Mary Magdalen an excerpt from Three Women and the Lord by Adrienne von Speyr

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:22 — 7.9MB) | Embed

An excerpt from “Mary Magdalen: Faith” from Three Women and the Lord by Adrienne Von Spey

No account is given of how Magdalen was tormented by the demons nor of how she found her way to the Lord. No mention is made of whether she came to the Lord through the mediation of others or whether he simply addressed her directly because from all eternity he had determined to do so. Nor are we told how grateful she was as a result and how liberated she felt; there is no account of how the miracle happened nor whether the demons concerned were those that, according to the Lord’s word, can only be driven out by prayer and fasting. There is nothing about all this. Scripture only speaks of service as a result of liberation. And Magdalen remains in this service, although her being with the Lord was bound to mean that she was never to forget the past: she was and is marked by her erstwhile demonic possession. But that is of no concern to her. For her there is only one constant factor: she follows the Lord because he has set her free. Her life is so perfectly instrumental that we are simply presented with her current existence, not with its background nor its development.

The others who are referred to together with Mary have an easier time, in a way. Although two of them are named, their past is not exposed. All we know of the rest is that they were among those who served the Lord out of their means; their names are not revealed. Magdalen is the only one to be exposed. It was not her wish; she was singled out by grace. The stain of her past and the grace of her liberation are ineradicably associated with her name. The distance between them gives us a standard, a hallmark—for in Scripture nothing is mentioned in vain. She was possessed by devils, and now she is one of the Lord’s most intimate associates. Her past history must be of service in reaching her destination: her demonic possession provides the point of departure for the subsequent manifestation of grace. The distance between these poles is a precise one: the intention here is that grace shall be manifested in such a way that its point of departure is not lost sight of. But the characteristics of this distance can be different: for one person the eternally significant factor is that he was baptized; for another, like Saul, for instance, what is fundamental is that the Lord converted him. What is decisive in the case of Magdalen is that she, formerly the victim of possession, is now privileged to be close to the pure God-man and to minister to him whose Holy Spirit has shown his sovereign power over her impure spirits.

In Saul’s conversion we can trace all the various stages: his being blinded by the vision of the Lord, his prayer by night, the sending of Ananias and so forth. We see none of this in the case of Magdalen. Much remains inscrutable, hidden in the Lord by whom she is being carried. No doubt faith grows within her; she is baptized and then takes up her exhausting itinerant life with the Lord. But all this is hidden from our gaze because the Lord has taken over the entire responsibility for it. It is enough for us to know that she has been set free; the rest remains an unspoken mystery between her and the Lord. No doubt her contemporaries knew a little more about her, but what they knew died with them, and it is the Lord who determines what shall be known about her in the Church. This example shows us that even in cases where more is known, where we think we have a certain insight into the soul of a saint and can enter into his conversion process—perhaps through reading his own account of it—there is always much more that is unsaid, known only to the Lord. Between every person and the Lord there is a mystery, and everyone is entitled to privacy and silence. On the other hand it is always up to the Lord to determine and alter the boundaries. According to our way of seeing things the Lord often seems all too discreet in certain cases and almost indiscreet in others. But whether or not we are permitted a glimpse of the former grievous sinfulness of a converted person, the decision rests with the Lord. In the case of Magdalen the Lord has not thought it important for us to know the details of her demonic possession; we only need to know in general that she has emerged from the darkness into the brightness of faith.

Nor is her faith itself described in more detail. It is enough that she is with the Lord, in close discipleship. Later, beneath the Cross, her abiding in the Lord’s presence will reveal its effects. For the moment the spotlight rests briefly on her, as on some figure in a story—and only the author knows how the story is going to proceed. The listeners’ excitement is aroused, but it is immediately subdued by the lack of further information. We do not know how she feels, how she sees her own past, how she prays or how she lives her faith. The curtain is raised on a stage that promises some great forthcoming action: the tension between the seven demons on the one hand and her intimacy with the Lord on the other is so unusual that something highly dramatic seems imminent. But the scene lacks any definition. It remains open in all directions, and in the end we shall see that this openness is the openness of Magdalen’s faith, which is stronger than anything. She will be portrayed as the first person to live her faith beyond the hiatus of death.

