Thursday 9 April 2020
Maundy Thursday
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.
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Hymn
O thou our reminder · of Christ crucified,
Living Bread, the life of · us for whom he died,
Lend this life to me then: feed and feast my mind,
There be thou the sweetness · man was meant to find.
Bring the tender tale true · of the Pelican;
Bathe me, Jesu Lord, in · what thy bosom ran –
Blood whereof a single · drop has power to win
All the world forgiveness · of its world of sin.
Jesu, whom I look at · shrouded here below,
I beseech thee send me · what I thirst for so,
Some day to gaze ón thee · face to face in light
And be blest for ever · with thy glory’s sight.
St Thomas Aquinas (tr. G.M. Hopkins)
________
Psalm 71 (72)
The Messiah's royal power
“They opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh” (Mt 2:11).
Christ is the First-born from the dead, the Ruler of the kings of the earth. He has made us a kingdom for his God and Father.
O Gód, give your júdgement to the kíng, *
to a kíng’s son your jústice,
that he may júdge your péople in jústice *
and your póor in right júdgement.
May the móuntains bring forth péace for the péople *
and the hílls, jústice.
May he defénd the póor of the péople †
and save the chíldren of the néedy *
and crúsh the oppréssor.
He shall endúre like the sún and the móon *
from áge to áge.
He shall descénd like ráin on the méadow, *
like ráindrops on the éarth.
In his dáys jústice shall flóurish *
and péace till the móon fails.
He shall rúle from séa to séa, *
from the Great Ríver to earth’s bóunds.
Befóre him his énemies shall fáll, *
his fóes lick the dúst.
The kíngs of Társhish and the séa coasts *
shall páy him tríbute.
The kíngs of Shéba and Séba *
shall bríng him gífts.
Before hím all kíngs shall fall próstrate, *
all nátions shall sérve him.
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.
Christ is the First-born from the dead, the Ruler of the kings of the earth. He has made us a kingdom for his God and Father.
________
Psalm 71 (72)
The Lord shall save the poor when they cry and the needy who are helpless.
For he shall sáve the póor when they crý *
and the néedy who are hélpless.
Hé will have píty on the wéak *
and save the líves of the póor.
From oppréssion he will réscue their líves, *
to hím their blood is déar.
Lóng may he líve, *
may the góld of Shéba be gíven him.
They shall práy for hím without céasing *
and bléss him all the dáy.
May córn be abúndant in the lánd *
to the péaks of the móuntains.
May its frúit rústle like Lébanon; †
may men flóurish in the cíties *
like gráss on the éarth.
May his náme be bléssed for éver *
and endúre like the sún.
Every tríbe shall be bléssed in hím, *
all nátions bless his náme.
Bléssed be the Lórd, God of Ísrael, *
who alóne works wónders,
ever bléssed his glórious náme. *
Let his glóry fill the éarth.
Amén! Amén!
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 shall save the poor when they cry and the needy who are helpless.
Psalm-prayer
We call upon your name, Father, and pronounce it blessed above the earth. Give your people the fullness of peace and justice in your kingdom.
Or:
Almighty God, you gave the kingdom of justice and peace to David and his descendant, our Lord Jesus Christ. Extend this kingdom to every family of nations so that through your Son all men may obtain true peace, the poor receive justice, the destitute relief, and the people of earth find a blessing in his name.
________
Canticle
Apocalypse 11
The Judgement
The saints have triumphed by the sacrifice of the Lamb, and by the testimony which they uttered.
We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, *
who are and who were,
that you have taken your great power *
and begun to reign.
The nations raged, *
but your wrath came,
and the time for the dead to be judged, *
for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,
and those who fear your name, *
both small and great.
Now the salvation and the power †
and the kingdom of our God *
and the authority of his Christ have come,
for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, *
who accuses them day and night before our God.
And they have conquered him *
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony, *
for they loved not their lives even unto death.
Rejoice, then, O heaven, *
and you that dwell therein.
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 saints have triumphed by the sacrifice of the Lamb, and by the testimony which they uttered.
________
Short Reading
Hebrews 13:12-15
Jesus suffered outside the gate to sanctify the people with his own blood. Let us go to him, then, ‘outside the camp’, and share his degradation. For there is no eternal city for us in this life but we look for one in the life to come. Through him, let us offer God an unending sacrifice of praise, a verbal sacrifice that is offered every time we acknowledge his name.
________
Short Responsory
Christ humbled himself for us and, in obedience, accepted death.
________
Canticle
Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
As they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to his disciples.
My soul glórifies the Lórd, *
my spirit rejóices in Gód, my Sáviour.
He looks on his sérvant in her lówliness; *
henceforth all áges will cáll me bléssed.
The Almíghty works márvels for me. *
Hóly his náme!
His mércy is from age to áge, *
on thóse who féar him.
He púts forth his árm in stréngth *
and scátters the proud-héarted.
He casts the míghty from their thrónes *
and ráises the lówly.
He fills the stárving with good thíngs, *
sends the rích away émpty.
He protects Ísrael, his sérvant, *
remémbering his mércy,
the mercy prómised to our fáthers, *
to Ábraham and his sóns for éver.
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 they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to his disciples.
________
Prayers and intercessions
Let us adore our Saviour, who at the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, entrusted to the Church the memorial of his death and resurrection to be celebrated throughout the ages. Confident that he will hear us, we pray:
– Sanctify the people whom you redeemed by your blood.
Christ, our Redeemer, let us share in your passion by works of penance;
let us attain the glory of your resurrection.
– Sanctify the people whom you redeemed by your blood.
Grant us the protection of your Mother, the comforter of the afflicted;
may we bring to others the consolation you have given us.
– Sanctify the people whom you redeemed by your blood.
Unite the faithful to your passion in times of trouble and distress;
let the power of your salvation shine forth in their lives.
– Sanctify the people whom you redeemed by your blood.
You humbled yourself even to accepting death, death on a cross;
grant to your servants obedience and patience.
– Sanctify the people whom you redeemed by your blood.
Share with the dead your bodily glory;
let us rejoice one day with them in the fellowship of the saints.
– Sanctify the people whom you redeemed by your blood.
________
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,
since for your glory and our salvation
you willed Christ your Son to be the eternal High Priest,
grant that the people he gained for you by his blood
may be strengthened by his cross and resurrection
when they take part in his memorial sacrifice.
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.