Sunday Morning Visitation to Elizabeth

THE VISITATION TO ELIZABETH
Third Sunday of Announcement
Safro
INTRODUCTION
DOXOLOGY
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as we begin and until we conclude.
May mercy and compassion be poured forth upon us
in this world and the next.
O Lord, our God, to you be glory for ever.
Amen.
OPENING PRAYER
O Word of God,
through your incarnation in the Virgin you have
shown us a marvel:
while still in the Virgin’s womb, you visited
your Forerunner and filled him with your glory.
Lord, fill our hearts with veneration and respect,
our souls with faith and love,
and put praise and glory on our lips.
Then we shall rejoice and exalt you with your Forerunner
and Elizabeth
and glorify you, your Father and your Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.
GREETING
Peace be with the Church and her children.
PRAISE OF THE ANGELS
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace on earth and good will to all.
Praise the Lord all you nations,
glorify him all you peoples,
for steadfast is his mercy toward us,
and the truth of the Lord endures for ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever.
and peace on earth and good will to all.

PSALMODY
FIRST PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
Lord,
you work wonders and guide the universe,
your works fill our spirit with holy fear.
With your Mother you went to the mountains of Judea
to share a spiritual joy with your Forerunner, who was
in the womb of his mother.
Fill our spirits with your light and our hearts with your love.
That we may praise you, the Most High, yet humble One,
with your Father and your Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.
PSALM OF THE DAY
Antiphon:
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

Luke 1: 46-55
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and 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 the rich he has sent 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,
now and for ever. Amen.

Antiphon:
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

[HYMN]
ˇ
The Hymn, “The Church” (page may
be sung following the Evening Psalms.
HOOSOYO
SECOND PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
O Christ,
from your rich treasure you have enriched our poverty.
The child in the womb of Elizabeth rejoiced at meeting you
and you filled him with grace.
Fill us now with spiritual thoughts and lead us in the way of
good works
that we may follow your footsteps.
Then we shall give glory to you, your Father and your Holy Spirit now and for ever. Amen.
NUHRO (HYMN OF LIGHT)
The Light of the just and joy of the upright in Christ Jesus,
our Lord.
Begotten of the Father, he manifested Himself to us.
He came to rescue us from darkness and to fill us with the
radiance of his light.
Day is dawning upon us; the power of darkness is fading away.
From the true Light there arises from us the light which illumines our darkened eyes.
His glory shines upon the world and enlightens the very depths of the abyss.
Death is annihilated, night has vanished, and the gates of Sheol are broken.

Creatures lying in darkness from ancient times are clothed in
light.
The dead arise from the dust and sing because they have a Savior.
He brings salvation and grants us life.
He ascends to his Father on high.
He will return in glorious splendor and shed his light on those gazing upon him.
Our King comes in majestic glory,
Let us light our lamps and go forth to meet him.
Let us find our joy in him, for he has found joy in us.
He will indeed rejoice us with his marvelous light.
Let us glorify the majesty of the Son and give thanks to
the almighty Father, who,
in an outpouring of love, sent him to us, to fill us with
hope and salvation.
When he manifests himself, the saints awaiting him in
weariness and sorrow,
will go forth to meet him with lighted lamps.
The angels and guardians of heaven will rejoice in the
glory of the just and upright people of the earth;
together, crowned with victory, they will sing hymns and psalms.
Stand up then and be ready!
Give thanks to our King and Savior, who will come in great
glory to gladden us with his marvelous light in his kingdom.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen. Alleluia.
[HYMN]
Either the Hymn, “The Return of Christ” (page 169) or the
Hymn, “Christ the Light” (page 169) may be sung after the
Nuhro.
THIRD PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
Lord,
you formed children in the womb and willed to submit
yourself to the law of human nature;

grant us to be always filled with joy of praising you
in purity and chastity.
Let your light shine upon us and help us to know you.
May we then go forth to your royal kingdom where we shall
praise you,
with the Father and your Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.
MORNING PSALMS
Psalm 148
Alleluia.
Praise the Lord from the heavens,
praise him in the heights;
Praise him, all you his angels,
praise him, all you his hosts.
Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for he commanded and they were created;
He established them forever and ever;
he gave them a duty which shall not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth,
you sea monsters and all depths;
Fire and hail, snow and mist,
storm winds that fulfill his word;
You mountains and all you hills,
you fruit trees and all you cedars;
You wild beasts and all tame animals,
you creeping things and you winged fowl.

Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,
the princes and all the judges of the earth,

Young men too, and maidens,
old men and boys,
Praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
His majesty is above earth and heaven,
and he has lifted up the horn of his people.
Be this his praise from all his faithful ones,
from the children of Israel, the people close to him.
Alleluia.
Psalm 149:1-6
Alleluia.
Sing to the Lord a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
Alleluia.
Psalm 150
Alleluia.
Praise the Lord in his sanctuary,
praise him in the firmament of his strength.
Praise him for his mighty deeds,
praise him for his sovereign majesty.
Praise him with the blast of the trumpet,
praise him with lyre and harp.
Praise him with timbrel and dance,
praise him with strings and pipe.
Praise him with sounding cymbals,

praise him with clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath
praise the Lord!
Alleluia.
Psalm 117
Praise the Lord, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!
For steadfast is his mercy toward us,
and the truth of the Lord endures for ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.
Alleluia.
[CANTICLE]
The “Canticle of the Three Children” (page 168) may
follow the Morning Psalms.