For the present, however, she is close to the Lord. She is so exposed to his nearness that he can bring about whatever he wishes within her. She is presented to our contemplative gaze as a saint, but in such a way that, while some features are clearly discernible, God veils others, making them totally inaccessible to us. In Magdalen God teaches us not to ask more, not to wish to know more than he shows us. It is part of her effect on us, in God’s deliberate plan, that she is described thus and not otherwise. It is extraordinarily important for God that he not simply show us everything, but that he open and close, reveal things and veil them again according to his good pleasure. Magdalen has been handed over to the entire Church and to each one of us; we are free to imagine her life with the Lord in whatever way we wish, provided that it fits with what is subsequently reported. It is not a case of making good or bad “guesses” as to how things may have been; it is not a case of guessing at all, but of a kind of shared experience within a given perspective and direction. We can follow the tracks for a short space, and we know the destination; the path in between is up to us.

Part of the life of the saints is turned toward us; the other and larger part is open only to God in solitude and mystery. This area is closed to psychological analysis. Psychology always acts as if the soul can be exhaustively understood, as if there is no hiding place from the objectivity of its laws. But the nearer a soul is to God and the more it shares a common life with God, the more God covers it with his veil, letting us see only what he wishes us to see.

However, God can also use some jejune text of holy Scripture to lead us further in our contemplation. If a person simply reads Scripture in order to get to know the text as such, the meaning of the words and the sequence and context of events, he will be content with the written word. But if a person meditates on the same passages in a spirit of adoration, laying hold of them not only with his reason but with a concretely lived faith, in thorough determination to seek God and find him, God will often initiate him more deeply into the reality behind the words. Contemplation is not merely a psychological process, it is not the soul’s monologue with itself; it is prayer, dialogue with God, in the course of which God’s word acts in sovereign freedom. In contemplation God is always unveiling and veiling himself: there is both day and night. Some of the things he gives are brightly illuminated; others are in darkness because God wishes them to remain wrapped in his mystery. But at this stage it is no longer merely a question of human knowledge and ignorance; it is a question of sharing in a specific manner in the way God sees things, as far as he enables us as meditating believers to do so.

God sees everything. If he were to read Scripture, he would not find the least obscurity in any of its words. He would know precisely the way Mary Magdalen believed, prayed and was converted and the shape of her love. God does not just happen to be all-knowing; he actively uses his omniscience. It is a part of his love, a form of its expression. For the one who worships and contemplates, love is the way to God’s omniscience—in which, as he wills, he allows us to share—but God’s omniscience is also a path to his love. The fact that God knows everything must cause the praying soul to love him even more unreservedly.

Von Speyr, Adrienne. Three Women and the Lord, 2nd Edition. Ignatius Press. Kindle Edition.

Adrienne von Speyr, author of *Three Women and the Lord*

Day 9 – Perseverance, Prophecy, and the Heavenly Call – St. Bridget of Sweden Novena – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 3:27 — 2.5MB) | Embed

Day 9: Perseverance, Prophecy, and the Heavenly Call – St. Bridget of Sweden Novena

Quote from the Revelations

“Remain firm in all good. I will be your guide and your reward.”
—Revelations, Book VII, Chapter 11

Reflection
St. Bridget of Sweden remained faithful to Christ’s call through every season of her life. In her final years, though her strength diminished, her love for Christ and the Church only deepened. She continued to write, pray, and give counsel—offering herself fully to the mission God had entrusted to her.

The Revelations she received were not merely private consolations. They contained direct and often challenging messages addressed to the leaders of the Church—popes, bishops, and kings—calling them to repentance, reform, and renewed fidelity. Bridget was not driven by anger or pride, but by a heart consumed with love for Christ and His Church. She longed for holiness to flourish again and never ceased interceding for that grace.

Bridget died in Rome in 1373, after years of prayer, sacrifice, and faithful witness for the good of the Church. Her daughter, St. Catherine of Sweden, remained by her side and accompanied her body on the long journey home. Bridget was laid to rest at the monastery in Vadstena, where St. Catherine would go on to lead the religious community her mother had founded—the Order of the Most Holy Savior, known as the Bridgettines. Through their life of Eucharistic devotion, prayer, and contemplation of the Passion of Christ, the legacy of both mother and daughter continued to bear fruit in the Church.

