Saturday 9 May 2020
Saturday of the 4th week of Eastertide
(First Vespers of tomorrow, 5th Sunday of Easter)
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
The Lamb’s high banquet we await,
In snow-white robes of royal state;
And now, the Red Sea’s channel past,
To Christ our Prince we sing at last.
Upon the altar of the Cross
His body hath redeemed our loss;
And tasting of his scarlet blood,
Our life is hid with him in God.
Now Christ our paschal Lamb is slain,
The Lamb of God that knows no stain,
The true oblation offered here,
Our own unleavened bread sincere.
O thou, from whom hell’s monarch flies,
O great, O very Sacrifice,
Thy captive people are set free,
And endless life restored in thee.
To thee who, dead, again dost live,
All glory, Lord, thy people give:
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father and to Paraclete.
________
Psalm 140 (141)
Prayer in time of danger
“The smoke of incense rose before God with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel” (Rev 8:4).
Let the raising of my hands in prayer please you like the evening oblation. Alleluia.
I have called to you, Lord; hasten to help me!
Hear my voice when I cry to you.
Let my prayer arise before you like incense,
the raising of my hands like an evening oblation.
Set, O Lord, a guard over my mouth;
keep watch, O Lord, at the door of my lips!
Do not turn my heart to things that are wrong,
to evil deeds with men who are sinners.
Never allow me to share in their feasting.
If a good man strikes or reproves me it is kindness;
but let the oil of the wicked not anoint my head.
Let my prayer be ever against their malice.
Their princes were thrown down by the side of the rock;
then they understood that my words were kind.
As a millstone is shattered to pieces on the ground,
so their bones were strewn at the mouth of the grave.
To you, Lord God, my eyes are turned:
in you I take refuge; spare my soul!
From the trap they have laid for me keep me safe:
keep me from the snares of those who do evil.
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.
Let the raising of my hands in prayer please you like the evening oblation. Alleluia.
Psalm-prayer
Lord, from the rising of the sun to its setting your name is worthy of all praise. Let our prayer come like incense before you. May the lifting up of our hands be as an evening sacrifice acceptable to you, Lord our God.
Or:
Lord, you never reject the prayer of those who cry to you. Listen to the pleading of your Church and defend your people. Make them strong in faith against the evil one who would devour them. After they have overcome the brief ordeals of this life, may they enter into your glory with Christ Jesus.
________
Psalm 141 (142)
You are my refuge
“All these things were fulfilled by the Lord at the time of his passion” (St Hilary).
You have brought me out from prison to give praise to your name. Alleluia.
With all my voice I cry to the Lord,
with all my voice I entreat the Lord.
I pour out my trouble before him;
I tell him all my distress
while my spirit faints within me.
But you, O Lord, know my path.
On the way where I shall walk
they have hidden a snare to entrap me.
Look on my right and see:
there is no one who takes my part.
I have no means of escape,
not one who cares for my soul.
I cry to you, O Lord.
I have said: ‘You are my refuge
all I have in the land of the living.’
Listen, then, to my cry
for I am in the depths of distress.
Rescue me from those who pursue me
for they are stronger than I.
Bring my soul out of this prison
and then I shall praise your name.
Around me the just will assemble
because of your goodness to me.
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.
You have brought me out from prison to give praise to your name. Alleluia.
Psalm-prayer
Lord, we humbly ask for your goodness. May you help us to hope in you, and give us a share with your chosen ones in the land of the living.
Or:
Lord Jesus, hanging alone on the cross, you accepted to be tortured by the executioners and cut to the heart by the defection of your disciples. You called on your Father with a mighty cry as you gave up your spirit. Deliver us from the prison of affliction and be yourself our inheritance in the land of the living.
________
Canticle
Philippians 2
Christ, God's servant
The Son of God learned to obey through suffering, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. Alleluia.
Though he was in the form of God,
Jesus did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.
He emptied himself,
taking the form of a servant,
being born in the likeness of men.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself and became obedient unto death,
even death on a cross.
Therefore God has highly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name which is above every name,
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
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 Son of God learned to obey through suffering, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. Alleluia.
________
Short Reading
1 Peter 2:9-10
You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a people set apart to sing the praises of God who called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people at all and now you are the People of God; once you were outside the mercy and now you have been given mercy.
________
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
If I go and prepare you a place, I shall return to take you with me; so that where I am you may be too. Alleluia. (Year A)
Or: I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through me, alleluia.
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.
If I go and prepare you a place, I shall return to take you with me; so that where I am you may be too. Alleluia. (Year A)
Or: I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through me, alleluia.
________
Prayers and intercessions
Let us pray to Christ, our life and our resurrection.
– Son of the living God, protect your people.
We pray for your Catholic Church:
may she reveal among the nations your kingdom of justice and holiness.
– Son of the living God, protect your people.
We pray for the sick, the sorrowful, captives and exiles:
show them your power and compassion.
– Son of the living God, protect your people.
We pray for those who have lost you in the maze of life:
let them know once more the joy of coming home.
– Son of the living God, protect your people.
Crucified and risen Saviour, you will come again in judgement:
be merciful to us sinners.
– Son of the living God, protect your people.
We pray for all the living,
and for those who have left this world in the hope of the resurrection.
– Son of the living God, protect your people.
________
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.
________
Since it is from you, God our Father,
that redemption comes to us, your adopted children,
look with favour on the family you love,
give true freedom to us and to all who believe in Christ,
and bring us all alike to our eternal heritage.
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.