Cambridge Lay Dominicans: December 2013

Sunday, 29 December 2013

The Rosary - Luminous mysteries

Traditionally the full Rosary was composed of the sequence of:

Joyful mysteries - from the Annunciation to the Finding of Jesus in the temple
Sorrowful mysteries - from the Agony in the garden to the Crucifixion
Glorious mysteries - from the Resurrection of Jesus to the Coronation of Mary

This left a gap in meditating the life of Jesus from when he was about twelve to when he was thirty-three. Although not very much is known of the life of Jesus during those years, the Gospels tell us about the public years from thirty to thirty-three.

In 2002 a set of five new mysteries was announced by Pope John Paul II. The Luminous mysteries. These span the years of the public life of Jesus from the Baptism in the Jordan to the institution of the Eucharist on Holy Thursday.

The Luminous mysteries

First Luminous mystery: The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan.
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

Matthew 3:13-17
Second Luminous mystery: The Wedding at Cana.
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
John 2:1-11
Third Luminous mystery: Jesus' Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”
Mark 1:15
Fourth Luminous mystery: The Transfiguration.
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

Matthew 17:1-8
Fifth Luminous mystery: The Institution of the Eucharist.
While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
Matthew 26:26-29

Friday, 27 December 2013

Peace is not a balance of opposing forces

"True peace is not a balance of opposing forces. It is not a lovely ‘façade’ which conceals conflicts and divisions. Peace calls for daily commitment, starting from God’s gift, from the grace which he has given us in Jesus Christ” Pope Francis, Urbi et Orbi Message (25/12/2013)

In his Christmas message, delivered as usual from the loggia of St. Peter’s Square in Rome, Pope Francis prayed for peace, peace as an active commitment, peace as a fruit of God's grace and mercy, peace as something to be shared by every human being.

The complete message is here

Thursday, 26 December 2013

Santa Sabina

Santa Sabina, the fifth century basilica on the Aventine hill in Rome, is the church of the mother house of the Order of Preachers, the Dominicans.

Fr Allan White OP, formerly Prior provincial of the Order in England, now based in the USA, narrates a 30-minute film, by Blackfriars Films, about this ancient, beautiful, sacred place, and about the origins of the Dominican Order.

(There are many other OP films at Vimeo via the same link.)

Joy to the world!

Addie Mena/CNA

Student brothers and friars from the Dominican House of Studies, along with Dominican sisters from the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecelia and the Dominican Sisters of Mary, took a short ride from their Washington, D.C. priory and convent to sing Advent and Christmas carols to people walking the downtown streets on Dec. 16.

Some of the friars, brothers and sisters also stopped to talk to the people walking by, praying with them, answering their questions about Catholicism and the meaning of Christmas, and handing out crucifixes blessed by Pope Francis.

The full story...

Surprisingly, a perfect fit.

Via Tweeter @DecentFilms

Wednesday, 25 December 2013

Gingerbread Basilica

The Novices at Blackfriars Cambridge have shown their building capabilities by creating a gingerbread Basilica, for the pleasure of us all.

Merry Christmas!

The whole, glorious story

The Word was made flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Venite adoremus.

Tuesday, 24 December 2013

Journeying to tomorrow

Monday, 23 December 2013

The visit of Mary to Elizabeth

A homily for 21 December (cf. St Luke 1, 39-45) by fr Bob Eccles OP of Blackfriars, Cambridge, England. Fr Bob is Promoter of Dominican Laity in the Province of England, Wales and Scotland and religious assistant (chaplain) to our Fraternity.

_________________

St Paul’s church in Antwerp is a baroque jewel in a gothic shrine. Perhaps the finest remaining church in northern Europe to have been founded by Dominicans, it still breathes the spirit of the Order.

There is plenty of evidence here of that affection and friendship that unites Dominicans and artists in every age. Rubens, Van Dyck and Caravaggio are among those who made what we see. Rubens also painted portraits of his friends among the brethren, one he kept for his own fine house. So we can be fairly sure that the Antwerp Dominicans were the theologians behind the schema of Ruben’s Antwerp paintings, the ones that made his name. Look at the stunning Descent from the Cross that took its place in the cathedral 400 years ago, 1612 is the date on the wooden label. This was the altarpiece commissioned by the guild of the harquebusiers for their altar, to replace the one destroyed in the iconoclastic fury. A Protestant mob had gutted the cathedral, a Spanish army had come to avenge the crime in fire and sword. Now in more peaceful and prosperous times it was the moment to make a beautiful Catholic cathedral once again.

