The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary · Common Prayers · The Holy Rosary
“This work has been consecrated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. We pray her Office because the work belongs to her.”
The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary is among the oldest continuous prayers in the Western Church. Where the Divine Office prays the full Psalter through the mysteries of Christ, the Little Office gathers those same hours under the mantle of Our Lady. To pray it is to ask her to stand in every hour of the day alongside the work.
Enoch Capital operates under her patronage and under the intercession of St. Joseph, her spouse. The research, the writing, the service to investors — it belongs to her. We do not own the fruit of it. She disposes it as she sees fit for the glory of God and the good of souls. That is what consecration means in practice.
Matins is prayed before dawn, or at the beginning of the work day. Compline is the last prayer before sleep — the Church’s night prayer, the moment we lay the day at her feet.
Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto. Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen. Allelúia.
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.
Attributed to Venantius Fortunatus, 6th century
Ego ex ore Altíssimi prodívi, primogénita ante omnem creatúram: ego feci in cælis ut oirétur lumen indefíciens, et sicut nébula téxi omnem terram: ego in altíssimis habitávi, et thronus meus in colúmna nubis.
I came forth from the mouth of the Most High, the firstborn before all creatures: I caused a light that never fails to arise in the heavens, and as a cloud I covered all the earth: I dwelt in the highest places, and my throne is a pillar of cloud.
Grátiam tuam, quæsumus Dómine, méntibus nostris infúnde; ut qui, Ángelo nuntiánte, Christi Fílii tui Incarnatiónem cognóvimus, per passiónem eius et crucem ad resurrectiónis glóriam perducámur. Per eúndem Christum Dóminum nostrum.
R. Amen.
Pour forth, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy grace into our hearts; that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ thy 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.
R. Amen.
Fratres: Sóbrii estóte et vigiláte: quia adversárius vester diábolus tamquam leo rúgiens círcuit quærens quem deváret: cui resístite fortes in fide.
Confíteor Deo omnipoténti… (in corde vel voce)
Glória Patri… Allelúia.
Brethren: Be sober and watch, because your adversary the devil goeth about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist ye, strong in faith.
I confess to God Almighty… (said silently or aloud)
Glory be… Alleluia.
The Church’s ancient night hymn — prayed continuously since at least the 4th century
Sicut vitis fructificávi suavitátem odóris: et flores mei fructus honóris et honestátis. Ego mater púlchræ dilectiónis, et timóris, et agnitiónis, et sanctæ spei.
As a vine I have brought forth a pleasant fragrance; and my flowers are the fruit of honor and riches. I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope.
Glória Patri…
Glory be…
Nunc dimíttis servum tuum, Dómine,
secúndum verbum tuum in pace:
Quia vidérunt óculi mei salutáre tuum
Quod parásti ante fáciem ómnium populórum:
Lumen ad revelatiónem géntium,
Et glóriam plebis tuæ Israël.
Glória Patri…
Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace,
according to thy word:
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation
which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples:
A light to lighten the Gentiles,
and the glory of thy people Israel.
Glory be…
Omnípotens sempitérne Deus, qui gloriosæ Vírginis Matris Maríæ corpus et ánimam, ut dignum Fílii tui habitáculum effíci mererétur, Spíritu Sancto cooperánte, præparásti: da, ut cuius commemoratióne lætámur, eius pia intercessióne ab instántibus malis et a morte perpétua liberémur. Per eúndem Christum Dóminum nostrum.
R. Amen.
Almighty and everlasting God, who by the co-operation of the Holy Spirit didst prepare body and soul of the glorious Virgin Mary that she might become a worthy dwelling for thy Son: grant that we who rejoice in her commemoration may, by her loving intercession, be delivered from present evils and from everlasting death. Through the same Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
The Salve Regina is sung at the close of Compline throughout Ordinary Time. In Advent and Christmas: Alma Redemptoris Mater. Candlemas through Holy Saturday: Ave Regina Caelorum. Eastertide: Regina Caeli.
Salve, Regína, mater misericórdiæ;
vita, dulcédo et spes nostra, salve.
Ad te clamámus éxsules fílii Hevæ.
Ad te suspirámus geméntes et flentes
in hac lacrimárum valle.
Eia ergo, advocáta nostra,
illos tuos misericórdes óculos ad nos convérte.
Et Iesum, benedíctum fructum ventris tui,
nobis post hoc exsílium osténde.
O clemens, o pia, o dulcis Virgo María.
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 valley 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 clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Ad te, beáte Ioseph, in tribulatióne nostra confúgimus, atque, implórato Sponsæ tuæ sanctíssimæ auxílio, patrocínium quoque tuum fidénter expóscimus. Per eam, quæso, quæ te cum immaculáta Vírgine Dei Genetríce coniúnxit, caritátem, perque patérnum, quo Púerum Iesum amplexus es, amórem, súpplices deprecámur, ut ad hereditátem, quam Iesus Christus sánguine suo comparávit, benignus respícias, ac necessitátibus nostris tua virtúte et ope succúrras.
Tutelator olim sanctíssimæ Famíliæ, Ecclésiam Iesu Christi cústodi nunc cæléstis Famíliæ; amóve a nobis, amantíssime Pater, omnem errórum ac corruptelárum pestem; propítius nobis désuper in certámine cum potestáte tenebrárum adésto; et sicut olim Púerum Iesum e summo eripuísti perículo vitæ, ita nunc Ecclésiam sanctam Dei ab hostílibus insídiis atque ab omni adversitáte defénde; nosque síngulos tuo perpétuo patrocínio tuére, ut ad tui similitúdinem tua virtúte fulti, sancte vívere, pie emóri, sempiternamque in cælis beatitúdinem ássequi possímus. Amen.
To you, O blessed Joseph, do we come in our tribulation, and having implored the help of your most holy Spouse, we confidently invoke your patronage also. Through that charity which bound you to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God and through the paternal love with which you embraced the Child Jesus, we humbly beg you graciously to regard the inheritance which Jesus Christ has purchased by his Blood, and with your power and strength to aid us in our necessities.
O most watchful guardian of the Holy Family, defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ; O most loving father, ward off from us every contagion of error and corrupting influence; O our most mighty protector, be kind to us and from heaven assist us in our struggle with the power of darkness. As once you rescued the Child Jesus from deadly peril, so now protect God’s Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity; shield, too, each one of us by your constant protection, so that, supported by your example and your aid, we may be able to live piously, to die in holiness, and to obtain eternal happiness in heaven. Amen.
Five decades. Twenty minutes. The school of Mary. Pope John Paul II called it “a compendium of the Gospel.” The mysteries are prayed by day of the week.
Both channels publish daily rosary videos with the correct mysteries for the day. The Rosary Network posts individual mystery sets; EWTN broadcasts the full rosary live at noon ET. Find today’s video on either channel. Luminous Mysteries were added by Pope John Paul II in Rosarium Virginis Mariae (2002).