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
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 109 (110)
The Messiah, king and priest
The Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would not see death until he had set eyes on the Lord.
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.
The Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would not see death until he had set eyes on the Lord.
Psalm 129 (130)
Out of the depths
They went to offer to the Lord what the Law ordered: a pair of turtle-doves or a pair of pigeons.
Out of the depths I have cried to you, Lord:
Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears listen out
for the voice of my pleading.
If you took notice of our transgressions, Lord –
Lord, who would be left?
But with you is forgiveness,
and for this we revere you.
I rely on you, Lord,
my spirit relies on your promise;
my soul hopes in the Lord,
more than the watchman for daybreak.
More than the watchman for daybreak,
let Israel hope in the Lord:
for with the Lord there is kindness
and abundant redemption.
He himself will redeem Israel
from all its transgressions.
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.
They went to offer to the Lord what the Law ordered: a pair of turtle-doves or a pair of pigeons.
Canticle
(Colossians 1)
Christ, firstborn of all creatures and firstborn from the dead
My eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all the nations to see.
Let us give thanks to God the Father,
who has made us worthy to share in the light that is the saints’ inheritance.
He has rescued us from the power of the shadows
and brought us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption
and the forgiveness of sins.
He is the image of the invisible God,
the first-born of all creation,
for in him all things were created,
in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible,
thrones and dominations,
principalities and powers.
All things were created through him and for him:
he is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
And he is the head of the body, the Church.
He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead,
and so he is pre-eminent above all.
For it was the Father’s will that the fullness of God should dwell in him,
and that through him all things should be reconciled to himself.
Through the blood of the Cross he brought peace to all things,
both on Earth and in the heavens.
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 eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all the nations to see.
Short Reading
Hebrews 4:15-16
©
It is not as if we had a high priest who was incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us; but we have one who has been tempted in every way that we are, though he is without sin. Let us be confident, then, in approaching the throne of grace, that we shall have mercy from him and find grace when we are in need of help.
Short Responsory
The Lord has made known his saving power.
– The Lord has made known his saving power.
Which he prepared in the sight of all the peoples.
– The Lord has made known his saving power.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– The Lord has made known his saving power.
Canticle
Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
Today the blessed Virgin Mary presented the child Jesus in the temple; there Simeon took him in his arms and gave thanks to God.
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.
Today the blessed Virgin Mary presented the child Jesus in the temple; there Simeon took him in his arms and gave thanks to God.
Prayers and intercessions
We celebrate the presentation of Jesus in the temple. He has established a new covenant and is himself the temple of the living God. Let us acclaim him as our Saviour:
– Our eyes have seen your salvation.
You are the true light that enlightens all men:
help us to know and accept you as our Lord and God.
– Our eyes have seen your salvation.
You are the glory of your Church:
in the fidelity of your people, let men see your saving power.
– Our eyes have seen your salvation.
Your Holy Spirit rested on Simeon and he recognized your coming:
let your Spirit dwell with us, that we may recognize you in our lives.
– Our eyes have seen your salvation.
At your presentation, Simeon prophesied that our Lady would be pierced to the heart:
grant us the constancy and love she showed at the foot of the cross.
– Our eyes have seen your salvation.
Many have seen your promise and died in your peace:
may they share now the glory you prepared for all the nations.
– Our eyes have seen your salvation.
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,
on this day your Only-Begotten Son
was presented in the Temple,
in flesh and blood like ours.
Purify us in mind and heart
that we may meet you in your glory.
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.
