Tuesday 29 September 2020
Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels - Feast
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
Thee, O Christ, the Father’s splendour,
Life and virtue of the heart,
In the presence of the Angels
Sing we now with tuneful art;
Fitly in alternate chorus
Bearing our responsive part.
Thus we praise with veneration
All the armies of the sky;
Chiefly him, the warrior Primate
Of celestial chivalry,
Michael, who in princely virtue
Cast Abaddon from on high.
By whose watchful care repelling,
King of everlasting grace,
Every ghostly adversary,
All things evil, all things base,
Grant us of thine only goodness
In thy Paradise a place.
Glory to the Father sing we
With resounding voices sweet,
Glory unto Christ our Saviour,
Glory to the Paraclete:
Standing forth, One God and Trinal,
Ere the ages; as is meet.
________
Psalm 8
The greatness of God, the dignity of man
“He has put all things under his feet, and appointed him to be the head of the whole Church” (Eph 1:22).
King of the angels, your splendour surpasses that of the heavens.
How great is your name, O Lord our God,
through all the earth!
Your majesty is praised above the heavens;
on the lips of children and of babes
you have found praise to foil your enemy,
to silence the foe and the rebel.
When I see the heavens, the work of your hands,
the moon and the stars which you arranged,
what is man that you should keep him in mind,
mortal man that you care for him?
Yet you have made him little less than a god;
with glory and honour you crowned him,
gave him power over the works of your hand,
put all things under his feet.
All of them, sheep and cattle,
yes, even the savage beasts,
birds of the air, and fish
that make their way through the waters.
How great is your name, O Lord our God
through all the 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.
King of the angels, your splendour surpasses that of the heavens.
Psalm-prayer
Almighty Lord, how wonderful is your name. You have made every creature subject to you; make us worthy to give you service.
Or:
Lord, creator of all that is, you made your Son one of us, a little less than the angels. When you crowned him with honour and glory, you raised the dignity of man beyond the skies. Always care for us, your royal children in your Son, the new Adam, so that one day we may be radiant with his splendour.
________
Psalm 137 (138)
Thanksgiving
“The kings of the earth will bring glory and honour to the holy city” (cf Rev 21:24).
Before the angels I will bless you, my God.
I thank you, Lord, with all my heart:
you have heard the words of my mouth.
In the presence of the angels I will bless you.
I will adore before your holy temple.
I thank you for your faithfulness and love,
which excel all we ever knew of you.
On the day I called, you answered;
you increased the strength of my soul.
All earth’s kings shall thank you
when they hear the words of your mouth.
They shall sing of the Lord’s ways:
‘How great is the glory of the Lord!’
The Lord is high yet he looks on the lowly
and the haughty he knows from afar.
Though I walk in the midst of affliction
you give me life and frustrate my foes.
You stretch out your hand and save me,
your hand will do all things for me.
Your love, O Lord, is eternal,
discard not the work of your hands.
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.
Before the angels I will bless you, my God.
Psalm-prayer
Look down from your holy temple, Lord, and we will proclaim you with all our heart. Listen to the words of our lips and pardon the sins of your people.
Or:
Listen to the prayers of your Church, Lord God; in the presence of the angels we praise your name. You keep the proud at a distance and look upon the lowly with favour. Stretch out your hand to us in our suffering, perfect in us the work of your love and bring us to life.
________
Canticle
(Colossians 1)
Christ, firstborn of all creatures and firstborn from the dead
I saw the Lamb standing, as it were, slain, and occupying the throne; all around arose the sound of angel choirs.
Let us give thanks to the Father,
who has qualified us to share
in the inheritance of the saints in light.
He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption,
the forgiveness of sins.
He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation,
for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible.
All things were created
through him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the Church;
he is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead,
that in everything he might be pre-eminent.
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
and through him to reconcile to himself all things,
whether on earth or in heaven,
making peace by the blood of his cross.
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.
I saw the Lamb standing, as it were, slain, and occupying the throne; all around arose the sound of angel choirs.
________
Short Reading
Apocalypse 1:4-5,6
Grace and peace to you from him who is, who was, and who is to come, from the seven spirits in his presence before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, who is the First-Born from the dead and the Ruler of the kings of the earth. He loves us and has washed away our sins with his blood. To him, then, be glory and power.
________
Short Responsory
Sweet-scented smoke went up in the Lord’s presence.
– Sweet-scented smoke went up in the Lord’s presence.
From an angel’s hand.
– Sweet-scented smoke went up in the Lord’s presence.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– Sweet-scented smoke went up in the Lord’s presence.
________
Canticle
Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
The angel Gabriel said to Mary: ‘You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.’
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.
The angel Gabriel said to Mary: ‘You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.’
________
Prayers and intercessions
The powers of heaven stand at God’s throne to serve him. Let us ask our Father to make us ready to do his will on earth.
– Let us praise the Father with the hosts of heaven.
Lord, you made the angels to be ministers of your word:
by their help may we bring your word to our brothers.
– Let us praise the Father with the hosts of heaven.
Lord, your holiness is sung by the eternal angels:
may the Church on earth never fail in your praise.
– Let us praise the Father with the hosts of heaven.
You sent your angels to watch over your servants,
protect all those who travel, and guide them safely home.
– Let us praise the Father with the hosts of heaven.
At Christmas your angels sang of peace towards men:
may their message of peace inspire the hearts of rulers and peoples.
– Let us praise the Father with the hosts of heaven.
When the angels summon the dead from the four corners of the world,
may your people be gathered as one into your joy.
– Let us praise the Father with the hosts of heaven.
________
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 of hosts,
in your all-wise plan you assign to angels and to men
the services they have to render you.
Grant that the angels, who adore you in heaven,
may protect us here on earth.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
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.