HOOSOYO
PROEMION
Praise, glory and honor to the true God
whose Spirit one cannot fathom and upon whose face one
cannot gaze.
He alone possesses perfect knowledge and full comprehension,
and is the creator of all things seen and unseen, without
beginning or end.
To the Good One is due glory and honor this morning,
and al the days of our lives,
now and for ever. Amen.
SEDRO
You, who dwell in the heights and are served b y seraphim and
glorified by the cherubim,
descended from your heavens and came to us.
In the house of Zechariah you poured your grace upon your
Forerunner.
On this day, the words of the prophet are fulfilled:
“Rejoice, O Mount Zion, and leap with joy, O hills of
Judea.”
On this day, Elizabeth rejoices and sings:
“Come in peace, burning bush of Moses, fleece of Gideon,
lamp of the sanctuary of Zechariah.”
“Come in peace, full of grace, you are blessed among
women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”
May we commemorate this wonderful feast with spiritual hymns,
asking you, O Word of God, by our incense (prayer) to grant us you grace,
enlighten us with your light, and strengthen us in the true faith.
May our joy bring us to you and may we desire to meet you with all our heart.
All of us, the living and the dead will give glory to you,
your Father, and your Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.

QOLO
On this day, the Virgin visits her relative Elizabeth, bringing to her the blessings of the two covenants.
Elizabeth rejoices at Mary’s greeting and cries out: “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”
ETRO
O Fragrance which surpasses all fragrances
and which resembles no other scent,
perfume our souls with your sweetness and fill our
hearts with your image.
Enlighten us with your light and keep our lives in your grace.
In your goodness, grant rest to the dead
and we shall give glory to you, your Father, and
your Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.
MAZMOORO
The One whom the seraphim serve and dare not gaze upon the
splendor of his face,
descended into the womb of the pure Virgin and
entered the house of his Forerunner.
The Lord who is seated on the cherubim, descended into the
womb and entered the house of his Forerunner.
Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your
womb.
Blessed is the One who placed himself within his
servant and entered into the house of his servants.

SCRIPTURE READINGS
A Reading from the Book of Wisdom
Wisdom 7: 5-14
For no king has any different origin or birth, but one is the entry into life for all; and in one same way they leave it. Therefore I prayed, and prudence was given me; I pleaded and the spirit of Wisdom came to me. I preferred her to scepter and throne, And deemed riches nothing in comparison with her, nor did I liken any priceless gem to her; Because all gold, in view of her, is a little sand, and before her, silver is to be accounted mire. Beyond health and comeliness I loved her, And I chose to have her rather than the light, because the splendor of her never yields to sleep. Yet all good things together came to me in her company, and countless riches at her hands; And I rejoiced in them all, because Wisdom is their leader, though I had not known that she is the mother of these. Simply I learned about her, and ungrudgingly do I share — her riches I do not hide away; For to men she is an unfailing treasure; those who gain this treasure win the friendship of God, to whom the gifts they have from discipline commend them.
A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 26: 1-18
Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You may now speak on your own behalf.” So Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense. “I count myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am to defend myself before you today against all the charges made against me by the Jews, especially since you are an expert in all the Jewish customs and controversies. And therefore I beg you to listen patiently.
My manner of living from my youth, a life spent from the beginning among my people and in Jerusalem, all the Jews know. They have known about me from the start, if they are willing to testify, that I have lived my life as a Pharisee, the

strictest party of our religion. But now I am standing trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors. Our twelve tribes hope to attain to that promise as they fervently worship God day and night; and on account of this hope I am accused by Jews, O king. Why is it thought unbelievable among you that God raises the dead? I myself once thought that I had to do many things against the name of Jesus the Nazorean, and I did so in Jerusalem. I imprisoned many of the holy ones with the authorization I received from the chief priests, and when they were to be put to death I cast my vote against them. Many times, in synagogue after synagogue, I punished them in an attempt to force them to blaspheme; I was so enraged against them that I pursued them even to foreign cities. “On one such occasion I was traveling to Damascus with the authorization and commission of the chief priests. At midday, along the way, O king, I saw a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my traveling companions. We all fell to the ground and I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goad.’ And I said, ‘Who are you, sir?’ And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. Get up now, and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness of what you have seen [of me] and what you will be shown.
I shall deliver you from this people and from the Gentiles to whom I send you, to open their eyes that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may obtain forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been consecrated by faith in me.’

HOOTOMO
GREAT DOXOLOGY
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and joy-filled hope to all.
We praise you, we adore you, we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord and Creator, King of heaven, God the Father almighty,
Lord God, only Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son and Word of the Father,
you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us;
you take away the sin of the world, hear us and receive
our prayer.
You are seated in glory at the right hand of your Father,
for give us and have mercy on us;
For you alone are holy,
you alone are the Lord, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.
At all times, and all the days of our lives, we worship
you and praise your holy and blessed name,
which is and has been from age to age.
Blessed are you, Lord almighty, God of our fathers.
May your name be glorified, praised and exalted for ever.
To you be glory, praise and exaltation, God of all,
Father of truth, with the only Son and the living and Holy Spirit, now and for ever.
Amen.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
O God,
you are before all ages and exist from age to age;
you are resplendent and glorified in unsearchable light;
through your word, you bring forth light and give us a new
day.
O radiant Day and source of light,
we glorify you, adore you and offer you praise night and day;
accept our praise and answer our prayer.
Send us your abundant blessings, through the mercy of your
Christ.
To him, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be glory, honor and power,
now and forever. Amen.