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
Come, praise the Lord, the Almighty, the King of all nations!
Tell forth his fame, O ye peoples, with loud acclamations!
His love is sure;
Faithful his word shall endure,
Steadfast through all generations!
Praise to the Father most gracious, the Lord of creation!
Praise to his Son, the Redeemer who wrought our salvation!
O heav’nly Dove,
Praise to thee, fruit of their love,
Giver of all consolation.
Psalm 10 (11)
The Lord, support of the just
The Lord cares for the weak and oppressed.
I trust in the Lord, so why do you say to me:
“Fly up to the mountain like a sparrow”?
“For the wicked have drawn their bows,
fitted the arrow to the string,
to shoot in darkness at the upright of heart.
When the foundations are being overthrown,
what are the just to do?”
The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord’s throne is in heaven.
His eyes look down on the poor,
he examines the children of men.
The Lord scrutinises the just and the unjust,
and his heart hates those who do evil.
He rains down coals upon the wicked,
fire and brimstone and a scorching wind:
this is what he gives them to drink.
For the Lord is just and loves just deeds,
and the upright shall see his face.
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 cares for the weak and oppressed.
Psalm 14 (15)
Who is worthy to face the Lord?
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Lord, who will live in your tent?
Who will dwell on your holy mountain?
Whoever comes there without stain,
acts rightly, speaks truth in his heart.
Whoever does not speak deceitfully,
or do harm to his neighbour, or slander him.
Whoever despises the evil-doer,
but reveres those who fear the Lord.
Whoever swears and keeps his word, come what may
– lends his money without usury –
takes no bribe to condemn the innocent.
Whoever lives like this
will stand firm 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.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Canticle
Ephesians 1
God the Saviour
God chose us in his Son and made us his adopted sons.
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.
God chose us in his Son and made us his adopted sons.
Short Reading
Colossians 1:9-11
©
Through perfect wisdom and spiritual understanding, may you reach the fullest knowledge of God’s will. So you will be able to lead the kind of life which the Lord expects of you, a life acceptable to him in all its aspects; showing the results in all the good actions you do and increasing your knowledge of God. You will have in you the strength, based on his own glorious power, never to give in, but to bear anything joyfully.
Short Responsory
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.
– Heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.
I said: ‘Lord, have mercy on me.’
– Heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– Heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.
Canticle
Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
My soul magnifies the Lord, since God has had regard for my humble state.
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.
My soul magnifies the Lord, since God has had regard for my humble state.
Prayers and intercessions
God our Father has bound himself to us in an everlasting covenant. In thankfulness and faith, we pray to him:
– Lord, bless your people!
In Christ you have given a new covenant to men:
may they know the greatness which they have inherited.
– Lord, bless your people!
Gather into one all who bear the name of Christian,
that the world may believe in the Christ you have sent.
– Lord, bless your people!
Pour out your love on our friends, and on all whom we know;
may they carry with them the gentleness of Christ.
– Lord, bless your people!
Comfort the dying;
may they know your saving love.
– Lord, bless your people!
Show your mercy to the dead;
may they find their rest in Christ.
– Lord, bless 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.
Let us pray.
Let our worship give you glory, Lord,
who for our salvation
looked upon the lowliness of Mary, your handmaid:
raise us up to share with her
the fullness of redemption.
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.
