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
When God made man, he gave him all the earth,
All growing things, with every bird and beast;
Then Adam named them at the Lord’s command,
Subdued the greatest of them, and the least.
In his own image God created man,
And when from dust he fashioned Adam’s face,
The likeness of his only Son was formed:
His Word incarnate, filled with truth and grace.
To God the Father and to Christ his Son
And blessed Spirit heaven and earth give praise.
Creation with tremendous voice cries out:
All holy is the mighty Lord of Days.
Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal
Psalm 40 (41)
Prayer in time of sickness
Lord, heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.
Blessed is he who takes thought for the helpless,
for the Lord will keep him safe in time of trouble.
The Lord will guard him and give him life.
He will give him good fortune on the earth,
and not betray him into the power of his enemies.
The Lord will lend him strength on his bed of pain;
you will transform all his sickness into health.
I said, “Lord, have mercy, heal my soul,
for I have sinned against you.”
My enemies spoke against me, saying: “When will he die?
When will his name perish?”
When one of them came to visit me, he talked of nothing,
but stored up wickedness in his heart.
He went out, and told tales against me.
All my enemies whispered together against me,
imagined the worst:
“A plague has taken hold of him:
he has lain down and will not rise.”
Even my dearest friend, in whom I put my trust, who had eaten my bread –
even he trampled me down.
But you, Lord – have mercy on me,
revive me, and I will pay them back.
This is how I know that I have your favour,
when my enemy cannot triumph over me,
when you raise me up because of my innocence,
and put me in your presence for all eternity.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
from the beginning to the end of time.
Amen! Amen!
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.
Lord, heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.
Psalm 45 (46)
God, our refuge and our strength
The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
The Lord is our refuge and our strength,
a true help in our troubles.
Therefore we do not fear,
even when the earth is shaken and mountains fall into the depths of the sea,
the waves roar and foam
and rise up to shake the mountains.
The streams of the river give joy to the city of God,
the holy dwelling-place of the Most High.
God is within it, it will not be shaken;
God will give help as the day dawns.
The nations are in turmoil and kingdoms totter:
at the sound of his voice, the earth flows like water.
The Lord of strength is with us,
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Come and see the works of the Lord,
who has done wonders on the earth.
He puts an end to wars over all the world:
he tramples the bow, shatters weapons, and burns the shields with fire.
Stop and see that I am God:
I will be exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.
The Lord of strength is with us,
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
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 of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
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
Romans 15:1-3
©
We who are strong have a duty to put up with the qualms of the weak without thinking of ourselves. Each of us should think of his neighbours and help them to become stronger Christians. Christ did not think of himself: the words of scripture apply to him – the insults of those who insult you fall on me.
Short Responsory
Christ loved us and has washed away our sins with his blood.
– Christ loved us and has washed away our sins with his blood.
He has made us a line of kings, priests to serve God.
– Christ loved us and has washed away our sins with his blood.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– Christ loved us and has washed away our sins with his blood.
Canticle
Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
The Lord has come to help us, his servants: he has remembered his mercy.
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.
The Lord has come to help us, his servants: he has remembered his mercy.
Prayers and intercessions
God is our loving Father, who cares for us and knows all our needs. With confidence we pray:
– Father, may we find rest in your love.
Christ, your Son, suffered and died for the Church;
be with all Christians who are suffering tonight.
– Father, may we find rest in your love.
Bring to the sick your comfort and healing;
strengthen them through the victory of Calvary.
– Father, may we find rest in your love.
Be near to us, almighty Father,
for you alone can save us from the evils that threaten us.
– Father, may we find rest in your love.
Strengthen us in the hour of death:
let us know your peace.
– Father, may we find rest in your love.
Bring the dead into your light:
comfort them with your presence.
– Father, may we find rest in your love.
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.
Lord God,
teach us the lessons of your Son’s Passion,
and so enable us, your people,
to bear the yoke he makes light for us.
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.
