Call to Worship

While making the sign of the cross:

God, come to our assistance.
Lord, make haste to help us.

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. Alleluia!

Hymn

O Holy Mary (1)

O holy Dwelling Place of God.
O holy Temple of the Word.
O holy Mary, holy Mother of God.

O radiant star of Heaven,
illumining the night;
reflection of the Son,
our source of life and light.

O holy Dwelling Place of God.
O holy Temple of the Word.
O holy Mary, holy Mother of God.

O blest beyond all others
of ev’ry land and race,
possessing in your soul
the fullness in God’s grace.

O holy Dwelling Place of God.
O holy Temple of the Word.
O holy Mary, holy Mother of God.

From heav’n the angel Gabriel
announced the ancient plan,
and humbly you accepted
to bear the God-made man.

O holy Dwelling Place of God.
O holy Temple of the Word.
O holy Mary, holy Mother of God.

All praise and adoration
we sing now to your Son
who reigns in highest heaven
and has the vict’ry won.

O holy Dwelling Place of God.
O holy Temple of the Word.
O holy Mary, holy Mother of God.

PSALMODY

Psalm 141:1-9

Ant. O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like
incense, my hands like an evening offering.

O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like
incense, my hands like an evening offering.

Lord, I am calling: hasten to help me.
Listen to me as I cry to you.
Let my prayer rise before you like incense,
my hands like an evening offering.

O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like
incense, my hands like an evening offering.

Lord, set a guard at my mouth,
keep watch at the gate of my lips.
Let my heart not turn to things that are wrong,
to sharing the evil deeds done by the sinful.
No, I will never taste their delights.

O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like
incense, my hands like an evening offering.

The good may reprove me,
In kindness chastise me,
but the wicked shall never anoint my head.
Every day, I counter their malice with prayer.

O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like
incense, my hands like an evening offering.

To you, Lord my God, my eyes are turned:
In you I take refuge; do not forsake me.
Keep me safe from the traps they have set for me,
from the snares of those who do evil.

O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like
incense, my hands like an evening offering.

Praise to the Father, praise to the Son,
all praise to the life giving Spirit.
As it was, is now, and shall always be
for ages unending. Amen.

Ant. O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like
incense, my hands like an evening offering. (2)

Psalm Prayer

Lord,
From the rising of the sun to its setting,
your name is worthy of all praise.
Let our prayer come like incense before you.
May the lifting up of our hands
be as an evening sacrifice
acceptable to you,
Lord, our God.

Psalm 147:12-20

Ant. You are the glory of Jerusalem, the joy of Israel, the highest honor of our race.

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
Zion, praise your God!

For God has strengthened the bars of your gates,
and has blessed the children within you:
established peace on your borders,
and feeds you with finest wheat.

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

God hurls down hailstones like crumbs.
The waters are frozen at his touch.
God sends forth the word, and it melts them:
At the breath of the Lord’s mouth, the waters flow.

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

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

Ant. You are the glory of Jerusalem, the joy of Israel, the highest honor of our race.

Canticle
Ephesians 1:3-10

Ant. You will rejoice in your children, for they will be blessed through you and gathered together by the Lord.

Praised be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has bestowed on us in Christ
every spiritual blessing in the heavens.

God chose us in Him
before the world began
to be holy
and blameless in God’s sight.

God predestined us to be adopted children
through Jesus Christ,
such was God’s will and pleasure,
that all might praise the glorious favor
bestowed on us in the Beloved.

In Him and through his blood, we have been
redeemed,
and our sins forgiven,
so immeasurably generous
is God’s favor to us.

God has given us the wisdom
to understand fully the mystery,
the plan God was pleased
to decree in Christ.

A plan to be carried out in Christ,
in the fullness of time,
to bring all things into one in Him,
in the heavens and on earth.

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

Ant. You will rejoice in your children, for they will be blessed through you and gathered together by the Lord.

Reading

A Reading from the Book of Revelation
(Rev. 11:19; 12:1)

God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of the covenant was seen within the temple. And a great portent appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Take a few moments to reflect on the reading.

Responsory

I exalt for joy in the Lord; my soul rejoices in God.
I exalt for joy in the Lord; my soul rejoices in God.
For God has clothed me in the garments of salvation and has wrapped me in the cloak of justice.
My soul rejoices in God.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
I exalt for joy in the Lord; my soul rejoices in God.

Gospel Canticle
Canticle of Mary

The Magnificat (3)
Luke 1:46-55
Ant. Bounteous Mother of God, Glory of Carmel, we are your children and your people; endow us with your own virtues, and protect us from every danger.

