Vespers (Evening Prayer)
(First Vespers of tomorrow, The Ascension 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
Sing we triumphant hymns of praise,
New hymns to heaven exulting raise:
Christ, by a road before untrod,
Ascendeth to the throne of God.
The holy Apostolic band
Upon the Mount of Olives stand,
And with the Virgin Mother see
Jesu’s resplendent majesty.
O grant us thitherward to tend,
And with unwearied hearts ascend
Toward thy kingdom’s throne, where thou
(As is our faith) art seated now.
All glory, Lord, to thee we pay,
Ascending o’er the stars to-day;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father and to Paraclete.
Psalm 112 (113)
Praise of the Lord's name
I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I leave the world to go to the Father. Alleluia.
Praise, servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord.
Let the Lord’s name be blessed,
now and for ever.
From the sun’s rising to its setting,
the Lord’s name is to be praised.
The Lord is high over all peoples,
his glory is above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God, who lives on high,
who bends down to watch over heaven and earth?
He raises the weak from the ground,
the poor from the dunghill,
raises them among the princes,
the princes of his people.
He gives the barren woman a household,
makes her the happy mother of children.
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 came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I leave the world to go to the Father. Alleluia.
Psalm 116 (117)
Praise of the merciful Lord
After he had spoken to his disciples, the Lord Jesus ascended into heaven, where he is seated at the right hand of the Father. Alleluia.
Praise the Lord, all nations; all peoples, praise him.
For his mercy is strong over us and his faithfulness is 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.
After he had spoken to his disciples, the Lord Jesus ascended into heaven, where he is seated at the right hand of the Father. Alleluia.
Canticle
Apocalypse 11
The Judgement
No-one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven. Alleluia.
We thank you,
Lord God Almighty,
who are and who were,
that you have taken up your great power and begun to reign.
The nations were angered,
but your anger came, the time for the dead to be judged,
the time to reward the prophets and saints, your servants,
and those who feared your name, both great and small.
Now have come the salvation and might and kingdom of our God,
and the power of his Anointed,
for the accuser of our brethren has been brought down,
who accused them day and night in the sight of God.
But they vanquished him through the blood of the Lamb
and through their own witness.
They did not cling to life,
even in the face of death.
Therefore rejoice, heavens,
and you who dwell in them.
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.
No-one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven. Alleluia.
Short Reading
Ephesians 2:4-6
©
God loved us with so much love that he was generous with his mercy: when we were dead through our sins, he brought us to life with Christ – it is through grace that you have been saved – and raised us up with him and gave us a place with him in heaven, in Christ Jesus.
Short Responsory
God ascends with shouts of joy, alleluia, alleluia.
– God ascends with shouts of joy, alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
– God ascends with shouts of joy, alleluia, alleluia.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– God ascends with shouts of joy, alleluia, alleluia.
Canticle
Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
Father, I have made your name known to the men you gave me; now I pray for them, not for the world, since I am coming to you. Alleluia.
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.
Father, I have made your name known to the men you gave me; now I pray for them, not for the world, since I am coming to you. Alleluia.
Prayers and intercessions
Rejoicing, let us pray to Christ who is seated at the right hand of the Father.
– You, Christ, are the king of glory.
King of glory, in you our mortal flesh has been lifted to the heights:
deliver us from the corruption of sin and restore us to immortal life.
– You, Christ, are the king of glory.
Following the path of love, you came down to us from heaven:
let us follow that same path in our ascent to you.
– You, Christ, are the king of glory.
You promised to draw all men to yourself:
do not let any of us be separated from your body.
– You, Christ, are the king of glory.
You have ascended into heaven:
let us be there with you in our minds and hearts.
– You, Christ, are the king of glory.
We await your coming in majesty on the great day of judgement:
may we then gaze upon your glory, with all the faithful departed.
– You, Christ, are the king of glory.
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 God,
fill us with a holy joy;
teach us how to thank you with reverence and love
on account of the ascension of Christ your Son.
You have raised us up with him:
where he, the head, has preceded us in glory,
there we, the body, are called in hope.
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.
