Vespers (Evening Prayer)
(First Vespers of tomorrow, The Baptism 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
In the beginning God created heaven,
The dark and empty earth;
His Spirit moved across the sombre waters
And stirred them with his breath.
Then God created light, and with its coming
The dark was swept away;
The morning came, and then the quiet evening:
The end of God’s first day.
To God the Father of the world give glory,
With Christ his only Son,
Who with the Spirit govern all creation:
Blest Trinity in One.
Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal
Psalm 134 (135)
Praise the Lord, the wonder-worker
John appeared in the wilderness. He baptized and preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
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.
John appeared in the wilderness. He baptized and preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Psalm 134 (135)
I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
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.
I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
Canticle
(1 Timothy 3)
The mystery and glory of Christ
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and suddenly the heavens opened for him.
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.
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and suddenly the heavens opened for him.
Short Reading
Acts 10:37-38
©
You must have heard about the recent happenings in Judaea; about Jesus of Nazareth and how he began in Galilee, after John had been preaching baptism. God had anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, Jesus went about doing good and curing all who had fallen into the power of the devil.
Short Responsory
Lord God, hear the cry of your people.
– Lord God, hear the cry of your people.
Open the spring of living water for them.
– Lord God, hear the cry of your people.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– Lord God, hear the cry of your people.
Canticle
Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
The Saviour came to be baptized. He, the second Adam, renewed our corrupted nature by the waters of baptism, and he clothed us in a garment which can never perish.
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 Saviour came to be baptized. He, the second Adam, renewed our corrupted nature by the waters of baptism, and he clothed us in a garment which can never perish.
Prayers and intercessions
Let us pray to our Redeemer who humbled himself to receive baptism at the hands of John.
– Lord, send us your Spirit.
Christ, servant of the Father and pleasing to him,
send forth your Spirit among us.
– Lord, send us your Spirit.
Chosen One of God, you did not break the crushed reed nor quench the wavering flame:
let all men know your compassion for our world of weakness.
– Lord, send us your Spirit.
You were anointed with the Holy Spirit to be our Saviour;
lead all men to believe in you and so come to eternal life.
– Lord, send us your Spirit.
You are God’s light to the nations;
open the eyes of the blind in the baptismal waters of the new covenant.
– Lord, send us your Spirit.
You are the hope of all peoples;
receive the faithful departed into your heavenly kingdom.
– Lord, send us your Spirit.
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,
when Christ was baptized in the river Jordan
the Holy Spirit came upon him
and your voice proclaimed from heaven, ‘This is my beloved Son.’
Grant that we,
who by water and the Holy Spirit are your adopted children,
may continue steadfast in your love.
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.