The harquebusiers – the harquebus or hackbut was a sort of primitive muzzle-loading musket – had St Christopher as their patron. But an image of St Christopher would not have been in the spirit of the new evangelism of the Counter-Reformation. Still, the thought of St Christopher, Christ-bearer, suggested the theme. It was to be, the bearing of Christ, declined in all the passages illustrating this in the gospels.

When the side panels of the picture, its shutters, are turned inwards, we see depicted on their backs the doughty muscular giant – a great giant is Christopher – bearing the Christ-child across the river, the hermit to one side waving his lantern encouragingly.

Open the panels and three pictures confront us. In the central scene, the body of the Crucified, it has a ghostly pallor contrasting with St John’s red robe, is being reverently borne from the cross and lowered into the arms of his mother. To the right, Jesus and Mary bring the Christ-child into the temple for Simeon to take him up joyfully and bear him in his arms. And on the left, the subject of today’s gospel, the visit of the mother bearing her child to the house of Elizabeth.

It is a bright breezy day in the hill country. We can see for miles. The last lap of Mary’s journey, the hill climb, leads her to the steps to Zechariah’s front door. The two couples meet on the doorstep, Mary’s billowing robe and demure look of content, and the movement of the hands of both women bringing us to realize the motives of their wonder and joy. Like the other compositions nothing here is static, all breathes action and movement, we are caught up in the shock and thrill of it. Yet it invites to still contemplation. Every detail tells in the paintings, the soles of Joseph’s bare feet, a brass bowl on the ground with the crown of thorns and some blood, and in the visitation scene, in a dusty space below the arch of the stairs we spot a peacock, symbol of eternal life, and a cock, the bird of sacrifice.

A triptych retable like this one is designed so that the two hinged panels may be folded over the central one, hiding the splendour within, at times when nothing is happening at the altar below. So if we could see this as it was first designed to be fully seen, it would be at Mass, with the guildsmen and their families surrounding the altar. What is spoken of in the language of the picture is realised in mystery in the holy sacrifice.

In a moment the priest will turn from the altar and bring down to those who kneel at the altar rail, the Eucharistic body of Christ. Just as the priest at every Mass bears the body of the Lord to the faithful, so that they in turn may become the bearers of Christ to the world. He who was carried in her womb by Mary, held in the arms of Simeon, and delivered to his afflicted mother, he it is who is known as triumphant in his glory now and made known in the breaking of the bread.

We are those who are invited to become the bearers of the mystery, sent away from our morning Mass to glorify God with our lives. Isn’t that what we are invited to understand anew at Christmas? The Lord has visited his people. The Word has taken flesh and dwelt among us. We are the ones to see, and seeing share that glimpse of glory in our turn. Amen.

Sunday, 22 December 2013

The Rosary - Glorious mysteries

The Glorious mysteries

The Glorious mysteries are the events happened from the Resurrection of Jesus.

First Glorious mystery: The Resurrection
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.
John 20:1-10
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
John 20:19-23
Second Glorious mystery: The Ascension
When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:9-11
Third Glorious mystery: The Descent of the Holy Spirit
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Acts 2:1-4
Fourth Glorious mystery: The Assumption of Mary

The Roman Catholic Church teaches as dogma that the Virgin Mary "having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory." This doctrine was dogmatically defined by Pope Pius XII on November 1, 1950, in the Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus by exercising papal infallibility. While the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church believe in the Dormition of the Theotokos, which is the same as the Assumption, the alleged physical death of Mary has not been dogmatically defined.
Fifth Glorious mystery: The Coronation of the Virgin
A great portent appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
Revelation 12:1

Sunday, 15 December 2013

The Rosary - Sorrowful mysteries

The Sorrowful mysteries

The Sorrowful mysteries span two days from the Agony of Jesus in the Garden on Holy Thursday to his death on Good Friday.

First Sorrowful mystery: The Agony in the Garden
He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. When he reached the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.” Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground. When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.”
While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him; but Jesus said to him, “Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?”
Luke 22:39-48
Second Sorrowful mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar
Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.
John 19:1
Third Sorrowful mystery: The Crowning with thorns
Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters); and they called together the whole cohort. And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. And they began saluting him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
Mark 15:16-20
Fourth Sorrowful mystery: The Carrying of the Cross
So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha.
John 19:16-17
Fifth Sorrowful mystery: The Crucifixion
There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”
John 19:18-19
Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
John 19:25-30
Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out.
John 19:32-34
Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. 42 And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
John 19:41-42

Sunday, 8 December 2013

The Rosary - Joyful mysteries

The Mysteries of the Rosary are meditations on episodes in the life of Jesus. Meditating on the events of the life of Jesus through the Rosary means to look at them from a special point of view: the point of view of Mary, his mother.
With this prayer, we ask the blessed Mary, who was near Jesus from the annunciation to ascension and beyond, to teach us about these events. We also thank and praise God for them as we meditate on them.

