The Little Office of the Immaculate Conception

AT MATINS

Come, my lips, and wide proclaim,

The Blessed Virgin's spotless fame.

V. O Lady, make speed to befriend me.

R. From the hands of the enemy mightily defend me.

V. Glory Be To The Father... Alleluia.

From Septuagesima Sunday to Easter, instead of Alleluia, say:

Praise be to Thee, O Lord, King of everlasting glory.

Hymn

Hail, Queen of the Heavens

Hail, Mistress of earth!

Hail, Virgin most pure,

Of immaculate birth!

Clear star of the morning,

In beauty enshrin'd!

O Lady, make speed

To the help of mankind.

Thee God in the depth

Of eternity chose:

And form'd thee all fair

As His glorious Spouse.

And call'd thee His Word's

Own Mother to be,

By whom he created

The earth, sky and sea.

Amen.

V. God elected her, and pre-elected her.

R. He made her to dwell in His tabernacle.

V. O Lady, hear my prayer,

R. And let my cry come unto thee.

Let Us Pray. - Holy Mary, Queen of heaven,

Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ,

and Mistress of the world,

who forsakest no one,

and despiseth no one;

look upon me, O Lady,

with an eye of pity,

and entreat for me,

of thy beloved Son,

the forgiveness of all my sins;

that as I now celebrate with devout affection

thy holy and Immaculate Conception,

so, hereafter,

I may receive the prize of eternal blessedness,

by the grace of Him Whom thou,

in virginity didst bring forth,

Jesus Christ our Lord:

Who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost,

liveth and reigneth,

in perfect Trinity, God,

world without end.

Amen.

V. O Lady, hear my prayer.

R. And let my cry come unto thee.

V. Let us bless the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

V. May the souls of the faithful departed,

through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

R. Amen.

AT PRIME



V. O Lady, make speed to befriend me.

R. From the hands of the enemy mightily defend me.

V. Glory Be To The Father... Alleluia.

R. Amen.

Hymn



Hail, Virgin most wise!

Hail, Deity's shrine!

With seven fair pillars,

And table divine!

Preserv'd from the guilt

Which hath come on us all

Exempt, in the womb,

From the taint of the fall

O new star of Jacob!

Of Angels the Queen!

O gate of the Saints,

O Mother of men!

O terrible as

The embattled array,

Be thou of the faithful

The refuge and stay.

Amen.

V. The Lord Himself created her in the Holy Ghost.

R. And poured her out among all His works.

V. O Lady, hear my prayer.

R. And let my cry come unto thee.

V. Let us bless the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

V. May the souls of the faithful departed,

through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

R. Amen.

AT TIERCE



V. O Lord, make speed to befriend me.

R. From the hands of the enemy mightily, defend me.

V. Glory Be To The Father... Alleluia.

Hymn



Hail, Solomon's throne!

Pure ark of the law!

Fair rainbow! and bush

Which the Patriarch saw!

Hail, Gedeon's fleece!

Hail, blossoming rod!

Samson's sweet honey comb

portal of God!

Well fitting it was

That a Son so divine

Should preserve from a touch

Of original sin:

Nor suffer by smallest

Defect to be stained.

That Mother whom He

For Himself had ordain'd.

Amen.

V. I will dwell in the highest.

R. And my throne is on the pillar of the clouds.

V. O Lady, hear my prayer.

R. And let my cry come unto thee.

V. Let us bless the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

V. May the souls of the faithful departed,

through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

R. Amen.

AT SEXT



V. O Lady, meek speed to befriend me.

R. From the hands of the enemy mightily defend me.

V. Glory Be To The Father... Alleluia.

Hymn



Hail, Virginal Mother!

Hail, purity's cell!

Fairshrine, where the Trinity

Loveth to dwell!

Hail, garden of pleasure!

Celestial balm!

Cedar of chastity!

Martyrdom's palm!

Thou land set apart

From uses profane!

And free from the curse

Which in Adam began!

Thou city of God!

Thou gate of the east,

In thee is all grace,

O joy of the blest!

Amen.

V. As the lily among the thorns,

R. So is my beloved among the daughters of Adam.

V. O Lady, hear my prayer.

R. And let my cry come unto thee.

V. Let us bless the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

V. May the souls of the faithful departed,

through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

R. Amen.

AT NONE



V. O Lady, make speed to befriend me.

R. From the hands of the enemy mightily defend me.

V. Glory Be To The Father... Alleluia.

Hymn



Hail, city of refuge!

Hail, David's high tower!

With battlements crown'd

And girded with power!

Filled at thy Conception

With love and with light!

The dragon by thee

Was shorn of h is might!

O Woman most valiant!

O Judith thrice blest!

As David was nurs'd

On fair Abisag's breast;

As the Saviour of Egypt

Upon Rachel's knee:

So the world's great Redeemer

Was cherish'd by thee:

Amen.

V. Thou art all fair, my beloved,

R. And the original stain was never in thee.

V. O Lady, hear my prayer.

R. And let my cry come unto thee.

V. Let us bless the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

V. May the souls of the faithful departed,

through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

R. Amen.

AT VESPERS



V. O Lady, make speed to befriend me.

R. From the hands of the enemy mightily defend me.

V. Glory Be To The Father... Alleluia.

Hymn



Hail, dial of Achaz!

On thee the true Sun

Told backward the course

Which from old he had run!

And that man might be raised

Submitting to shame,

A little more low

Than the Angels became

Thou wrapt in the blaze

Of h is infinite light,

Dost shine as the morn

On the confines of night;

As the moon on the lost

Through obscurity dawns

The serpent's destroyer!

A lily 'mid thorns!

Amen.

V. I made an unfailing light to arise in heaven.

R. And as a mist I overspread the whole earth.

V. O Lady, hear my prayer.

R. And let my cry come unto thee.

V. Let us bless the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

V. May the souls of the faithful departed,

through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

R. Amen.

AT COMPLINE



V. My Jesus Christ, thy Son,

reconciled by thy prayers,

O Lady, convert our hearts.

R. O Lady, make speed to befriend me.

V. And turn away His anger from us.

R. From the hands of the enemy mightily defend me.

V. Glory Be To The Father... Alleluia.

Hymn



Hail, Mother most pure!

Hail, Virgin renown'd

Hail, Queen with the stars

As a diadem crown'd!

Above all the Angels,

In glory untold.

Standing next to the King

In a vesture of gold!

O Mother of mercy!

O star of the Wave!

O hope of the guilty!

O light of the grave!

Through thee may we come

To the haven of rest,

And see heaven's King

In the courts of the blest.

Amen.

V. Thy name, O Mary, is as oil poured out.

R. Thy servants have loved thee exceedingly.

V. O Lady, hear my prayer.

R. And let my cry come unto thee.

V. Let us bless the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

V. May the souls of the faithful departed,

through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

R. Amen.