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
Hark! hark, my soul! angelic songs are swelling
o’er earth’s green fields and ocean’s wave-beat shore:
how sweet the truth those blessed strains are telling
of that new life when sin shall be no more.
Onward we go, for still we hear them singing,
‘Come, weary souls, for Jesus bids you come’;
and through the dark, its echoes sweetly ringing,
the music of the gospel leads us home.
Far, far away, like bells at evening pealing,
the voice of Jesus sounds o’er land and sea;
and laden souls, by thousands meekly stealing,
kind Shepherd, turn their weary steps to thee.
Rest comes at length: though life be long and dreary,
the day must dawn, and darksome night be past;
faith’s journeys end in welcome to the weary,
and heaven, the heart’s true home, will come at last.
Angels, sing on! your faithful watches keeping;
sing us sweet fragments of the songs above,
till morning’s joy shall end the night of weeping,
and life’s long shadows break in cloudless love.
Psalm 33 (34)
The Lord, the salvation of the righteous
The angel of the Lord is encamped around those who revere him, to rescue them.
I shall bless the Lord for ever:
my mouth will proclaim his praise.
My soul will glory in the Lord:
let the meek listen and rejoice.
Join me and proclaim the greatness of the Lord:
together let us exalt his name.
I sought the Lord and he listened to me:
he rescued me from all my fears.
Look to him and he will shine upon you,
and you will not be put to shame.
This poor man called, and the Lord answered him
and saved him from all his many troubles.
The angel of the Lord will build defences
round those who fear the Lord:
he will come to their rescue.
Taste and see that the Lord is kind:
happy the man who hopes in him.
Revere the Lord, his saints:
for those who fear him are never destitute.
The rich are hungry and in want,
but for those who seek the Lord
there is no lack of good things.
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 angel of the Lord is encamped around those who revere him, to rescue them.
Psalm 33 (34)
As God lives, so has his angel protected me.
Come, children, listen to me:
I shall teach you the fear of the Lord.
Who is the man who desires life,
who wants to live long to enjoy good things?
Do not let your tongue speak evil:
let your lips not utter deceit.
Avoid evil, do good:
seek peace and follow it.
The eyes of the Lord are on the just
and his ears hear their cries;
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil:
he wipes their memory from the earth.
The just cried out, and the Lord listened
and freed them from all their many troubles.
The Lord is close to the broken-hearted:
the crushed in spirit he will save.
Many are the troubles of the just,
but the Lord will free them from all of them.
He will protect all their bones:
not one will be broken.
Their own evil destroys sinners:
those who hate the just will be punished.
The Lord will redeem the souls of his servants:
those who put their hope in him will not be punished.
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.
As God lives, so has his angel protected me.
Canticle
Apocalypse 11
The Judgement
Give thanks to the God of heaven, glorify him with all living things, for he has shown you his loving kindness.
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.
Give thanks to the God of heaven, glorify him with all living things, for he has shown you his loving kindness.
Short Reading
Apocalypse 8:3-4
©
An angel with a golden censer came and stood at the altar. A large quantity of incense was given to him to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar that stood in front of the throne; and so from the angel’s hand the smoke of the incense went up in the presence of God and with it the prayers of the saints.
Short Responsory
God has entrusted you to the care of his angels.
– God has entrusted you to the care of his angels.
May they protect you wherever you go.
– God has entrusted you to the care of his angels.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– God has entrusted you to the care of his angels.
Canticle
Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
The angels always look on the face of my Father in heaven.
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 angels always look on the face of my Father in heaven.
Prayers and intercessions
The powers of heaven stand at God’s throne to serve him. Let us ask our Father to make us ready to do his will on earth.
– Let us praise the Father with the hosts of heaven.
Lord, you made the angels to be ministers of your word:
by their help may we bring your word to our brothers.
– Let us praise the Father with the hosts of heaven.
Lord, your holiness is sung by the eternal angels:
may the Church on earth never fail in your praise
– Let us praise the Father with the hosts of heaven.
You sent your angels to watch over your servants,
protect all those who travel, and guide them safely home.
– Let us praise the Father with the hosts of heaven.
At Christmas your angels sang of peace towards men:
may their message of peace inspire the hearts of rulers and peoples.
– Let us praise the Father with the hosts of heaven.
When the angels summon the dead from the four corners of the world,
may your people be gathered as one into your joy.
– Let us praise the Father with the hosts of heaven.
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.
Lord God,
in your all-wise providence you send angels to guard and protect us.
Surround us with their watchful care on earth,
and give us the joy of their company for ever in heaven.
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.
