Vespers (Evening Prayer)
INTRODUCTION
O God, come to our aid.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
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.
Hymn
Crown him with many crowns,
the Lamb upon his throne;
hark, how the heavenly anthem drowns
all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing
of him who died for thee,
and hail him as thy matchless King
through all eternity.
Crown him the Virgin’s Son,
the God incarnate born,
whose arm those crimson trophies won
which now his brow adorn;
Fruit of the mystic Rose,
as of that Rose the Stem;
the Root whence mercy ever flows,
the Babe of Bethlehem.
Crown him the Lord of love,
behold his hands and side,
those wounds, yet visible above,
in beauty glorified.
No angel in the sky
can fully bear that sight,
but downward bends his burning eye
at mysteries so bright.
Crown him the Lord of peace,
whose power a sceptre sways
from pole to pole, that wars may cease,
and all be prayer and praise.
His reign shall know no end,
and round his piercèd feet
fair flowers of paradise extend
their fragrance ever sweet.
Crown him the Lord of years,
the Potentate of time,
Creator of the rolling spheres,
ineffably sublime:
all hail, Redeemer, hail!
for thou hast died for me;
thy praise shall never, never fail
throughout eternity.
Psalm 109 (110)
The Messiah, king and priest
He will sit on the throne of David and will rule his kingdom for ever, alleluia.
The Lord has said to my lord:
“Sit at my right hand
while I make your enemies your footstool.”
From Zion the Lord will give you a sceptre,
and you will rule in the midst of your foes.
Royal power is yours in the day of your strength,
among the sacred splendours.
Before the dawn, I begot you from the womb.
The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent:
“You are a priest for ever,
a priest of the priesthood of Melchisedech.”
The Lord is at your right hand,
and on the day of his anger he will shatter kings.
He will drink from the stream as he goes –
he will hold his head high.
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.
He will sit on the throne of David and will rule his kingdom for ever, alleluia.
Psalm 144 (145)
The greatness and goodness of God
Yours is an everlasting kingdom; Lord, your rule lasts from age to age.
I will praise you to the heights, O God, my king –
I will bless your name for ever and for all time.
I will bless you, O God, day after day –
I will praise your name for ever and all time.
The Lord is great, to him all praise is due –
he is great beyond measuring.
Generation will pass to generation the praise of your deeds,
and tell the wonders you have done.
They will tell of your overwhelming power,
and pass on the tale of your greatness.
They will cry out the story of your great kindness,
they will celebrate your judgements.
The Lord takes pity, his heart is merciful,
he is patient and endlessly kind.
The Lord is gentle to all –
he shows his kindness to all his creation.
Let all your creatures proclaim you, O Lord,
let your chosen ones bless you.
Let them tell of the glory of your reign,
let them speak of your power –
so that the children of men may know what you can do,
see the glory of your kingdom and its greatness.
Your kingdom stands firm for all ages,
your rule lasts for ever and ever.
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.
Yours is an everlasting kingdom; Lord, your rule lasts from age to age.
Canticle
(Apocalypse 19)
The wedding of the Lamb
On his cloak and on his thigh there was a name written: The King of kings and the Lord of lords. To him be glory and honour for ever and ever.
Alleluia.
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
because his judgements are true and just.
Alleluia.
Alleluia.
Praise our God, all his servants,
and you who fear him, small and great.
Alleluia.
Alleluia.
For the Lord reigns, our God, the Almighty:
let us rejoice and exult and give him glory.
Alleluia.
Alleluia.
The marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his spouse has made herself ready.
Alleluia.
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.
On his cloak and on his thigh there was a name written: The King of kings and the Lord of lords. To him be glory and honour for ever and ever.
Short Reading
1 Corinthians 15:25-28
©
For he must be king until he has put all his enemies under his feet and the last of the enemies to be destroyed is death, for everything is to be put under his feet. – Though when it is said that everything is subjected, this clearly cannot include the One who subjected everything to him. And when everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subject in his turn to the One who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all.
Short Responsory
Your throne, O God, shall stand for ever and ever.
– Your throne, O God, shall stand for ever and ever.
The sceptre of your kingdom is a sceptre of justice.
– Your throne, O God, shall stand for ever and ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– Your throne, O God, shall stand for ever and ever.
Canticle
Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, says the Lord.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation.
For he has shown me such favour –
me, his lowly handmaiden.
Now all generations will call me blessed,
because the mighty one has done great things for me.
His name is holy,
his mercy lasts for generation after generation
for those who revere him.
He has put forth his strength:
he has scattered the proud and conceited,
torn princes from their thrones;
but lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.
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.
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, says the Lord.
Prayers and intercessions
To Christ our King, who is first in all things and in whom all things exist, let us confidently pray:
– Lord, may your kingdom come.
Lord Jesus Christ, our king and our shepherd, gather your flock from every corner of the earth:
set it to graze in your fresh and fertile pastures.
– Lord, may your kingdom come.
Jesus, our leader and Saviour, make all people your own; heal the sick, seek out the lost, preserve the strong:
bring back the strayed, reunite those who are scattered and give new hope to the downhearted.
– Lord, may your kingdom come.
Jesus, eternal judge, when you hand over your kingdom to your Father, seat us at your right hand;
and let us take possession of the kingdom prepared for us since the foundation of the world.
– Lord, may your kingdom come.
Jesus, prince of peace, destroy the weapons of war:
speak words of peace to your people.
– Lord, may your kingdom come.
Jesus, heir of all nations, bring all mankind into the kingdom of your Church, which was entrusted to you by the Father:
so that all may acknowledge you as the Head in the unity of the Holy Spirit.
– Lord, may your kingdom come.
Jesus, firstborn of the dead and first-fruits of those who sleep,
bring all who have died to the glory of your resurrection.
– Lord, may your kingdom come.
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.
Almighty, ever-living God,
it is your will to unite the entire universe under your beloved Son,
Jesus Christ, the King of heaven and earth.
Grant freedom to the whole of creation,
and let it praise and serve your majesty for ever.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.