Centuries later, Pope St. John Paul II would declare St. Bridget a co-patroness of Europe, alongside two other women of extraordinary faith: St. Catherine of Siena, who arose shortly after Bridget’s death to take up the same urgent prayer for the healing of the Church, and St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. Bridget and Catherine never met in person, but they are spiritually linked—courageous women who gave their lives for the Church in a time of division, scandal, and deep need.

Bridget’s life reveals that holiness takes root in fidelity, love, and perseverance—in family life, in service, in suffering, and in prayer. Her voice still echoes: calling us to faithfulness, to truth, and to hope.

Prayer for Intercession
St. Bridget, faithful servant and prophetic voice,
you followed Christ with courage and devotion.
You lived every role—as wife, mother, grandmother, foundress, and pilgrim—with trust in His will.
Pray for us, that we may persevere in prayer,
live the truth with humility,
and entrust everything to the love of God.
With confidence in your prayers, we now place before the Lord the intention we bring to this novena.
May we walk with Christ wherever He leads us,
and one day rejoice with you in the eternal joy of Heaven.
Amen.

St. Bridget of Sweden, pray for us

For the complete 9-Day St. Bridget of Sweden Novena visit here

St. Ignatius of Loyola Novena Day 1 – Discerning Hearts podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:17 — 2.1MB) | Embed

Day 1

From the writings of St. Ignatius of Loyola:

The moment you decided to use all your strength in praising, honoring, and serving God our Lord, that was the moment you entered battle with the world, raised your standards against it, and made yourself ready to reject all that is exalted by embracing all that is lowly. At the same time you resolved to accept with indifference positions high or low, honor or dishonor, riches or poverty, to be loved or hated, to be appreciated or scorned—in short, the world’s glory or the injuries it could inflict upon you

If we desire to live in honor and to be esteemed by our neighbors, then we shall never be solidly rooted in God our Lord, and it will be impossible for us to remain undisturbed when insults come our way

Our Father….

With St. Ignatius we pray:

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O Good Jesus, hear me.
Within Thy wounds hide me.
Suffer me not to be separated from thee.
From the malignant enemy defend me.
In the hour of my death call me.
And bid me come unto Thee,
That with all Thy saints,
I may praise thee
Forever and ever.
Amen.

St. Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us

For the complete 9-Day Novena to St. Ignatius of Loyola

Day 8 – Rome and the Witness of Charity – St. Bridget of Sweden Novena – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:18 — 1.7MB) | Embed

Day 8: Rome and the Witness of Charity – St. Bridget of Sweden Novena

Quote from the Revelations

“Be merciful in your thoughts, steadfast in your works, and generous in your deeds. Let My love move your hands to serve.”
—Revelations, Book IV, Chapter 22

Reflection
When Bridget arrived in Rome, she did not enter with status or comfort. She made her home near the Campo de’ Fiori, where she opened a small house to care for the sick and the poor. This place became a shelter for those in need and a place of prayer—where Christ was loved in the most vulnerable.

Bridget spent years in Rome living in simplicity, walking the streets between the great basilicas, praying at holy sites, and offering encouragement to anyone willing to listen. She frequently visited the Church of San Lorenzo in Panisperna, where St. Lawrence had been martyred. She reminded pilgrims that true devotion to this beloved deacon must be joined with love for what he cherished—especially care for the poor. Bridget gathered alms for the hungry and brought comfort to those forgotten by the world.

Her charity was not separate from her mystical life. It was the fruit of it. The revelations she received moved her to action. Prayer led her to serve, and in serving, she continued to pray. Bridget’s example shows us how mercy and contemplation belong together. The closer she drew to Christ in prayer, the more deeply she embraced His suffering Body in the world.

