Liturgy of the Hours
July 16 -
Solemn Commemoration of
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
The sacred scriptures speak of the
beauty of Mount Carmel where the prophet Elijah defended the faith of Israel in
the living God. There, at the beginning of the thirteenth century, under the title of “Saint Mary of Mount Carmel”, the Order of Carmelites had its formal beginning. From the fourteenth century this title, recalling the countless blessings of its patroness, began to be celebrated solemnity, first in England and then gradually throughout the whole Order. It attained its supreme place from the beginning of the seventeenth century, when the General Chapter declared it to be the principal feast of the Order, and Paul V recognised it as the feast of the Scapular Confraternity.
Morning Prayer of Our Lady
Evening Prayer of Our Lady
Anthems to the Blessed Virgin
Morning Prayer of Our Lady
- O God, come to our aid.
- O Lord, make haste to help us.
- Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
- As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
Alleluia.
 Hymn
Let us in spirit make our way
to Carmel’s mountain height;
our Virgin Mother calls us there
to gather flowers of light.
This is indeed a holy place
where God has ever reigned;
here hearts are healed in silent prayer,
and strength of mind attained.
This is where living water flowed
to save the thirsting land,
to clothe the desert with fresh grass,
with trees the burning sand.
Cradle of our religious life
is Carmel’s height austere -
wherever Mary turns her gaze
flow waters springing clear.
Let us adore the Trinity -
the Father honours her,
the Son embraces her with love,
the Spirit reigns in her
1 Antiphon: Fragrant is the scent of your perfume, Immaculate Virgin. Let us follow in your footsteps.
Psalm 62 (63), 2-9: A soul thirsting for God.
O God, you are my God, for you I long;
for you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you
like a dry, weary land without water.
So I gaze on you in the sanctuary
to see your strength and your glory.
For your love is better than life,
my lips will speak your praise.
So I will bless you all my life,
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul shall be filled as with a banquet,
my mouth shall praise you with joy.
On my bed I remember you.
On you I muse through the night
for you have been my help;
in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand holds me fast.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
1 Antiphon: Fragrant is the scent of your perfume, Immaculate Virgin. Let us follow in your footsteps.
2 Antiphon: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; you are the most blessed of all women.
Daniel 3:57-88.56: Let every creature praise the Lord.
O all you works of the Lord, O bless the Lord.
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, angels of the Lord, O bless the Lord.
To him be highest glory and praise far ever.
And you, the heavens of the Lord, O bless the Lord.
And you, clouds of the sky, O bless the Lord.
And you, all armies of the Lord, O bless the Lord.
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, sun and moon, O bless the Lord.
And you, the stars of the heavens, O bless the Lord.
And you, showers and ram, O bless the Lord.
To him be highest glory and praise far ever.
And you, all you breezes and winds, O bless the Lord.
And you, fire and heat, O bless the Lord.
And you, cold and heat, O bless the Lord.
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, showers and dew, O bless the Lord.
And you, frosts and cold, O bless the Lord.
And you, frost and snow, O bless the Lord.
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, night-time and day, O bless the Lord.
And you, darkness and light; O bless the Lord.
And you, lightning and clouds, O bless the Lord.
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
O let the earth bless the Lord.
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, mountains and hills, O bless the Lord.
And you, all plants of the earth, O bless the Lord.
And you, fountains and springs, O bless the Lord.
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, rivers and seas, O bless the Lord.
And you, clouds of the sky, O bless the Lord.
And you, all armies of the Lord, O bless the Lord.
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, sun and moon, O bless the Lord.
And you, the stars of the heavens, O bless the Lord.
And you, showers and ram, O bless the Lord.
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, all you breezes and winds, O bless the Lord.
And you, fire and heat, O bless the Lord.
And you, cold and heat, O bless the Lord.
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, showers and dew, O bless the Lord.
And you, frosts and cold, O bless the Lord.
And you, frost and snow, O bless the Lord.
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, night-time and day, O bless the Lord.
And you, darkness and light, O bless the Lord.
And you, lightning and clouds, O bless the Lord.
