Tuesday 28 September 2021
Tuesday of week 26 in Ordinary Time
or Saint Wenceslaus, Martyr
or Saints Laurence Ruiz and his Companions, Martyrs
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
Before we end our day, O Lord,
We make this prayer to you:
That you continue in your love
To guard your people here.
Give us this night untroubled rest
And build our strength anew:
Your Splendour driving far away
All darkness of the foe.
Our hearts’ desire to love you, Lord,
Watch over while we sleep,
That when the new day dawns on high
We may your praises sing.
All glory be to you, O Christ,
Who saved mankind from death
To share with you the Father’s love
And in the Spirit live.
________
Psalm 48 (49):2-13
The uselessness of riches
“The rich man will find it very hard to enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 19:23).
You cannot serve both God and wealth.
Hear this, all you peoples,
give heed, all who dwell in the world,
men both low and high,
rich and poor alike!
My lips will speak words of wisdom.
My heart is full of insight.
I will turn my mind to a parable,
with the harp I will solve my problem.
Why should I fear in evil days
the malice of the foes who surround me,
men who trust in their wealth,
and boast of the vastness of their riches?
For no man can buy his own ransom,
or pay a price to God for his life.
The ransom of his soul is beyond him.
He cannot buy life without end,
nor avoid coming to the grave.
He knows that wise men and fools must both perish
and leave their wealth to others.
Their graves are their homes for ever,
their dwelling place from age to age,
though their names spread wide through the land.
In his riches, man lacks wisdom;
he is like the beasts that are destroyed.
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 cannot serve both God and wealth.
________
Psalm 48 (49):14-21
Store up treasure for yourselves in heaven, says the Lord.
This is the lot of those who trust in themselves,
who have others at their beck and call.
Like sheep they are driven to the grave,
where death shall be their shepherd
and the just shall become their rulers.
With the morning their outward show vanishes
and the grave becomes their home.
But God will ransom me from death
and take my soul to himself.
Then do not fear when a man grows rich,
when the glory of his house increases.
He takes nothing with him when he dies,
his glory does not follow him below.
Though he flattered himself while he lived:
‘Men will praise me for all my success,’
yet he will go to join his fathers,
who will never see the light any more.
In his riches, man lacks wisdom;
he is like the beasts that are destroyed.
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.
Store up treasure for yourselves in heaven, says the Lord.
Psalm-prayer
Make our mouths speak your wisdom, Lord Jesus, and help us to remember that you became man and redeemed us from death that we might merit the beauty of your light.
Or:
You condemned the rich, Lord Jesus, because they have already received their reward, and you proclaimed the poor blessed because the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Teach us to seek for imperishable goods and to have confidence in your blood, poured out as the price of our redemption.
________
Canticle
Apocalypse 4,5
The song of the redeemed
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive glory and honour.
Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honour and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.
Worthy are you, O Lord,
to take the scroll and to open its seals,
for you were slain,
and by your blood you ransomed men for God
from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
You have made us a kingdom and priests to our God,
and we shall reign on earth.
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
to receive power and wealth
and wisdom and might
and honour and glory and blessing.
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.
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive glory and honour.
________
Short Reading
Romans 3:23-25
All have sinned and forfeited God’s glory, and all are justified through the free gift of his grace by being redeemed in Christ Jesus who was appointed by God to sacrifice his life so as to win reconciliation through faith.
________
Short Responsory
You will give me the fullness of joy in your presence, O Lord.
– You will give me the fullness of joy in your presence, O Lord.
I will find happiness at your right hand for ever.
– You will give me the fullness of joy in your presence, O Lord.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– You will give me the fullness of joy in your presence, O Lord.
________
Canticle
Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
Do great things for us, O Lord, for you are mighty, and holy is your name.
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.
Do great things for us, O Lord, for you are mighty, and holy is your name.
________
Prayers and intercessions
Christ is the shepherd of his flock: he loves and cares for his people. We turn to him in trust and say:
– Lord, we need your care.
Christ our Lord, you are pastor of all the ages,
protect our Bishop, N., and all the pastors of your Church.
– Lord, we need your care.
Be with those who are persecuted for their faith, and those cut off from the support of the Church:
Good Shepherd, in their pain and isolation may they know your care.
– Lord, we need your care.
Bring healing to the sick;
give nourishment to the hungry.
– Lord, we need your care.
We remember those who make our laws and those who apply them:
Lord, give them wisdom and discernment.
– Lord, we need your care.
Gather the flock for which you laid down your life:
bring home to their Father’s house all who have died in your peace.
– Lord, we need your care.
________
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.
________
Yours is the day and yours is the night, Lord God:
let the Sun of Justice shine so steadily in our hearts
that we may come at length
to that light where you dwell eternally.
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 © 1996-2021 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.