While making the sign of the cross:

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
My spirit sings to God, my saving God,
Who on this day, above all others, favored me
And raised me up, a light for all to see.

Through me, great deeds will God make manifest
And all the earth will come to call me blest.
Unbounded love and mercy sure will I proclaim
For all who know and praise God’s holy name.

God’s mighty arm, protector of the just,
Will guard the weak and raise them from the dust.
But mighty kings will swiftly fall from thrones corrupt.
The strong brought low, the lowly lifted up.

Soon will the poor and hungry of the earth
Be richly blest, be given greater worth.
And Israel, as once foretold to Abraham,
Will live in peace throughout the promised land.

All glory be to God, Creator blest,
To Jesus Christ, God’s love made manifest,
And to the Holy Spirit, gentle Comforter,
All glory be, both now and evermore.

Ant. Bounteous Mother of God, Glory of Carmel, we are your children and your people; endow us with your own virtues, and protect us from every danger.

Intercessions

Let us praise our heavenly Father, who gives us the joy of celebrating this solemn feast of the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, as we pray:
O God, hear us; hear our prayer.

Lord, in your plan, the Daughter of Zion was foreshadowed by the prophets and made the heir of all your promises; by imitating Mary, who is the image of the Church, may your Church on earth be more and more the sacrament of the world’s salvation.
O God, hear us; hear our prayer.

You have honored the family of Carmel with the title and patronage of the Virgin Mary; may all Carmelites live with her in unswerving allegiance to Jesus Christ.
O God, hear us; hear our prayer.

You have entrusted the whole of humanity, the brothers and sisters of your Son, to the care of Mary’s maternal heart; may the world see her image in us as we strive to live in your presence and to give ourselves for the salvation of all.
O God, hear us; hear our prayer.

You call the humble family of Carmel, living in the cloister and in the world, to be especially dedicated to the Virgin Mary; may all who are called to Carmel be of one mind and one heart as they join together in prayer with Mary the Mother of Jesus.
O God, hear us; hear our prayer.

For the sick who have asked us to accompany them with our prayers, that they may experience your merciful and healing touch today.

Please pray aloud the names of those who are sick or in need of healing.

O God, hear us; hear our prayer.

You promise a crown of glory to those who persevere in your love till the end; may our departed brothers and sisters, who shared Mary’s love for you, rejoice with you forever in heaven.
O God, hear us; hear our prayer. (4)

The Lord’s Prayer

And now let us pray with confidence as Christ our Lord asked:
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.

Closing Prayer

Lord our God,
you willed that the Order of Carmel
should be named in honor of the
Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of your Son.
Through her prayers,
as we honor her today,
bring us to your holy Mountain,
Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Blessing

While making the sign of the cross:

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

Flos Carmeli (5)

Flos Carmeli
Vitis florigera
Splendor coeli
Virgo puerpera
—Singularis

Mater mitis
Sed viri nescia
Carmelitis
Esto Propitia
—Stella Maris

Our Lady of Mount Carmel,
Pray for us.
Sant’Angelo,
Pray for us.

Let us spend this evening in peace.
Thanks be to God.

Credits and Permissions
All text and music are in the public domain
or used with permission:
OneLicense A-726188. All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise stated, all music
is published by OCP or a division of OCP.
Julian Pardo produces all audio.
Michael Aguilar, Jr. produces all videos.

1. Text: Owen Alstott, b. 1947.
   Music: Owen Alstott. Text and music
   copyright 1982, 1989,
   Viola: arr. by Craig S. Kingsbury, b. 1952, copyright 1985, 1986.
   Vocals: Anna May Rudolph.
   Piano: Benjamín Aguilar, O.Carm.
   Viola: Briana Bandy.

2. Text: Based on Psalm 141:1-5,8-9, Doxology; Paul Inwood, b. 1947.
   Music: Paul Inwood; Text and Music copyright, 1984-1985.
   Vocals: The Carmelites.
   Bells: Julian Pardo.

3. Lyrics: Based on Luke 1:68-79;
   Owen Alstott, b. 1947. Copyright 1993.
   Music: Bernadette Farrell, b. 1957.
   Copyright 1993.
   Vocals: Steven Begert-Clark.
   Other Vocals:Benjamín Aguilar, O.Carm., Alondra Garza, Matthew Gummess, O.Carm., Nick Ritacco.
   Piano: Benjamín Aguilar, O.Carm.
   Bells: Julian Pardo.

4. Text: “Intercessions.” James A. Wilde, copyright 1996.
   Music: Michael Joncas, copyright 1996.
   Vocals: The Carmelites.

5. Traditional Carmelite Hymn.
   Vocals: The Carmelites.