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.
Hymn
Sole hope of all the world and Lord,
Bestower of the great reward,
Receive the prayers thy servants raise
Mixed with meet psalms and chants of praise.
And though our conscience doth proclaim
Our deep transgressions and our shame,
Cleanse us, O God, we humbly plead,
From sins of thought and word and deed.
Our sins remember thou no more;
Forgive: thou art of mighty pow’r:
So take upon thee, Lord, our care
That pure in heart we make our prayer.
Therefore accept, O Lord, this tide
Of fast which thou hast sanctified,
That we may reach by mystic ways
The sacraments of Easter days.
Psalm 134 (135)
Praise the Lord, the wonder-worker
The Lord is great: our God is high above all gods.
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.
The Lord is great: our God is high above all gods.
Psalm 134 (135)
House of Israel, bless the Lord! Sing a psalm to his name, for he is loving.
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.
House of Israel, bless the Lord! Sing a psalm to his name, for he is loving.
Canticle
Apocalypse 15
A hymn of adoration
All the peoples will come and adore you, Lord.
Great and wonderful are your deeds,
O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
O King of the ages!
Who shall not fear and glorify your name, O Lord?
For you alone are holy.
All nations shall come and worship you,
for your judgements have been revealed.
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 the peoples will come and adore you, Lord.
Short Reading
James 5:16,19-20
©
Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, and this will cure you: the heartfelt prayer of a good man works very powerfully. My brothers, if one of you strays away from the truth, and another brings him back to it, he may be sure that anyone who can bring back a sinner from the wrong way that he has taken will be saving a soul from death and covering up a great number of sins.
Short Responsory
I said: ‘Lord, have mercy on me.’
– I said: ‘Lord, have mercy on me.’
‘Heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.’
– I said: ‘Lord, have mercy on me.’
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– I said: ‘Lord, have mercy on me.’
Canticle
Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
To love your neighbour as yourself is far more important than any sacrifices.
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.
To love your neighbour as yourself is far more important than any sacrifices.
Prayers and intercessions
Let us pray to the Lord Jesus, who sanctified his people by his own blood.
– Lord, have mercy on your people.
Christ our Redeemer, through your suffering help us to mortify our bodies and stand firm in every trial;
may we be ready to celebrate your rising from the dead.
– Lord, have mercy on your people.
As prophets of God’s kingdom may Christians make you known throughout the world,
and may they confirm their message by lives of faith, hope and love.
– Lord, have mercy on your people.
Lord, give strength to the afflicted;
and give us the will to do everything to help and comfort them.
– Lord, have mercy on your people.
Teach the faithful to be united with your passion in times of trouble and distress;
let the power of your salvation shine forth in their lives.
– Lord, have mercy on your people.
Lord, giver of life, remember those who have died;
grant them the glory of your resurrection.
– Lord, have mercy on your people.
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.
Lord, open our hearts to your grace.
Restrain us from all human waywardness
and keep us faithful to your commandments.
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.