Prayer for Intercession
St. Bridget, you served Christ in the poor and the sick,
and you spoke with boldness in the heart of the Church.
Help us to love with humility and act with courage.
Teach us to see Christ in those around us,
and to serve with open hands and faithful hearts.
With confidence in your prayers, we now place before the Lord the intention we bring to this novena.
May our love be genuine, our prayer unceasing, and our hearts always turned toward mercy.
Amen.

St. Bridget of Sweden, pray for us

For the complete 9-Day St. Bridget of Sweden Novena visit here

Day 7 – The Prayers at the Foot of the Cross – St. Bridget of Sweden Novena – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:41 — 2.0MB) | Embed

Day 7: The Prayers at the Foot of the Cross – St. Bridget of Sweden Novena

Quote from the Revelations

“I received these prayers from the lips of Christ Himself as I knelt before the Crucifix. They are for those who desire to remember His Passion and live in His love.”
—Revelations, Book V, Prologue

Reflection
The Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls was a place of deep prayer for St. Bridget during her years in Rome. There, she would come before the crucifix suspended above the altar—its hands broken by age and conflict—and offer her heart completely to Christ. In that sacred space, she received a series of revelations from the Lord, who shared with her prayers that would help the faithful unite more closely to His Passion.

These prayers became known as the Fifteen Prayers of St. Bridget. Through them, Christ drew her into the mystery of His suffering and invited her to share it with others. Bridget wrote down the words she heard and the insights given to her—not to spark fear, but to awaken love. Her purpose was to help hearts remain close to Jesus, especially in His sorrows.

Bridget shows us how the Passion is not an event to be observed from a distance. It is the place where we meet Christ in His deepest gift of self. When we meditate on His wounds, we are invited to entrust Him with our own. When we remember His suffering, we are drawn into the mercy that flows from it. These prayers were not only a gift for personal devotion—they were also a call to renewal. Bridget urged the leaders of her time to remember the love Christ poured out on the Cross and to live lives worthy of that love. As the Church—the Bride of Christ—struggled with wounds and division, Bridget called her to reflect again the holiness of her Divine Bridegroom.

Prayer for Intercession
St. Bridget, you listened with love at the foot of the Cross and received a treasure for the Church.
Help us to pray the Passion with devotion and gratitude.
Teach us to remain close to Jesus in sorrow and in joy,
and to bring others to the healing love of the Crucified.
With confidence in your prayers, we now place before the Lord the intention we bring to this novena.
May the mystery of the Cross strengthen our hearts, renew our hope, and inspire the Church to conversion, healing, and the courage to act with holiness and clarity.
Amen.

St. Bridget of Sweden, pray for us

For the complete 9-Day St. Bridget of Sweden Novena visit here

Day 6 – Pilgrimage to the Holy Land – St. Bridget of Sweden Novena – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:23 — 1.8MB) | Embed

Day 6: Pilgrimage to the Holy Land — Walking in the Footsteps of Christ – St. Bridget of Sweden Novena

Quote from the Revelations

“If thou wouldst be My companion, walk where I have walked, and let My love be thy path.”
—Revelations, Book V, Chapter 12

Reflection
In the later years of her life, St. Bridget traveled to the Holy Land. Despite her age and fragile health, she undertook the journey with reverence and determination. Every place she visited—Bethlehem, Nazareth, the Mount of Olives, Gethsemane, Calvary—became a place of prayer and encounter.

As she walked where Jesus had walked, her heart opened more fully to the mysteries of His life. Her time in Jerusalem was marked by profound interior experiences, which she received and recorded in obedience. The path was long and difficult, but she offered it to the Lord in love.

At Calvary, her soul was especially united to the Passion of Christ. She also drew close to the sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who had stood there in silence and strength. The Virgin’s maternal suffering became a source of grace for Bridget, helping her to remain close to Jesus in prayer and sacrifice.

Bridget returned from the Holy Land strengthened in faith and ready for the final chapter of her earthly journey.

How her life speaks to us today
Each of us is called to walk with Christ—not by going to distant places, but by turning toward Him in daily life. Bridget shows us that prayer, fidelity, and love can lead us to union with the Lord, even through suffering and uncertainty.

