Vespers (Evening Prayer)
(First Vespers of tomorrow, The Epiphany of the Lord)
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
Why, impious Herod, vainly fear
That Christ the Saviour cometh here?
He takes not earthly thrones away
Who gives the crown that lasts for aye.
To greet his birth the wise men went,
Led by the star before them sent;
Called on by light, towards Light they pressed,
And by their gifts their God confessed.
In holy Jordan’s purest wave
The heavenly Lamb vouchsafed to lave;
That he, to whom was sin unknown,
Might cleanse his people from their own.
New miracle of power divine,
The Water reddens into wine;
He spoke the word, and poured the wave
In other streams than nature gave.
All glory, Lord, to thee we pay
For thine Epiphany today;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father and to Paraclete.
Psalm 134 (135)
Praise the Lord, the wonder-worker
Begotten before the dawn and before all ages, today the Lord, our Saviour, was born of the Virgin.
Praise the name of the Lord:
praise it, servants of the Lord,
you who stand in the house of the Lord,
in the courts of the house of our God.
Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
sing to his name, for it brings happiness.
For the Lord chose Jacob for his own,
he chose Israel for his possession.
I know how great is the Lord,
how great is our God above all gods.
The Lord accomplishes all that he wills,
in the heavens and on the earth,
in the sea and the depths of the oceans.
He brings in clouds from the ends of the earth,
makes lightning for the rain-clouds,
from his storehouse he calls forth the winds.
He struck down the first-born of Egypt,
of man and of beast alike.
He sent signs and wonders among them,
to Pharaoh and all his servants.
He shattered nation after nation,
killed powerful kings:
Sihon, king of the Amorites,
Og, the king of Bashan,
all the kingdoms of Canaan.
He gave their lands as a birthright,
as a birthright for Israel his people.
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.
Begotten before the dawn and before all ages, today the Lord, our Saviour, was born of the Virgin.
Psalm 134 (135)
The Lord, our God, is greater than all gods.
Lord, your name is for ever;
Lord, your name will be remembered
by generation after generation.
For the Lord will give judgement for his people,
he will look with kindness upon his servants.
The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
the work of the hands of men.
They have mouths but will not speak,
they have eyes and will not see.
They have ears and will not hear,
there is no breath in their mouths.
They will be like them, those who make them;
and all who put their trust in them.
House of Israel, bless the Lord;
house of Aaron, bless the Lord;
house of Levi, bless the Lord;
you who fear the Lord, bless the Lord.
Blessed be the Lord from Zion,
whose abode is Jerusalem.
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.
The Lord, our God, is greater than all gods.
Canticle
(1 Timothy 3)
The mystery and glory of Christ
This star shines like a flame: it points out God, the King of kings. The Magi saw it and they offered presents to the great King.
Praise the Lord, all you nations!
He was manifested in flesh, justified in spirit
– praise the Lord, all you nations!
He was seen by the angels, he was preached to the nations
– praise the Lord, all you nations!
The world believed in him, he was taken up in glory
– praise the Lord, all you nations!
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.
This star shines like a flame: it points out God, the King of kings. The Magi saw it and they offered presents to the great King.
Short Reading
2 Timothy 1:9-10
©
God has saved us and called us to be holy – not because of anything we ourselves have done but for his own purpose and by his own grace. This grace had already been granted to us, in Christ Jesus, before the beginning of time, but it has only been revealed by the appearing of our saviour Christ Jesus. He abolished death, and he has proclaimed life and immortality through the Good News.
Short Responsory
All the peoples will be blessed in him.
– All the peoples will be blessed in him.
All nations will praise him.
– All the peoples will be blessed in him.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– All the peoples will be blessed in him.
Canticle
Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
The Magi saw the star and said to one another: This is the sign of the great King; let us go and seek him; let us offer him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh.
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.
The Magi saw the star and said to one another: This is the sign of the great King; let us go and seek him; let us offer him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Prayers and intercessions
Today the Magi knelt before our Saviour. Let us also worship him with great joy, and pray:
– Lord, save us in our need.
King of nations, the wise men came from the East to worship you:
grant us the true spirit of adoration and submission.
– Lord, save us in our need.
King of glory, your people look to you for judgement:
grant an abundance of peace to our world.
– Lord, save us in our need.
King of ages, your word is ever powerful:
may it penetrate our hearts and lives today.
– Lord, save us in our need.
King of justice, show your love for the poor and the powerless;
strengthen those who are suffering.
– Lord, save us in our need.
King of heaven, hope of all who trust in you;
give to the faithful departed the wonders of your salvation.
– Lord, save us in our need.
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.
On this day, Lord God,
by a guiding star you revealed your Only-Begotten Son
to all the peoples of the world.
Lead us from the faith by which we know you now
to the vision of your glory, face to face.
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.