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
O let the earth bless the Lord.
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, mountains and hills, O bless the Lord.
And you, all plants of the earth, O bless the Lord.
And you, fountains and springs, O bless the Lord.
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, rivers and seas, O bless the Lord.
And you, creatures of the sea, O bless the Lord.
And you, every bird in the sky, O bless the Lord.
And you, wild beasts and tame, O bless the Lord.
To him be highest glory and praise forever.
And you, children of men, O bless the Lord.
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
O Israel, bless the Lord, O bless the Lord.
And you, priests of the Lord, O bless the Lord.
And you, servants of the Lord, O bless the Lord.
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, spirits and souls of the just, O bless the Lord.
And you, holy and humble of heart, O bless the Lord.
Ananias, Azarias, Mizael, O bless the Lord.
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
Let us praise the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit:
To you be highest glory and praise for ever.
May you be blessed, O Lord, in the heavens.
To you be highest glory and praise for ever.
2 Antiphon: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; you are the most blessed of all women.
3 Antiphon: Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary: you gave birth to him who made you, yet remain a virgin forever.
Psalm 149: The song of joy of the saints.
Sing a new song to the Lord,
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its Maker,
let Sion’s Sons exult in their king.
Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes delight in his people.
He crowns the poor with salvation.
Let the faithful rejoice in their glory,
shout for joy and take their rest.
Let the praise of God be on their lips
and a two-edged sword in their hand,
to deal out vengeance to the nations
and punishment on all the peoples;
to bind their kings in chains
and their nobles in fetters of iron;
to carry out the sentence pre-ordained:
this honour is for all his faithful.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
3 Antiphon: Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary: you gave birth to him who made you, yet remain a virgin forever.
Reading: Isaiah 35,1-2
Let the wilderness and the dry-lands exult, let the wasteland rejoice and bloom, let it bring forth flowers like the jonquil, let it rejoice and sing for joy. The glory of Lebanon is bestowed on it, the splendour of Carmel and Sharon; they shall see the glory of the Lord, the splendour of our God.
Responsorial
- Your children call to you in time of trouble, and from heaven you hear their cry.
- In your great mercy you have come to our rescue,
- and from heaven you hear their cry.
- Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
- Your children call to you in time of trouble, and from heaven you hear their cry.
Antiphon to the canticle: Jesus said to his Mother, “Woman, this is your son,” and to the disciple he said, “This is your Mother;” and from that hour the disciple took her as his own.
Canticle of Zechariah: Lk 1,68-78: The Messiah and the one who was sent before him.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty saviour,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets be promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who bate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hand of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
Antiphon to the canticle: Jesus said to his Mother, “Woman, this is your son,” and to the disciple he said, “This is your Mother;” and from that hour the disciple took her as his own.
Intercessions
Christ our Saviour, the first-born of many brothers, gave us his Mother as our own. On this sacred day let us come to him with thankful hearts and say:
For the gift of your Mother, we give glory to you, Lord.
Christ our Redeemer, you prepared a worthy dwelling place for yourself in the sinless Virgin Mary;
- may we work today in your service and hers, poor in spirit and pure in heart.
Only Word of the Father, uttered in eternal silence and lovingly received in the womb of the Virgin,
- may our Carmelite vocation lead us, like Mary, to hear the Word of God and put it into practice.
Christ our Teacher, you offer the Virgin Mary as the model of every virtue to those who seek you;
- may we, her children, mirror her life, especially in our charity towards all.
Jesus, Son of Mary, you gave your Mother to the apostle John to take into his own keeping;
- in our familiarity with Mary may we experience your ineffable love.
Christ, Spouse of the Church, you sent the fire of the Holy Spirit upon Mary when she was joined with the apostles in prayer;
- may the whole family of Carmel remain faithful in prayer with Mary, and so be continually renewed by the Holy Spirit. W.
Our Father, who art in heaven, .....
Prayer
Lord God, you willed that the Order of Carmel, should be named in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of your Son, through her prayers as we honour her today bring us to your holy Mountain, Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns.