Prayer for Intercession
St. Bridget, faithful pilgrim and servant of Christ,
you walked the sacred roads of the Holy Land with love and devotion.
Pray for us, that we may carry our crosses with grace
and remain close to Jesus through every trial.
Help us to honor the sorrows of His Blessed Mother
and to open our hearts to the mysteries of salvation.
We entrust to your intercession the intention we carry in this novena.
Guide us to walk in love and faithfulness.
Amen.

St. Bridget of Sweden, pray for us

For the complete 9-Day St. Bridget of Sweden Novena visit here

Day 5 – Faithful Messenger – St. Bridget of Sweden Novena – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:16 — 1.7MB) | Embed

Day 5: Faithful Messenger – A Heart for the Church and Her Shepherds – St. Bridget of Sweden Novena

Quote from the Revelations

“Cry out as with a trumpet. My Spouse is wounded. Her face is disfigured. Her voice is faint. Call My people to return to Me with humility and love.”
—Revelations, Book IV, Chapter 89

Reflection
Bridget lived during one of the most painful chapters in Church history. The papacy had been moved to Avignon, and Rome was suffering—spiritually neglected, politically unstable, and stripped of the leadership it once knew. Bridget remained in the city, caring for the sick, feeding the poor, and pouring out her life in prayer.

As she prayed, she began to receive revelations that pierced her heart. She saw the Bride of Christ disfigured by scandal, weakened by division, and longing for renewal. These were not cold denunciations, but cries of love. Her writings to popes and rulers carried a mother’s plea: return to holiness, restore the Church, bring the successor of Peter home to Rome.

Her words were bold, shaped by long hours of silence before the Blessed Sacrament and the constant offering of prayer for the needs of the Church. Bridget believed that true reform began not in anger or accusation, but in intercession—lifting the wounds of the Church into the heart of Christ and trusting in His mercy.

Prayer for Intercession
St. Bridget, you remained faithful when the Church was torn and scattered.
Teach us to pray with perseverance and hope.
Help us to love the Church not from a distance, but with hearts willing to suffer and serve.
With confidence in your prayers, we now place before the Lord the intention we bring to this novena.
May your voice strengthen ours in calling for healing and unity.
Amen.

St. Bridget of Sweden, pray for us

For the complete 9-Day St. Bridget of Sweden Novena visit here

Day 4 – Called to Rome – St. Bridget of Sweden Novena – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:26 — 1.8MB) | Embed

Day 4: Called to Rome — A Pilgrim with a Prophetic Voice – St. Bridget of Sweden Novena

Quote from the Revelations

“Go forth, therefore, and speak boldly. I shall be in thy mouth and in the hearts of those who hear thee.”
—Revelations, Book IV, Chapter 136

Reflection
Bridget’s years at Alvastra prepared her for something unexpected. In her early fifties, she received a divine call to leave Sweden and travel to Rome—then a city caught in political chaos, spiritual confusion, and deep need. It was the era of the Avignon papacy, with the pope residing in France, and the city of Peter’s martyrdom sat wounded and neglected.

When she arrived, Bridget did not seek comfort or favor. She set up a small house near what is now the Piazza Farnese. There she cared for the sick and poor—essentially establishing a hospital with the help of her companions. Many came to her not only for food or shelter, but also for spiritual comfort. She would often make her way to the nearby church of San Lorenzo in Panisperna, where St. Lawrence was martyred, to pray and to gather alms for the poor in his name.

Her revelations during these years included letters and messages to popes, kings, and clergy—calling for reform, repentance, and renewal of the Body of Christ. Bridget’s prophetic voice was rooted not in judgment, but in deep sorrow and prayerful love for the Church. She longed for unity and holiness, and she offered her life for that intention.

Prayer for Intercession
St. Bridget, you brought mercy where there was suffering, and truth where there was confusion.
Help us to love the Church with fidelity and hope.
Teach us to offer ourselves in service, even when the world misunderstands.
With confidence in your prayers, we now place before the Lord the intention we bring to this novena.
May we follow your example of courage, prayer, and care for the most vulnerable.
Amen.

