Vespers (Evening Prayer)
(First Vespers of tomorrow, Birthday of St John the Baptist)
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
As John the Baptist leapt for joy
within his mother’s womb,
so Joy Himself at Eastertide
danced from the empty tomb.
The burning and the shining light
which all rejoiced to see
was but a pointer to the Son,
glad in his shade to be.
The friend who heard the Bridegroom’s voice
with water cleansed the bride
whom Christ espoused with blood that poured
red from his wounded side.
The fearless voice that preached the truth
resounded from the grave:
soon Truth Himself, as Word made flesh,
our sinful world would save.
Let all creation sing with joy
to God the Holy One,
in whom we pass from death to life,
joy ever new-begun.
Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal
Psalm 112 (113)
Praise of the Lord's name
Elizabeth, the wife of Zachary, gave birth to a great man, John the Baptist, the man who went before the Lord.
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.
Elizabeth, the wife of Zachary, gave birth to a great man, John the Baptist, the man who went before the Lord.
Psalm 145 (146)
The blessedness of those who hope in the Lord
John, who went before the Lord, was born when his mother was old and considered incapable of bearing a child.
Praise the Lord, my soul.
I will praise the Lord all my life,
make music to my God as long as I exist.
Do not trust in princes to save you,
they are only sons of men.
One day their breath will leave them, they will return to the ground;
on that day perish all their plans.
Happy the one whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
who made heaven and earth and all that is in them,
who keeps faith for ever,
who gives justice to the oppressed,
who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord frees prisoners,
he gives light to the blind,
he raises the fallen.
The Lord loves the upright, cares for strangers,
sustains orphans and widows;
but the wicked he sends astray.
The Lord will reign for all ages,
your God, O Zion, from generation to generation.
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.
John, who went before the Lord, was born when his mother was old and considered incapable of bearing a child.
Canticle
Ephesians 1
God the Saviour
Among those born of women there was no man greater than John the Baptist.
Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us, in Christ,
with every spiritual blessing in heaven.
In love, he chose us before the creation of the world,
to be holy and spotless in his sight.
He predestined us to be his adopted children through Jesus Christ,
simply because it pleased him to do so.
This he did for the praise of the glory of his grace,
of his free gift to us in his Beloved,
in whose blood we have gained redemption,
and the forgiveness of our sins.
This he did according to the riches of his grace,
which he gave us in abundance,
with all wisdom and discernment,
revealing to us the mysteries of his will,
because it pleased him to do so.
In this action he has planned, in the fulfilment of time,
to bring all things together in Christ,
from the heavens and from the earth.
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.
Among those born of women there was no man greater than John the Baptist.
Short Reading
Acts 13:23-25
©
To keep his promise, God has raised up for Israel one of David’s descendants, Jesus, as Saviour, whose coming was heralded by John when he proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the whole people of Israel. Before John ended his career he said, ‘I am not the one you imagine me to be; that one is coming after me and I am not fit to undo his sandal.’
Short Responsory
Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.
– Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.
There is one coming after me who existed before me.
– Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.
Canticle
Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
When Zechariah had entered the temple of the Lord, the angel Gabriel appeared to him, standing on the right of the altar of incense.
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.
When Zechariah had entered the temple of the Lord, the angel Gabriel appeared to him, standing on the right of the altar of incense.
Prayers and intercessions
God our Father, you chose John the Baptist to announce the kingdom of Christ to all men. Joyfully we pray, therefore:
– Lord, guide us in the way of peace.
Even in his mother’s womb you chose John to prepare the way for your Son;
give us the faith to know Christ, and to make him known.
– Lord, guide us in the way of peace.
You inspired the Baptist to recognize the Lamb of God:
through us, let the world recognize your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
– Lord, guide us in the way of peace.
You disposed your prophet to give way before Christ;
give us the humility to let his light shine in the world.
– Lord, guide us in the way of peace.
You called John even to die for you;
grant that we may share his burning zeal for the truth.
– Lord, guide us in the way of peace.
Remember the dead who have walked in the path of life:
bring them to new life, cleansed from all stain of sin.
– Lord, guide us in the way of peace.
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 God and Father,
you sent Saint John the Baptist to the people of Israel
to make them ready for Christ the Lord.
Give us the grace of joy in the Spirit,
and guide the hearts of all the faithful
in the way of salvation and peace.
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.