The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
To conclude, one of the anthems to the Blessed Virgin is said.
Evening Prayer of Our Lady
- O God, come to our aid.
- O Lord, make haste to help us.
- Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
- As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
Alleluia.
 Hymn
Flower of Carmel,
Tall vine blossom laden;
Splendour of heaven,
Child-bearing yet maiden.
None equals thee.
Mother so tender,
Whom no man didst know,
On Carmel’s children
Thy favours bestow.
Star of the Sea.
Strong stem of Jesse,
Who bore one bright flower,
Be ever near us
And guard us each hour,
who serve thee here.
Purest of lilies,
That flowers among thorns,
Bring help to the true heart
That in weakness turns
and trusts in thee.
Strongest of armour,
We trust in thy might:
Under thy mantle,
Hard press’d in the fight,
we call to thee.
Our way uncertain,
Surrounded by foes,
Unfailing counsel
You give to those
who turn to thee.
O gentle Mother
Who in Carmel reigns,
Share with your servants
That gladness you gained
and now enjoy.
Hail, Gate of Heaven,
With glory now. crowned,
Bring us to safety
Where thy Son is found,
true joy to see.
1 Antiphon: Behold the handmaid of the Lord: bet it be done to me according to your word.
Psalm 121 (122)
I rejoiced when I heard them say:
“Let us go to God’s house.”
And now our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is built as a city
strongly compact.
It is there that the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord.
For Israel’s law it is,
there to praise the Lord’s name.
There were set the thrones of judgment
of the house of David.
For the peace of Jerusalem pray:
“Peace be to your homes
May peace reign in your walls,
in your palaces, peace”
For love of my brethren and friends
I say: “Peace upon you”
For love of the house of the Lord
I will ask for your good.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
1 Antiphon: Behold the handmaid of the Lord: bet it be done to me according to your word.
2 Antiphon: Mary heard the Word of God and kept it, treasuring it in her heart.
Psalm 126 (127)
If the Lord does not build the house,
in vain do its builders labour;
if the Lord does not watch over the city,
in vain does the watchman keep vigil.
In vain is your earlier rising,
your going later to rest,
you who toil for the bread you eat:
when he pours gifts on his beloved while they slumber.
Truly Sons are a gift from the Lord,
a blessing, the fruit of the womb.
Indeed the sons of youth
are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.
O the happiness of the man
who has filled his quiver with these arrows
He will have no cause for shame
when he disputes with his foes in the gateways.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
2 Antiphon: Mary heard the Word of God and kept it, treasuring it in her heart.
3 Antiphon: The apostles persevered in prayer together with Mary, the Mother of Jesus.
Canticle: Ephesians 1,3-10
Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
He chose us in him
before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy
and blameless before him.
He destined us in love
to be his Sons through Jesus Christ,
according to the purpose of his will,
to the praise of his glorious grace
which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
In him we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of his grace
which he lavished upon us.
He has made known to us
in all wisdom and insight
the mystery of his will,
according to his purpose
which he set forth in Christ.
His purpose he set forth in Christ,
as a plan for the fullness of time,
to unite all things in him,
things in heaven and things on earth.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
3 Antiphon: The apostles persevered in prayer together with Mary, the Mother of Jesus.
Reading: Judith 13,23-25
May you be blessed, my daughter, by God Most High, beyond all women on earth. The trust you have shown shall not pass from the memories of men, but shall ever remind them of the power of God. God grant you to be always held in honour, and rewarded with blessings, since you did not consider your own life when our nation was brought to its knees, but warded off our ruin, walking undeterred before our God.
Responsorial
- I exult for joy in the Lord, my soul rejoices in God.
- For he has clothed me in the garments of salvation; he has wrapped me in the cloak of justice.
- My soul rejoices in God.
- Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
- I exult for joy in the Lord, my soul rejoices in God.
Antiphon to the canticle of Mary: Today we rejoice in the Virgin Mary, Mother and Beauty of Carmel. Today her children commemorate her faithful love. Today the Star of the Sea shines on her people as their sure hope and comfort. Alleluia
Canticle of Mary: Luke 1,46-55: My soul glorifies the Lord.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
for he has looked with favour on his lowly servant,
and from this day all generations will call me blessed.