St. Bridget of Sweden, pray for us

For the complete 9-Day St. Bridget of Sweden Novena visit here

Day 3 – The Turning Point — Loss, Solitude, and Surrender – St. Bridget of Sweden Novena – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:18 — 1.7MB) | Embed

Day 3 – The Turning Point — Loss, Solitude, and Surrender – St. Bridget of Sweden Novena

Quote from the Revelations

“It is I who have taken from thee what was thine, that I might give thee what is Mine.”
—Revelations, Book I, Chapter 3

Reflection
The death of Ulf was a profound turning point in Bridget’s life. After years of shared love and labor, she was now a widow, left with grief, responsibility, and a stirring call from God. Her children were grown or nearly grown, and she withdrew for a time to the monastery at Alvastra, where she deepened her life of prayer and silence.

In the rhythm of monastic life, Bridget began to listen more attentively to the voice she had always known. There, she received the first of many mystical revelations—words and images that would become the foundation of her spiritual mission. But this surrender did not come all at once. It unfolded through grief, letting go, and learning to listen in stillness.

In times of loss and uncertainty, Bridget teaches us not to rush to fill the silence, but to allow space for God’s voice. He often speaks most clearly when we are emptied of everything else. Her solitude became a sacred threshold, where she could entrust her sorrow and receive the beginnings of a new calling.

Prayer for Intercession
St. Bridget, in your sorrow you turned to the Lord with a heart open to His voice.
Help us in our own moments of transition and loss.
Teach us to surrender what we cannot hold and to trust that God is doing something new.
With confidence in your prayers, we now place before the Lord the intention we bring to this novena.
May our hearts find peace in God’s timing and purpose, as yours did at Alvastra.
Amen.

St. Bridget of Sweden, pray for us

For the complete 9-Day St. Bridget of Sweden Novena visit here

Mystical Wisdom – St. Bonaventure from the Office of Readings – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 4:30 — 3.2MB) | Embed

DC34 St. Bonaventure pt. 1 – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom w/ Dr. Matthew Bunson

From the Journey of the Mind to God by St Bonaventure

Mystical wisdom is revealed by the Holy Spirit

Christ is both the way and the door. Christ is the staircase and the vehicle, like the throne of mercy over the Ark of the Covenant, and the mystery hidden from the ages. A man should turn his full attention to this throne of mercy, and should gaze at him hanging on the cross, full of faith, hope and charity, devoted, full of wonder and joy, marked by gratitude, and open to praise and jubilation. Then such a man will make with Christ a pasch, that is, a passing-over. Through the branches of the cross he will pass over the Red Sea, leaving Egypt and entering the desert. There he will taste the hidden manna, and rest with Christ in the sepulchre, as if he were dead to things outside. He will experience, as much as is possible for one who is still living, what was promised to the thief who hung beside Christ: Today you will be with me in paradise.

  For this passover to be perfect, we must suspend all the operations of the mind and we must transform the peak of our affections, directing them to God alone. This is a sacred mystical experience. It cannot be comprehended by anyone unless he surrenders himself to it; nor can he surrender himself to it unless he longs for it; nor can he long for it unless the Holy Spirit, whom Christ sent into the world, should come and inflame his innermost soul. Hence the Apostle says that this mystical wisdom is revealed by the Holy Spirit.

  If you ask how such things can occur, seek the answer in God’s grace, not in doctrine; in the longing of the will, not in the understanding; in the sighs of prayer, not in research; seek the bridegroom not the teacher; God and not man; darkness not daylight; and look not to the light but rather to the raging fire that carries the soul to God with intense fervour and glowing love. The fire is God, and the furnace is in Jerusalem, fired by Christ in the ardour of his loving passion. Only he understood this who said: My soul chose hanging and my bones death. Anyone who cherishes this kind of death can see God, for it is certainly true that: No man can look upon me and live.

  Let us die, then, and enter into the darkness, silencing our anxieties, our passions and all the fantasies of our imagination. Let us pass over with the crucified Christ from this world to the Father, so that, when the Father has shown himself to us, we can say with Philip: It is enough. We may hear with Paul: My grace is sufficient for you; and we can rejoice with David, saying: My flesh and my heart fail me, but God is the strength of my heart and my heritage for ever. Blessed be the Lord for ever, and let all the people say: Amen. Amen!