Among the events in the life of Jesus, fifteen of them are traditionally meditated upon during the Rosary. These were standardized in the 16th century and grouped into three sets of five: the Joyful mysteries, the Sorrowful mysteries and the Glorious mysteries. In 2002 a new set of five was introduced, the Luminous mysteries.

The Joyful mysteries

The Joyful mysteries span from the Annunciation to the finding of Jesus in the Temple when he was about twelve.

First Joyful mystery: the Annunciation
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Luke 1:26-38
Second Joyful mystery: the Visitation
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”
Luke 1:39-45
Third Joyful mystery: the Nativity
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Luke 2:1-7
Fourth Joyful mystery: the Presentation
When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
Luke 2:22-24
Fifth Joyful mystery: the Finding of Jesus in the Temple
Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them. Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.
Luke 2:41-51

Wednesday, 4 December 2013

Advent musing... 'Something's coming'... something good?

Alzheimer's, for instance?

In the UK's Daily Telegraph (paywall) the celebrated Catholic pianist/composer Stephen Hough writes movingly about a condition which causes so much fear among so many. Me, for instance. All too often these days I find myself wondering, "Um, what did I want in here? Maybe it'll come back to me if I go out and come in again...' Just daft, maybe (so no change there?) but... God knows what's coming to me as I advance into decrepitude..

Here's a taste of Hough's piece:

Fr O'Leary recently wrote a beautiful, provocative, moving mediation on Alzheimer's disease called 'Silent grace of forgetting'. All of us face the possibility of dementia in varying degrees, either in our own future lives or in the lives of those we love. Its threat is to suck out the personality of the person, leaving behind an empty husk or, worse, a familiar body filled with unfamiliar malevolence – a strange enemy where a dear friend had stood. It's disturbing when it's not damned terrifying.

In his article Fr O'Leary dares to explore a possible spirituality behind this dreadful disease in the need for "care-filled reverence, [for us to be] the memory for the person, to hold the fragments of a life together".

He points out that "it is not our minds alone which make us human", and he quotes Thomas Merton who wrote of "the secret beauty of their hearts where neither sin nor desire nor self-awareness can reach, the core of their reality, the person that each one is in God's eyes".

If you want to read it all, there is a PDF here. Left click to view it, right click to save it.

If you are the copyright owner and want me to take the PDF down, well, that would be sad but I'll do it without delay. Write to me via our contacts page.

Sunday, 1 December 2013

The Rosary - Introduction

The Rosary is a kind of prayer really dear to the Dominicans. It is a way of meditating on the events of the life of Jesus with the help of his mother.
Pope John Paul II wrote an apostolic letter about the rosary and its value in the present time: Rosarium Virginis Mariae (in English).

This prayer has many layers.

Let's start with the physical layer: the rosary prayer beads and the prayers said. The rosary beads are just a device to keep count of the prayers said. Praying the Rosary does not require a set of beads at all, however having one is helpful to avoid being distracted by the count. Counting on the fingers works well too.

The following description of structure of the rosary is assuming that a common string of rosary prayer beads is available. In case it is not, just count the given number of repetitions.

The structure of the Rosary:

The sign of the cross on the Crucifix and then the Apostles' Creed;
The Our Father on the first large bead;
The Hail Mary on each of the three small beads with the following intentions:

For the increase of faith
For the increase of hope
For the increase of charity

The Glory Be to the Fathe.

Then repeat the following for five times:

Announce the mystery - i.e. one of the events of the life of Jesus
The Our Father on the large bead
The Hail Mary on each of the ten small beads;
The Glory Be to the Father;
The Fatima prayer.

Then conclude with:

The Hail Holy Queen and the sign of the cross.

The prayers to say during a Rosary are:

The sign of the cross
In the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Apostles' Creed
I believe in God,
the Father Almighty,
Creator of Heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day, He rose again.
He ascended to Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting. Amen.
Our Father
Our Father, Who art in heaven
Hallowed be Thy Name;
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
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.
Glory be to the Father
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.
Fatima prayer
O My Jesus, Forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to Heaven. Especially those who are in most need of thy mercy.
Hail Holy Queen
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 toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus, O merciful, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Amen.

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