Monday 20 July 2020
Monday of week 16 in Ordinary Time
or Saint Apollinaris, 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.
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Hymn
This very well worked hymn is by Alcuin (†804). It draws a striking contrast between the arrival of night with the setting of the sun and the permanent presence of that other ineffable light which is Christ.
Lúminis fons, lux et orígo lucis,
tu pius nostris précibus favéto,
luxque, peccáti ténebris fugátis,
nos tua adórnet.
Ecce transáctus labor est diéi,
teque nos tuti sumus adnuénte;
en tibi grates ágimus libéntes
tempus in omne.
Solis abscéssus ténebras redúxit:
ille sol nobis rádiet corúscus
luce qui fulva fovet angelórum
ágmina sancta.
Quas dies culpas hodiérna texit,
Christus deléto pius atque mitis,
pectus et puro rútilet nitóre
témpore noctis.
Laus tibi Patri, decus atque Nato,
Flámini Sancto párilis potéstas,
cuncta qui sceptro régitis suprémo
omne per ævum. Amen.
Source of light, light and the origin of light,
With mercy pay heed to our prayers,
And, once the darkness of sin is put to flight,
May your light adorn us.
Behold the work of the day is over
And, with your approval, we are safe;
Behold, we willingly give you thanks
At every moment.
The setting of the sun has brought back darkness:
May that other shining sun [Christ],
Who, with a gilded light, sustains
The holy hosts of angels, shine on us.
O Christ, just and meek, blot out
Whatever faults this day has concealed
And may our heart glow with pure brillance
During the time of night.
Praise to you, O Father, and honour to the Son,
Equal might to the Holy Breath
Who rule all things with supreme authority
For all ages. Amen.
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Psalm 135 (136)
A paschal hymn
“To tell of the works of the Lord is to give praise” (Cassiodorus).
Give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
O give thanks to the Lord for he is good,
for his love endures for ever.
Give thanks to the God of gods
for his love endures for ever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his love endures for ever;
who alone has wrought marvellous works,
for his love endures for ever;
whose wisdom it was made the skies,
for his love endures for ever;
who fixed the earth firmly on the seas,
for his love endures for ever.
It was he who made the great lights,
for his love endures for ever;
the sun to rule in the day,
for his love endures for ever;
the moon and stars in the night,
for his love endures 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.
Give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
________
Psalm 135 (136)
Great and wonderful are your works, Lord God almighty.
The first-born of the Egyptians he smote,
for his love endures for ever.
He brought Israel out from their midst,
for his love endures for ever;
arm outstretched, with power in his hand,
for his love endures for ever.
He divided the Red Sea in two,
for his love endures for ever;
he made Israel pass through the midst,
for his love endures for ever;
he flung Pharaoh and his force in the sea,
for his love endures for ever.
Through the desert his people he led,
for his love endures for ever.
Nations in their greatness he struck,
for his love endures for ever.
Kings in their splendour he slew,
for his love endures for ever.
Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his love endures for ever;
and Og, the king of Bashan,
for his love endures for ever.
He let Israel inherit their land,
for his love endures for ever.
On his servant their land he bestowed,
for his love endures for ever.
He remembered us in our distress,
for his love endures for ever.
And he snatched us away from our foes,
for his love endures for ever.
He gives food to all living things,
for his love endures for ever.
To the God of heaven give thanks,
for his love endures 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.
Great and wonderful are your works, Lord God almighty.
Psalm-prayer
Almighty God, remember our lowliness and have mercy. Once you gave our fathers a foreign land to inherit. Free us today from sin and give us a share in your inheritance.
Or:
God of everlasting love, in and through your Son you made all things in heaven and on earth. You have opened to us the Easter path from death to life. Listen to the song of the universe, the hymn of resurrection, sung by your Church. May we gain life from your bread and inherit a place in heaven.
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Canticle
Ephesians 1
God the Saviour
God planned to bring all things together under Christ when the fullness of time had come.
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 planned to bring all things together under Christ when the fullness of time had come.
________
Short Reading
1 Thessalonians 3:12-13
May the Lord be generous in increasing your love and make you love one another and the whole human race as much as we love you. And may he so confirm your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless in the sight of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus Christ comes with all his saints.
________
Short Responsory
Let my prayer come before you, O Lord.
– Let my prayer come before you, O Lord.
Let it rise in your presence like incense.
– Let my prayer come before you, O Lord.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– Let my prayer come before you, O Lord.
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Canticle
Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
Let my soul proclaim your greatness for ever, O my God.
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.
Let my soul proclaim your greatness for ever, O my God.
________
Prayers and intercessions
Let us pray to God who never deserts those who trust in him.
– Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Pour out your Spirit on the Church;
let men see in her the greatness of your loving kindness.
– Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Be with the priests and ministers of your Church:
what they preach to others, may they practise in their lives.
– Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Teach us to understand one another more deeply:
by your presence, free us from prejudice and fear.
– Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give married couples constancy and mutual understanding:
may their difficulties help to deepen the love they have for each other.
– Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Pardon the sins of all our departed brothers and sisters:
may they enjoy new life in the company of your saints.
– Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
________
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.
________
Stay with us, Lord Jesus, as evening falls:
be our companion on our way.
In your mercy, inflame our hearts and raise our hope,
so that, in union with our brethren,
we may recognize you in the scriptures
and in the breaking of bread.
Who live and reign with God the Father
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.