The Visitation of the Virgin to Elizabeth








♰الْمَجْدُ للهِ! ♰Praise be to God always!♰ܬܶܫܒܽܘܚܬܳܐ ܠܰܐܠܳܗܳܐ! ♰



Entrance Hymn

Mary and Elizabeth Met in Judea

Syriac: fsheeto

Alleluia!
Mary and Elizabeth met in Judea.
Mary carried in her womb our Lord and Savior,
the Son of God.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s words,
John then leapt for joy.
In the womb, John trembled in his Master’s presence.
Let the great and mighty Son be praised and worshipped.
Alleluia! Give thanks to the Lord!
Alleluia!
When Elizabeth received the Virgin’s greeting,
filled with inspiration by the Holy Spirit,
she cried aloud:
“Blest among all women, blest are you,
Mother of my Lord.
Truly blessèd is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.”
The Eternal Word now dwells within you, Mary.
Alleluia! Give thanks to the Lord!
Alleluia!
Then Elizabeth proclaimed, “O Blessèd Mary!
John my child has leapt for joy, in longing for Christ,
your Son, our Lord.
You are like the heavens, full of light;
Jesus, like the sun.
All in heaven and on earth bow down in worship.
Even children long to see your Son, the Savior!”
Alleluia! Give thanks to the Lord!

Opening Prayers

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

O hidden and exalted Lord, Jesus Christ, you came down from heaven and dwelt in the womb of the Virgin Mary for our salvation. You visited John, your forerunner, while he was still in his mother’s womb. In your mercy, viour souls and bodies, that we may praise you with purity and glorify you, your Father, and your Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

Prayer of Forgiveness (Husoyo)

Proemion

Let us raise glory, honor, and praise to the Father’s exalted Son, whose majesty fills the heavens and whose goodness is poured out upon the earth. In his mercy, he chose to be confined in Mary’s pure womb, and he filled his forerunner, John, with the Holy Spirit. To the Good One be glory and honor, on this feast, and all the days of our lives, and forever. Amen.

Sedro

Glory to you, Eternal Son, born of the Father before all ages. At the appointed time, you became flesh of the Virgin Mary, in a mysterious way beyond our understanding.
O King of kings and Savior of the world, you left the throne of your glory and became man. No mind can comprehend such humility and no tongue can describe it. Your mother took you to the hills of Judea while you were still in her womb, and there you met John, filling him with the joy of your Holy Spirit, and then the hills were filled with joy and gladness.
We implore you, with the fragrance of this incense, and with the children and angels cry out: Glorify the Lord our God, and praise him forever!
Now, with John, we ask you to shower your mercy upon us, assist us with your strength, enlighten us by your teaching, and help us to know you. Make us worthy, with our departed, to stand at your right in your heavenly dwellings, that we may raise glory and thanks to you, to your Father, and to your Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.

Hymn (Qolo)

Blest Be Christ Who Came to John

Syriac: lmaryam yoldat aloho

Alleluia!
Blest be Christ who came to John while in the womb.
John rejoiced when he had heard his Master’s voice.
Praise to him who has assumed our humble state
and, through mercy, lifted up our lowly race.
Alleluia!
“My soul magnifies the Lord,” the Virgin sang.
“He has chosen me to bear his only Son.
He recalled his mercy shown to Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob, and the just, from ancient times.”

Etro

O God of Peace, you reconcile the heights and the depths. Now we ask you to accept the fragrance of our incense, and establish peace among all nations of the earth and among the children of your Church. Extend the right hand of your mercy upon us and upon our departed, that we may glorify you, your Father, and your Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.

Qadishat Aloho (Trisagion)

ܩܰܕܺܝܫܰܬ ܐܰܠܳܗܳܐ. ܩܰܕܺܝܫܰܬ ܚܰܝܶܠܬܳܢܳܐ. ܩܰܕܺܝܫܰܬ ܠܳܐ ܡܳܝܽܘܬܳܐ. ܐܶܬܪܰܚܰܡ ܥܠܰܝܢ.
Qadishat Aloho. Qadishat Hayeltono. Qadishat lo moyuto. EtraHam 3alayn.
You are holy, O God. You are holy, O Strong One. You are holy, O Imortal One. Have mercy on us.
قُدُوسٌ أَنْتَ يا الله، قُدُوسٌ أَنْتَ يا قَوِي، قُدُوسٌ أَنْتَ يا مَنْ لا يَموتْ، إِرْحَمْنا

Holy and immortal Lord, sanctify our minds and purify our consciences, that we may praise you with purity and listen to your Holy Scriptures. To you be glory forever. Amen.

Psalm of the Readings

Syriac: ramremain

Christ the Lord, who is carried
by the hosts of seraphim,
comes to vihis servants
while he dwells in Mary’s womb.
Our Lord dwells in the Virgin,
though enthroned on cherubim.
When he visits his servants,
John is baptized in the womb.
Blest are you, Holy Mary,
and the fruit of your pure womb!
Christ withholds not his mercy,
showing that his love is true.

Epistle

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians. Your blessing, Father.

Glory to the Lord of Paul and the apostles! May the mercy of God descend upon the reader and the listeners and upon this parish and her children forever. Amen.

Brothers and Sisters:
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 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, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that 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 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.
(Ephesians 1:1-14)

Praise be to God always!

Gospel

Alleluia! Alleluia!
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”
(Luke 1:46–47)
Alleluia!

Before the proclamation of the Gospel of our Savior, announcing life for our souls, we offer this incense and ask for your mercy, O Lord.

Peace be with you.

And with your spirit.

From the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke, who proclaimed life to the world.
Let us listen to the proclalation of life and salvation for our souls.

Remain silent, O listeners, for the Holy Gospel is about to be proclaimed to you.
Listen and give glory and thanks to the Word of the living God.

The Evangelist wrote:
During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."
(Luke 1:39-45)

This is the truth! Peace be with you!

Praise and blessings to Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, for giving us his words of life.