Thursday 23 April 2020
Thursday of the 2nd week of Eastertide
or Saint George, Martyr
or Saint Adalbert of Prague, Bishop, Martyr
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. Alleluia.
________
Hymn
O Christ, the heavens’ eternal King,
Creator, unto thee we sing,
With God the Father ever One,
Co-equal, co-eternal Son.
Thy hand, when first the world began,
Made in thine own pure image man,
And linked to fleshly form of earth
A living soul of heavenly birth.
And when the envious crafty foe
Had marred thy noblest work below,
Thou didst our ruined state repair
By deigning flesh thyself to wear.
Once of a virgin born to save,
And now new born from death’s dark grave,
O Christ, thou bidd’st us rise with thee
From death to immortality.
Eternal Shepherd, thou art wont
To cleanse Thy sheep within the font,
That mystic bath, that grave of sin,
Where ransomed souls new life begin.
Divine Redeemer, thou didst deign
To bear for us the cross of pain,
And freely pay the precious price
Of all thy blood in sacrifice.
Jesu, do thou to every heart
Unceasing Paschal joy impart;
From death of sin and guilty strife
Set free the new born sons of life.
All praise be thine, O risen Lord,
From death to endless life restored;
All praise to God the Father be
And Holy Ghost eternally.
________
Psalm 71 (72)
The Messiah's royal power
“They opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh” (Mt 2:11).
God has appointed him to judge all men, both living and dead. Alleluia.
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.
God has appointed him to judge all men, both living and dead. Alleluia.
________
Psalm 71 (72)
Every tribe shall be blessed in him. Alleluia.
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.
Every tribe shall be blessed in him. Alleluia.
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
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and for ever, alleluia.
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.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and for ever, alleluia.
________
Short Reading
1 Peter 3:18,21-22
Christ himself, innocent though he was, had died once for sins, died for the guilty, to lead us to God. In the body he was put to death, in the spirit he was raised to life. And now you are saved, not by the washing off of physical dirt but by a pledge made to God from a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has entered heaven and is at God’s right hand, now that he has made the angels and Dominations and Powers his subjects.
________
Short Responsory
The disciples rejoiced, alleluia, alleluia.
– The disciples rejoiced, alleluia, alleluia.
They saw the Lord, alleluia, alleluia.
– The disciples rejoiced, alleluia, alleluia.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– The disciples rejoiced, alleluia, alleluia.
________
Canticle
Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
Anyone who believes in the Son has eternal life. Alleluia.
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.
Anyone who believes in the Son has eternal life. Alleluia.
________
Prayers and intercessions
Let us pray to Christ, who is our living hope of rising from the dead.
– King of glory, hear us.
Lord Jesus, by shedding your blood and rising from death you entered into your glory;
let us go with you into the presence of your Father.
– King of glory, hear us.
You sent your disciples into the world, their faith made strong by the resurrection;
grant that bishops and priests may be faithful ministers of your gospel.
– King of glory, hear us.
Through your resurrection you united the faithful in one hope and love;
may we share in your ministry of peace and reconciliation.
– King of glory, hear us.
Through your resurrection you healed the cripple who begged at the entrance to the temple;
look with pity on the sick and display in them your glory.
– King of glory, hear us.
You are the first to rise from the dead, the first of many brothers;
share your glory with those who have hoped in you.
– King of glory, hear 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.
________
God of mercy,
let the mystery we celebrate at Eastertide
bear fruit for us in every season.
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.