The Almighty has done great things for me:
holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and has sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
Antiphon to the canticle of Mary: Today we rejoice in the Virgin Mary, Mother and Beauty of Carmel. Today her children commemorate her faithful love. Today the Star of the Sea shines on her people as their sure hope and comfort. Alleluia
Intercessions
As we honour the holy Mother of God, under whose name and patronage we live, let us pray with confidence to Christ our Lord and say:
Through the intercession of the Mother of Carmel, hear us, O Lord.
You said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven;”
- may we stand with Mary among the poor and humble of the Lord, so that you may be our only wealth.
You said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will sec God;”
- in following the Immaculate Virgin may we come to love that purity of heart that makes us eager to sec the Father’s face.
You said, “Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believe;”
- with Mary at our side, may we never cease to trust in the love you have for us as we journey in this night of faith.
You said, “You ought to pray always and never lose heart;”
- teach us to pray like Mary, treasuring your word in our hearts and proclaiming it in our lives.
You said, “A new commandment I give you: love one another as I have loved you;”
- united in heart and mind, may we be ready to spend our lives for our brothers and sisters and share with Mary in your work of redemption.
Dying on the cross, you said to John, and through him to all disciples, “Behold your Mother;”
- may we always please you by living in the intimate company of the Mother of Grace.
You said, “I want those you have given me to be with me where I am:”
- may all those who trusted in your everlasting mercy rejoice one day with you and Mary in our Father’s house.
Our Father, who art in heaven, .....
Prayer
Lord God, you willed that the Order of Carmel, should be named in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of your Son, through her prayers as we honour her today bring us to your holy Mountain, Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns.
The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
To conclude, one of the anthems to the Blessed Virgin is said.
Anthems to the Blessed Virgin
1 Hail Mary
Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee:
blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,
now, and at the hour of our death. Amen
 2 Flos Carmeli
(Carmelites’ Prayer to Our Lady)
Flower of Carmel,
Tall vine, blossom laden,
Splendour of heaven,
Child-bearing, yet maiden,
None equals thee.
Mother so tender,
Who no man didst know,
On Carmel’s children
Thy favour bestow.
Star of the Sea.
3 The Salve Regina
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,
hail our life our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve:
to thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this vale of tears.
Turn then most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy towards us;
and after this our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
4 Alma Redemptoris Mater
Dear mother of our redeemer,
ever-open gate of heaven,
star of the sea,
come to our help
as we fall and seek to rise again.
As all creation marveled,
you gave birth to the Holy One
who created you.
Virgin maid and mother,
take to yourself the angel Gabriel‘s greeting
and have compassion on us sinners.
5 Ave, Regina Coelorum
Hail, Queen of heaven
Hail, Queen of angels Root of Jesse,
gate of heaven, hail
From you light has risen on the world.
Rejoice, glorious virgin,
your beauty is unrivalled,
we greet your loveliness
and ask you to pray to Christ for us.
6 O Sanctissima, O Piissima
O most holy one, O most pitiful, O sweet Virgin Mary!
Mother best beloved, Mother undefiled, pray for us!
Thou art our comfort, and our refuge, Virgin Mother Mary!
All that we long for, through thee we hope for; Pray for us!
See how weak we are, lost in tears; save us, O Mary!
Lighten our anguish; soothe our sorrows; pray for us!
Virgin turn and look; Mother behold us; hear us, O Mary!
Thou art the bearer of health divine; pray for us!
May thy joys and thy sorrows be our help, O Mary!
In thee we hope; to thee we cray; pray for us!
7 The Angelus
- The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary:
- and she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary . . .
- Behold the handmaid of the Lord:
- be it done to me according to your word.
Hail Mary . . .
- And the Word was made flesh:
- and dwelt among us.
Hail Mary . . .
- Pray for us, O holy mother of God.
- That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray
Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we to whom the incarnation of Christ, your Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by his passion and cross be brought to the glory of his resurrection, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
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