As part of our family's bedtime liturgy, after prayers and hymns the last thing our children hear and sing is one of the four seasonal Marian Antiphons. These ancient chants not only give them a little more calmness at the close of the day, but more importantly something to turn their thoughts heavenward as they drift to sleep.
What I especially love about this practice is that it is borrowed directly from the monastic tradition. In the life of a monastic house the final occasion of group prayer each day is the office of Compline, and the last prayer of Compline is always a seasonal Marian Antiphon.
The antiphons are probably already familiar to some of your family members in the form of their English prayers. Currently we are in the season of the Salve Regina or "Hail, Holy Queen" This season is the longest of the four and spans from Pentecost until Advent begins. From Advent through February 2nd (Candlemas) the Alma Redemptoris Mater or "O Loving Mother of Our Redeemer" is sung. Next we sing the Ave Regina Caelorum or "Hail, O Queen of Heaven Enthroned " beginning the day after Candlemas until Easter. Finally the Regina Caeli or "Queen of Heaven, Rejoice." is used the entirety of Eastertide ending with Pentecost.
If you are wanting to be more intentional about living liturgically or shape your home into more of a Domestic Monastery this is an easy tradition to institute by simply playing the chant at the end of your family's bedtime routine. With the investment of merely a couple of minutes each night, these medieval antiphons are a straightforward way to deepen the relationship between your family and Our Lady. Additionally your children will learn to sing the beautiful chants with the monks before you know it.
Below are recordings of the four simple tones that we use to chant along, the time of year they are used, and their English texts. The text of the chants are in Latin but supper has been a convenient time to pray the English form of each prayer for greater understanding.
To help incorporate this tradition into your family I have also provided a {FREE} prayer book guide with more history, ideas. and the text in both Latin and English for all the antiphons. I pray it is a blessing to your family!
What are some of your family's Catholic bedtime traditions? I'd love to read about them in the comments!
Help your family grow closer to Mary!
Salve Regina
Pentecost - Advent
Hail, Holy Queen
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy,
our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve.
To thee to 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.
Alma Redemptoris Mater
Advent - Candlemas
O Loving Mother of Our Redeemer
O loving Mother of our Redeemer,
gate of heaven, star of the sea,
Hasten to aid thy fallen people
who strive to rise once more.
Thou who brought forth thy holy Creator,
all creation wond'ring,
Yet remainest ever Virgin,
taking from Gabriel's lips that joyful "Hail!":
be merciful to us sinners.
Ave Regina Caelorum
Candlemas - Easter
Hail, O Queen of Heaven Enthroned
Hail, O Queen of Heaven enthroned.
Hail, by angels mistress owned.
Root of Jesse, Gate of Morn
Whence the world's true light was born:
Glorious Virgin, Joy to thee,
Loveliest whom in heaven they see;
Fairest thou, where all are fair,
Plead with Christ our souls to spare.
Regina Caeli
Easter - Pentecost
Queen of Heaven, Rejoice
V. Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
R. For He whom you did merit to bear, alleluia.
V. Has risen, as he said, alleluia.
R. Pray for us to God, alleluia.
V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
R. For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.
Thank you for this, Genie. I sure didn’t know this, although I’ve heard and sang the first and last hymns, but not the other two. What beautiful music! I’ll definitely try to incorporate them into our evenings. We try and say the Rosary (all 5 decades) each evening. My 5 and 8 year old are really great at it now, and the 2 year old is usually not too much of a distraction, either. During the Rosary we often play some nice Catholic music in the background quietly. Sometimes Gregorian chant, sometimes nuns singing hymns, we also like to listen to the soothing sounds of Taize.