The Praise of our Lady, the Virgin Mary, the Bearer of God - Wednesday
All the Hosts of Heaven say, Blessed are Thou, O Thou second heaven upon
the earth, Door of the sunrise (or the East), Mary the Virgin, Thou pure Bride
chamber of the Holy Bridegroom. The Father looked down from heaven, and
found none like unto Thee; He sent His only Son, and he became incarnate of
Thee.
Pray to Him for us, O Holy One!
All Generations shall ascribe blessings unto Thee, Thou who alone are our
Lady, the Bearer of God. Great and wonderful things have the Prophets
prophesied concerning Thee, O City of God, for Thou are the abode of all
those who rejoice. All the kings of the earth walk in Thy light and all the
nations in Thy splendor. O Mary, all generations shall ascribe blessings unto
Thee, and shall worship Him who was brought forth by Thee, and shall
magnify Him.
Pray to Him for us, O Holy One!
Thou are in very truth the Cloud, and Thou have shown us the water of the
rain, the sign of the Only begotten. The Father established Thee, the Holy
Spirit took up His abode on Thee, and the power of the Most High
overshadowed Thee, O Mary, and verily Thou did bring forth the Word, the
Son of God, who endures forever. He came and has delivered us from sin.
Great was the honor that was bestowed upon Thee, O Gabriel, the Angel of
the Annunciation with the joyful face. Thou did proclaim unto us the birth of
the Lord, Who has come to us, and Thou did announce Him to Mary, the
Spotless Virgin, and did say unto Her, “Rejoice Thou, O Thou who are full of
grace, God is with Thee.”
Pray to Him for us, O Holy One!
Thou did find grace, the Holy Spirit dwelt upon Thee, and the power of the
Most High overshadowed Thee, O Mary. Verily Thou did bring forth the Holy
Savior for all the world. He came and He hath delivered us.
Pray to Him for us, O Holy One!
Our tongue this day praises the work of the Virgin. We praise Mary, the
God Bearer, because our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ was born of Her in
the city of David. Come, O all ye nations, and let us ascribe blessing unto
Mary, for She is at once Mother and Virgin. Rejoice, O Pure Virgin, in whom
there is no blemish, to whom came the Word of the Father, Who was
incarnate of Her. Rejoice, O Vessel unblemished, perfect and spotless woman.
Rejoice Thou, O Garden endowed with reason, thou Abode of Christ, Who
became the second Adam because of the First Adam, the man. Rejoice Thou,
O woman who bore the Only Begotten, Who, was not separated from the
bosom of His Father, Rejoice, O Thou pure Bride-chamber who is adorned with
all the beauty of praise, He came and was incarnate of Thee. Rejoice, O Thorn-
bush, who was not consumed by the Fire of the Godhead. Rejoice Thou, O
Mother and Maid, Virgin, Thou Heaven of the Heavenly, who did carry in Thy
body Him who is borne aloft by the Cherubim and Seraphim. And because of
this we rejoice, and we sing with the Holy Angels with joy and gladness and
we say, “Glory to God in the heavens, and peace upon earth, His good will to
men.” And He is ever well pleased with Thee. For He unto whom belongs glory
and praise.
Pray to Him for us, O Holy One!
The glory of Mary is greater than that of all the saints, for She was worthy
to receive the Word of the Father. Him who makes the Angels to be afraid,
Him Whom the Watching Angels in heaven praise, did Mary the Virgin carry in
Her Womb. She is greater than the Cherubim, and superior to the Seraphim,
for She is an Ark (or Tabernacle) of One of the Holy Trinity. She is Jerusalem,
the city of the Prophets, and she is the habitation of the joy of all the Saints.
On the people who sat in darkness and shadow of death has a great light
risen. God who rests in His holiness became incarnate of a Virgin for our
salvation. Come ye and look upon this marvelous thing, sing ye His song
because of the mystery that has been revealed unto us. For He who was
without flesh became a man, The Word mingled with our nature, He who had
no beginning assumed a beginning for Himself, and He who had no days
reckoned to Himself days, and He who could not be known became revealed,
and He who was invisible showed Himself; the Son of the Living God became a
man indeed, Jesus Christ, yesterday, today, and forever, One Nature, Him do
we worship and praise.
Pray to Him for us, O Holy One!
Ezekiel the Prophet testified concerning Her and said, “I see a sealed door
in the East, sealed with a great and wonderful seal, and no one has gone in
through except the God of the mighty ones. He went in and He came out.”
Pray to Him for us, O Holy One!
This door is the Virgin who brought forth for us the Redeemer. She brought
Him forth, and She remained in Her virginity after She had brought him forth.
Blessed is the Fruit of Thy Womb, O God-Bearer, who came and delivered us
out of the hand of the enemy who was merciless. Complete are Thou and
Blessed; Thou has found grace with the King of Glory, the God in truth.
Majesty and Glory belong to Thee more than to all those who dwell upon the
earth. The Word of the Father came and was incarnate of Thee, and walked
about with men, for He is compassionate and a lover of men. He delivered our
souls by His Holy coming.
Pray to Him for us, O Holy One!
ALL GENERATIONS SHALL ASCRIBE BLESSINGS UNTO THEE, THOU WHO ALONE
ARE OUR LADY, THE BEARER OF GOD.