Monday 2 March 2020
Monday of the 1st week of Lent
Vespers (Evening Prayer)
Introduction (without Invitatory)
If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, use the version with the Invitatory Psalm instead.
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.
________
Hymn
God, of thy pity, unto us thy children
Bend down thine ear in thine own loving kindness,
And all thy people’s prayers and vows ascending
Hear, we beseech thee.
Look down in mercy from thy seat of glory,
Pour on our souls the radiance of thy presence,
Drive from our weary hearts the shades of darkness,
Lightening our footsteps.
Free us from sin by might of thy great loving,
Cleanse thou the sordid, loose the fettered spirit,
Spare every sinner, raise with thine own right hand
All who are fallen.
Glory to God the Father everlasting,
Glory for ever to the Sole-begotten,
With whom thy Holy Spirit through the ages
Reigneth co-equal.
________
Psalm 10 (11)
The Lord, support of the just
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for what is right: they shall be satisfied” (Mt 5:6).
The Lord cares for the weak and oppressed.
In the Lord I have taken my refuge.
How can you say to my soul:
‘Fly like a bird to its mountain.
See the wicked bracing their bow;
they are fixing their arrows on the string
to shoot upright men in the dark.
Foundations once destroyed, what can the just do?’
The Lord is in his holy temple,
the Lord, whose throne is in heaven.
His eyes look down on the world;
his gaze tests mortal men.
The Lord tests the just and the wicked;
the lover of violence he hates.
He sends fire and brimstone on the wicked;
he sends a scorching wind as their lot.
The Lord is just and loves justice;
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-prayer
Lord God, you search the hearts of all, both the good and the wicked. May those who are in danger for love of you, find security in you now, and, in the day of judgement, may they rejoice in seeing you face to face.
________
Psalm 14 (15)
Who is worthy to face the Lord?
“You have come to Mount Sion, to the city of the living God” (Heb 12:22).
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Lord, who shall be admitted to your tent
and dwell on your holy mountain?
He who walks without fault;
he who acts with justice
and speaks the truth from his heart;
he who does not slander with his tongue;
he who does no wrong to his brother,
who casts no slur on his neighbour,
who holds the godless in disdain,
but honours those who fear the Lord;
he who keeps his pledge, come what may;
who takes no interest on a loan
and accepts no bribes against the innocent.
Such a man 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.
Psalm-prayer
Make our lives blameless, Lord. Help us to do what is right and to speak what is true, that we may dwell in your tent and find rest on your holy mountain.
Or:
You first chose to live among men, Lord Jesus, and in returning to your Father you made an eternal home for us. Help us walk blamelessly in your ways, that we may come at last to your holy mountain.
________
Canticle
Ephesians 1
God the Saviour
God chose us in his Son and made us his adopted sons.
Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
He chose us in him
before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy
and blameless before him.
He destined us in love
to be his sons through Jesus Christ,
according to the purpose of his will,
to the praise of his glorious grace
which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
In him we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of his grace
which he lavished upon us.
He has made known to us
in all wisdom and insight
the mystery of his will,
according to his purpose
which he set forth in Christ.
His purpose he set forth in Christ
as a plan for the fullness of time,
to unite all things in him,
things in heaven and things on 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
Romans 12:1-2
Think of God’s mercy, my brothers, and worship him, I beg you, in a way that is worthy of thinking beings, by offering your living bodies as a holy sacrifice, truly pleasing to God. Do not model yourselves on the behaviour of the world around you, but let your behaviour change, modelled by your new mind. This is the only way to discover the will of God and know what is good, what it is that God wants, what is the perfect thing to do.
________
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
Anything you did for the least of these who are mine, you did it for me, says the Lord.
My soul glorifies the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour.
He looks on his servant in her lowliness;
henceforth all ages will call me blessed.
The Almighty works marvels for me.
Holy his name!
His mercy is from age to age,
on those who fear him.
He puts forth his arm in strength
and scatters the proud-hearted.
He casts the mighty from their thrones
and raises the lowly.
He fills the starving with good things,
sends the rich away empty.
He protects Israel, his servant,
remembering his mercy,
the mercy promised to our fathers,
to Abraham and his sons 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.
Anything you did for the least of these who are mine, you did it for me, says the Lord.
________
Prayers and intercessions
Let us call on the name of the Lord Jesus, who saves his people from their sins.
– Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us.
Christ our Lord, you gave yourself up for the Church to make her holy;
renew her once more through the spirit of repentance.
– Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us.
Good master, let young people discover that way of life which you have planned for each one of them;
may they be faithful to your grace and fulfil your will for them.
– Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us.
Give hope to the sick and make them well again;
help us to comfort and take care of them.
– Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us.
In baptism you made us sons of the Father;
may we live for you now and always.
– Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us.
Grant to the faithful departed peace and glory;
let us reign with them one day in your heavenly kingdom.
– Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us.
________
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.
________
Turn our hearts back to you, God our Saviour;
form us by your heavenly teaching,
so that we may truly profit by our Lenten observance.
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.
Copyright © 1996-2020 Universalis Publishing Limited: see www.universalis.com. Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible are published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc, and used by permission of the publishers. Text of the Psalms: Copyright © 1963, The Grail (England). Used with permission of A.P. Watt Ltd. All rights reserved.