountered Elizabeth, the unborn infant in her womb leapt for joy, and Elizabeth herself was filled with the Spirit and sang of the blessedness of Mary.
Mary is blessed, not simply because she was to be the Mother of God, but also because of her own personal faith. She heard the words of the angel and accepted everything that was to happen with humility. For this reason, she is blessed throughout the ages.
The hymn of Mary differs from that of Zechariah. Zechariah’s hymn is communal: he is proclaiming gratitude to God on behalf of all the people of Israel. On the other hand, Mary’s hymn is personal, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.” She is humbly proclaiming the great things that God has done for her. In humility, the Virgin of Nazareth proclaims how great the Lord has made her by choosing her as the Mother of his Son.
The hymn of Mary announces a revolution which God will bring about through his Son. This revolution has a variety of aspects: it is moral (“He has confused the proud in their inmost thoughts.”): social (“He has deposed the mighty from their thrones and raised the lowly to high places.”); and economic (“The hungry he has given every good thing, while the rich he has sent empty away”).
To be called by God for any task, brings with it a crown of sorrow and a crown of joy. God chooses us not for our own glorification, but in order to use us to bring about his kingdom. Like Mary, all of us should respond with humility and be grateful to God for choosing us as his instrument.
SCRIPTURE READINGS
A Reading from the First Book of Samuel
1 Samuel 2: 1-10
and as she worshiped the LORD, she said: “My heart exults in the LORD, my horn is exalted in my God. I have swallowed up my enemies; I rejoice in my victory. There is no Holy One like the LORD; there in no Rock like our God. “Speak boastfully no longer, nor let arrogance issue from your mouths. For an all-knowing God is the LORD, a God who judges deeds. The bows of the mighty are broken, while the tottering gird on strength. The well-fed hire themselves out for bread, while the hungry batten on spoil. The barren wife bears seven sons, while the mother of many languishes. “The LORD puts to death and gives life; he casts down to the nether world; he raises up again. The LORD makes poor and makes rich, he humbles, he also exalts. He raises the needy from the dust; from the ash heap he lifts up the poor, To seat them with nobles and make a glorious throne their heritage. He gives to the vower his vow, and blesses the sleep of the just. “For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and he has set the world upon them. He will guard the footsteps of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall perish in the darkness. For not by strength does man prevail; the LORD’s foes shall be shattered. The Most High in heaven thunders; the LORD judges the ends of the earth, Now may he give strength to his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed!”

A Reading from the Second Book of Samuel
2 Samuel 6: 9-12
David feared the LORD that day and said, “How can the ark of the LORD come to me?” So David would not have the ark of the LORD brought to him in the City of David, but diverted it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and his whole house. When it was reported to King David that the LORD had blessed the family of Obed-edom and all that belonged to him, David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the City of David amid festivities.
SUPPLICATION
O Lord of night and Master of all time, hear our supplications and have mercy on us.
You reconciled heaven and earth, grant peace to your Church,
and keep her children in the light of the cross.
The angels are in admiration of the splendor of Mary and her
sublime dignity; they dare not raise their eyes to the Son of
the Most High God, but behold, she carries in her womb the
Son and soothes him in her arms.
While the cherubim and seraphim in reverence are veiling their faces with their wings, she lives with him, a mother with
her infant son, in the intimacy of each day.
She feeds him and surrounds him with the angels, he who brings nourishment to her and clothes all creatures and directs
them; today also angels and men magnify the daughter of
David and see in her the highest dignity of heaven.
Glory to the Father who has chosen Mary from among all
women; adoration to the Son who was born from her a
perfect man; thanksgiving to the Holy Spirit who has
enriched her with all graces and gifts; through her prayers
may God come to our aid, now and for ever.
The Virgin Mary, your Mother, and the apostles, prophets and
martyrs intercede for us; O God, through their prayers,
strengthen the weak, comfort the sick, grant pardon to the
deceased and forgive the faults of us poor sinners.
Exalt, O Lord, the memory of your Mother and your saints;
through their prayers grant pardon to us and our deceased.
Through the prayers of your Mother, the prophets, apostles
and martyrs, watch over the living, and in your mercy,
forgive those who have died.

HOOTOMO
Let us thank, adore, and praise the holy and glorious Trinity: Father, Son, ✛Holy Spirit. Amen.
TRISAGION
Lord, have mercy
Lord, have mercy
Lord, have mercy
Holy are you, O God;
Holy are you, O Strong One;
Holy are you, O Immortal One;
have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Lord, forgive us and have mercy on us.
Lord, hear us and have mercy on us.
Lord, accept our worship and our prayers.
Lord, come to our assistance and have mercy on us.
LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who are in heaven;
hallowed be your name;
your kingdom come;
your 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,
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours,
now and for ever.
Amen.
O Lord, the night and the day are yours;
you uphold the light and the sun.
Through your power you direct the sequence of the seasons.
O Lord,
you have brought the day to its close and called forth the night; be for us that great Day that never ends.
In the evening let your light shine in our hearts,
and in the darkness of the night

enlighten us with the knowledge of your truth.
And so, through all the days of our lives,
we shall praise you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
To you be glory and may your mercy rest upon us,
now and for ever.
Amen.
EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE
Let us thank God for all the graces he has bestowed on us
this day which has passed in calm and peace.
Let us recall our failings against the commandments of God
and the Church in thought, word, deed and omission
We ask for God’s pardon as we pray:
“Forgive us, Jesus!”
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to you, O Lord.
Glory be to you, O Lord.
Glory be to you, O Lord.
God,
Father in heaven,
by your living and holy name,
keep us from evil and lead us not into temptation;
for we call upon you, O Lord, our God, our constant hope,
glory to you for ever.
O Lord, our Lord,
may our humble worship be pleasing to you;
may our prayers come before you and our actions give
you honor.
Let you mercy, kindness, help, graces and divine love
be poured abundantly upon us poor sinners,
both in heaven and on the earth
which you have created in your goodness.
O Lord, our God, to you be glory for ever.
Amen.

DISMISSAL
Peace be with you.
And also with you.
O God,
through the prayers of your Mother and the saints who have
believed in you;
through the prayers of the prophets, apostles, martyrs and
confessors;
through the prayers of the just, the priests, the holy fathers, pastors and teachers of the truth faith;
and through the prayers of N., Pope of Rome, N., our Patriarch, and N., our Bishop,
forgive your people and have mercy on your flock.
May God bless, forgive, sanctify, purify, and keep each of the faithful united with us in this spiritual office.
May mercy and compassion be upon us and all the faithful who
dwell here.
May peaceful rest be granted to those who have died in the faith.
May the faithful who live here experience the protection of
Christ’s victorious cross.
May we and all his servants, who adore him with bowed heads,
receive the mercy of the holy and glorious Trinity
Father, Son, ✛ Holy Spirit, to whom be glory now and for ever.
Amen.
May God forgive your sins,
pardon your failings,
and deliver you from the power of the enemy.
May he grant you the remission of your offenses.
Go in peace, and pray to Christ for me.