The Importance of the Marian Consecration Feast of the Visitation St. Louis de Montfort formally established the most traditional method of Marian consecration, which seeks to bring men and women into Solemn Vespers deeper union with both Mary and Jesus.

Consecration seeks to engage all people, encompassing those at various stages of spirituality and theological knowledge. Pondering the teachings of the saints, leading you to formally acknowledge and accept Mary as your spiritual Mother. We give her our ‘yes,’ and she knows what the power of a ‘yes’ can do. When we say ‘yes’ to her as our Mother, it unleashes the full power of her motherly care, mediation and tenderness in our lives.

Total consecration to Mary is the quickest, easiest, surest way to holiness. The Marian consecration offers a profound understanding of how to address the desires of Christ and lovingly console His heart, which suffered so greatly through His passion and death.

Jesus wants for us no less consolation than He had in his moments of darkness, which is to have His mother as our spiritual mother and to formally accept this invitation and take her into our home.

The overarching purpose for making a Marian consecration and placing it within the concept of missionary discipleship is that Mary brings us to a personal relationship with Jesus. Jesus then brings us to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and the Trinity in turn brings us closer to others. Transforming community with Christ is our goal, because when we enter into deeper intimacy with Christ we take on His heart and His thirst for souls.

All are invited to a light reception at the Fr. Amyot Parish Center sponsored by the Norfolk Knights of Columbus. Join us, and continue our joyful observance of the Feast of the Visitation. May 31, 2018 Church of the Visitation Pg 7 Norfolk, NY SOLEMN VESPERS BENEDICTION

HYMN “Immaculate Mary” (#320 in our Missalette) Eucharistic Hymn: “Tantum Ergo” (inside back cover of Missalette)

LITURGICAL GREETING AND WELCOME Benediction

EXPOSITION Divine Praises (inside back cover of Missalette) All Kneel Exposition Hymn: Reposition of the Blessed Sacrament

“O Salutaris” (Latin form) inside cover of Missalette) Closing Hymn: “Hail Holy Queen” (#331 in our Missalette)

Please stand

God, + come to my assistance. – Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: HISTORY OF VESPERS

– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia. Vespers, evening prayer of thanksgiving and praise in Roman Catholic and certain other Christian liturgies. Vespers and lauds (morning prayer) are the Please be seated oldest and most important of the traditional liturgy of the hours. Many scholars believe vespers is based on Judaic forms of prayer and point to a PSALM 122 daily evening celebration observed among Jews in the 1st century BCE. By the 3rd century CE the writings of Tertullian show clear evidence of an Antiphon 1: (Repeated after each verse) evening prayer. During the 4th, 5th, and 6th centuries, cathedral choirs and Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord monastic orders developed the vespers service, as it was known for centuries

I rejoiced because they said to me, thereafter. Following the Second Vatican Council (1962–65), the Roman Catholic service was translated into the vernacular and simplified, but it “We will go up to the house continues to revolve around the canticle, various psalms and Of the Lord.” antiphons, and readings that vary according to liturgical season. And now we have set foot within your gates, O . The Lutheran and Anglican churches both include an evening prayer service in their liturgies. An early name for vespers is lucernarium, literally “lamp- Jerusalem, built as a city lighting time” in Latin, referring to the candles lit for this service when it was with compact unity. held in the early evening. To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord.

According to the decree for Israel, To give thanks to the name of the Lord. In it are set up judgment Seats, Seats for the house of David. Pg 6 Pg 1 Deacon: You made Mary the mother of mercy, Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! All: may all who are faced with trials feel her motherly love. May those who love you prosper! May peace be within your walls, Deacon: You wished Mary to be the mother of the family in the home Prosperity in your buildings. of Jesus and Joseph, All: may all mothers of families foster love and holiness For love of my brothers and friends through her intercession. I will say: “Peace be within you!” Because of the house of the Lord, Deacon: You crowned Mary queen of heaven, Our God, All: may all the dead rejoice in your kingdom with the saints I will pray for your good. for ever.

THE LORD’S PRAYER (Sung) Antiphon 2 (Celebrant) Gathering our prayer and praises into one, Mary entered the house of Zechariah, and greeted Elizabeth, alleluia. let us offer the prayer Christ himself taught us:

Our Father, who art in heaven, Psalm 98 hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; HYMN “All the Ends of the Earth” (#501 in our Missalette) thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Antiphon 2 (All) Give us this day our daily bread; Mary entered the house of Zechariah, and greeted Elizabeth, alleluia. and forgive us our trespasses Antiphon 3 (Celebrant) as we forgive those who trespass against us; Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, and lead us not into temptation, alleluia. but deliver us from evil. CONCLUDING PRAYER Eternal Father, Canticle: Ephesians 1:3-10 God our Savior you inspired the Virgin Mary, mother of you Son, to visit Elizabeth and assist her in her need. R: Praised be the God and Father * Keep us open to the working of your Spirit, of our Lord Jesus Christ and with Mary may we praise you for ever. who has bestowed on us in Christ * every spiritual blessing in the heavens. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, L: God chose us in him * one God, for ever and ever. before the world began Amen to be holy * and blameless in his sight. Pg 2 Pg 5 R: He predestined us † RESPONSORY to be his adopted sons through Jesus Christ, * such was his will and pleasure, Celebrant: Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. that all might praise the glorious favor * All: Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.

he has bestowed on us in his beloved. Celebrant: Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your

womb. L: In him and through his blood, we have been redeemed, * All: The Lord is with you. and our sins forgiven, so immeasurably generous * Celebrant: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit is God’s favor to us. All: Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.

R: God has given us the wisdom * HOMILY to understand fully the mystery, MARIAN CONSECRATION of Participants the plan he was pleased * to decree in Christ. GOSPEL CANTICLE Please stand

L: A plan to be carried out in Christ, * Antiphon: (All) All generations will call me blessed; in the fullness of time, the Lord has looked with favor on his lowly servant, to bring all things into one in him,* alleluia. in the heavens and on earth. HYMN “Mary’s Song” (#328 in our Missalette) R: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit: Antiphon: (All) All generations will call me blessed; as it was in the beginning, is now, * the Lord has looked with favor on his lowly servant, and will be for ever. Amen. alleluia.

Antiphon 3 (All): INTERCESSIONS Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, alleluia. Celebrant: Let us praise God our almighty Father, who wished that Mary, his Son’s mother, be celebrated by each generation. Now in need we pray:

READING Deacon: O God, worker of miracles, you made the Immaculate Virgin Galatians 4: 4-5 Mary share body and soul in your Son’s glory in heaven When the designated time had come, God sent forth his Son born of a All: direct the hearts of your children to that same glory. woman, born under the law, to deliver from the law those who were subjected to it, so that we might receive our status as adopted sons. Deacon: Lord, make your Church one in mind and heart, united in your love, All: and keep Christians united in prayer with Mary, the mother of Jesus. Pg 3 Pg 4