Vespers (Evening Prayer)
(First Vespers of tomorrow, Pentecost)
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
Come, O Creator Spirit, come,
And make within our hearts thy home;
To us thy grace celestial give,
Who of thy breathing move and live.
O Comforter, that name is thine,
Of God most high the gift divine;
The well of life, the fire of love,
Our souls’ anointing from above.
Our senses with thy light inflame,
Our hearts to heavenly love reclaim;
Our bodies’ poor infirmity
With strength perpetual fortify.
May we by thee the Father learn,
And know the Son, and thee discern,
Who art of both; and thus adore
In perfect faith for evermore.
Psalm 112 (113)
Praise of the Lord's name
On the day of Pentecost they were all together in one place. 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.
On the day of Pentecost they were all together in one place. Alleluia.
Psalm 146 (147A)
The Lord's goodness and power
There appeared to the apostles what seemed like tongues of fire, and the Holy Spirit came upon each of them. Alleluia.
Praise the Lord!
It is good to sing praise to our God;
it is a joy to sing his praises.
The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem:
he will call back Israel from exile.
He heals broken hearts
and binds up their wounds.
He counts all the stars;
he calls each of them by name.
Our God is great and great is his strength,
his wisdom is not to be measured.
The Lord supports the needy,
but crushes the wicked to the ground.
Sing out to the Lord in thanksgiving,
sing praise to our God on the harp.
He covers the sky with his clouds,
he makes rain to refresh the earth.
He makes grass grow on the hills,
and plants for the service of man.
He gives food to grazing animals,
and feeds the young ravens that call on him.
He takes no delight in the strength of the horse,
no pleasure in the strength of a man.
The Lord is pleased by those who honour him,
by those who trust in his kindness.
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.
There appeared to the apostles what seemed like tongues of fire, and the Holy Spirit came upon each of them. Alleluia.
Canticle
Apocalypse 15
A hymn of adoration
The Holy Spirit, who comes from the Father, will glorify me. Alleluia.
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.
The Holy Spirit, who comes from the Father, will glorify me. Alleluia.
Short Reading
Romans 8:11
©
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your own mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you.
Short Responsory
The Holy Spirit is the Advocate, alleluia, alleluia.
– The Holy Spirit is the Advocate, alleluia, alleluia.
He will teach you everything.
– The Holy Spirit is the Advocate, alleluia, alleluia.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– The Holy Spirit is the Advocate, alleluia, alleluia.
Canticle
Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love. Though the peoples spoke different tongues you united them in proclaiming the same faith. 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.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love. Though the peoples spoke different tongues you united them in proclaiming the same faith. Alleluia.
Prayers and intercessions
The apostles waited and prayed for the coming of the Spirit. Gathered together in their company, we pray for his coming tonight, and joyfully proclaim the greatness of God.
– Father, send us your Spirit.
In Christ you restored the universe which you made;
through your Spirit renew the face of the earth.
– Father, send us your Spirit.
You breathed into Adam the breath of life:
breathe your Spirit into the Church, that the world may find life in her.
– Father, send us your Spirit.
May your Spirit bring light to our darkness;
turn hatred into love, sorrow into joy, and doubt into hope.
– Father, send us your Spirit.
Cleanse and refresh us in the waters of the Spirit;
where there is anguish and sin, bring healing and rebirth.
– Father, send us your Spirit.
Through the Holy Spirit you bring men to life and glory:
may the dead enter their home in heaven to enjoy your love forever.
– Father, 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.
Let us pray.
Almighty, ever-living God,
you ordained that the paschal mystery
should be completed by the mystery of Pentecost.
Gather together, by your gift of grace,
the scattered nations and divided tongues
to one faith in your Name.
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.
