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
O Strength and Stay upholding all creation,
Who ever dost thyself unmoved abide,
Yet day by day the light in due gradation
From hour to hour in all its changes guide –
Grant to life’s day a calm unclouded ending,
An eve untouched by shadows of decay,
The brightness of a holy death-bed blending
With dawning glories of the eternal day.
Hear us, O Father, gracious and forgiving,
Through Jesus Christ thy co-eternal Word,
Who, with the Holy Ghost, by all things living
Now and to endless ages art adored.
Psalm 19 (20)
Prayer for victory
The Lord will give victory to his Anointed One.
May the Lord hear your prayer in the day of tribulation,
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
May he send you help from his holy place;
from Zion, may he extend his protection.
May he remember every one of your sacrifices
and find merit in your burnt-offerings.
May he deal with you as your heart desires
and bring all your plans to fulfilment.
We will rejoice in your salvation,
we will raise our banners in the name of God;
may the Lord grant all your prayers.
Now I know that the Lord keeps his anointed one safe:
in his sanctuary in heaven he hears his prayer,
and lends the support of his strong right hand.
Some put their faith in chariots
and some in horses,
but we invoked the name of the Lord our God.
They stumbled and fell,
but we rose and we stand upright.
Lord, keep the king safe,
and hear our prayer whenever we call upon you.
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 will give victory to his Anointed One.
Psalm 20 (21)
Thanksgiving for victory
We shall sing and praise your power.
Lord, the king will rejoice in your strength,
he will triumph in your saving power.
You have granted him his heart’s desire,
you have not denied the wish that he spoke.
For you showered him with blessings
even before he asked for them.
You have placed a crown of purest gold upon his head.
He asked you for life,
and you granted it to him,
length of days for ever and for ever.
Great is his glory through your help:
you cover him with splendour and majesty.
You lay a blessing upon him that will last for ever,
you make him rejoice in joy before you.
For the king hopes in the Lord,
and through the kindness of the Most High he will not be shaken.
Stand high above us, Lord, in your power;
and we will sing and celebrate your might.
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.
We shall sing and praise your power.
Canticle
Apocalypse 4,5
The song of the redeemed
Lord, you made us a kingdom and priests to serve our God.
You are worthy, our Lord and our God,
to receive glory and honour and power;
for you made all things,
and it is by your will that they exist and were created.
You are worthy, Lord,
to receive the book and open its seals,
for you were killed,
and with your blood you have ransomed people
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and made them rulers and priests for God;
and they will rule over the earth.
The Lamb is worthy, who was killed,
to receive power and riches and wisdom,
strength and honour, glory and blessing.
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.
Lord, you made us a kingdom and priests to serve our God.
Short Reading
1 John 3:1,2
©
Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us,
by letting us be called God’s children;
and that is what we are.
My dear people, we are already the children of God
but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed;
all we know is, that when it is revealed
we shall be like him
because we shall see him as he really is.
Short Responsory
Your word, O Lord, will endure for ever.
– Your word, O Lord, will endure for ever.
Your truth will last from age to age.
– Your word, O Lord, will endure for ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– Your word, O Lord, will endure for ever.
Canticle
Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
My spirit exults in the Lord God, my saviour.
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.
My spirit exults in the Lord God, my saviour.
Prayers and intercessions
Through Christ we are sons of God: in him we see what we shall be when we come to the Father. With confidence we pray:
– Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Guide leaders and governments:
give them wisdom and integrity.
– Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
You are the Lord and source of our freedom:
bring those in captivity of mind or body to the freedom of the children of God.
– Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give courage and strength to the young.
Help them to choose their work, and make the right decisions for their way of life.
– Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give patient tolerance to all who are no longer young;
open the hearts of the young to accept from them understanding and love.
– Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Receive the departed into your eternal kingdom;
sustain our hope to reign with you for ever.
– Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
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.
We give you thanks, Lord God Almighty,
for bringing us safely to the evening of this day;
we humbly ask that the prayer we make with uplifted hands
may be an offering pleasing in your sight.
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.
