Evening Prayer
INTRODUCTION
God, + come to my assistance.
— Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.
HYMN
Alternate Hymn
O come, Creator Spirit blest,
come, visit souls that are your own;
fill all the hearts that you have made
with grace and blessing from on high.
For you are called the Paraclete,
the holy gift of God most High,
the living wellspring, love, and fire,
the soul’s anointing from above.
In graces you are sevenfold,
the Finger of God’s strong right hand,
and you, the Father’s promised one,
adorn our tongues with gracious speech.
Come, fill our senses with your light,
pour forth your love into our hearts,
the weakness of our mortal frame
make strong with pow’r that never fails.
Drive far from us our deadly foe
and swiftly grant us lasting peace;
with you to guide and lead the way,
may we avoid all harm and sin.
Now through your presence may we know
and love the Father and the Son;
and you, the Spirit of them both,
may we profess throughout all time. Amen.
Tune: VENI CREATOR (MECHLIN), 8 8 8 8
Music: Plainsong, Mechlin adaptation
or Mode VII, melody 99; Antiphonale Sacrosanctæ Ecclesiæ Romanæ, Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, 1912
Text: Veni, creator Spiritus, attriuted to Rabanus Maurus, O.S.B., ca. 780-856, © 2023 ICEL
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 I, the Lord, am your savior and redeemer, alleluia.
Psalm 135
Praise for the wonderful things God does for us
He has won us for himself. . . and you must proclaim what he has done for you. He has called you out of darkness into his own wonderful light (see 1 Peter 2:9).
I
Praise the name of the Lord, *
praise him, servants of the Lord,
who stand in the house of the Lord *
in the courts of the house of our God.
Praise the Lord for the Lord is good. *
Sing a psalm to his name for he is loving.
For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself *
and Israel for his own possession.
For I know the Lord is great, *
that our Lord is high above all gods.
The Lord does whatever he wills, *
in heaven, on earth, in the seas.
He summons clouds from the ends of the earth; †
makes lightning produce the rain; *
from his treasuries he sends forth the wind.
The first-born of the Egyptians he smote, *
of man and beast alike.
Signs and wonders he worked †
in the midst of your land, O Egypt, *
against Pharaoh and all his servants.
Nations in their greatness he struck *
and kings in their splendor he slew.
Sihon, king of the Amorites, †
Og, the king of Bashan, *
and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
He let Israel inherit their land; *
on his people their land he bestowed.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. I, the Lord, am your savior and redeemer, alleluia.
Ant. 2 Blessed is the kingdom of David our father which has come among us, alleluia.
II
Lord, your name stands for ever, *
unforgotten from age to age:
for the Lord does justice for his people; *
the Lord takes pity on his servants.
Pagan idols are silver and gold, *
the work of human hands.
They have mouths but they cannot speak; *
they have eyes but they cannot see.
They have ears but they cannot hear; *
there is never a breath on their lips.
Their makers will come to be like them *
and so will all who trust in them!
Sons of Israel, bless the Lord! *
Sons of Aaron, bless the Lord!
Sons of Levi, bless the Lord! *
You who fear him, bless the Lord!
From Zion may the Lord be blessed, *
he who dwells in Jerusalem!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm prayer
Father, your name and your memory last forever. We stand to pray in your house and praise you with psalms of joy. We ask you in your kindness to have mercy on us in our lowliness.
Ant. Blessed is the kingdom of David our father which has come among us, alleluia.
Ant. 3 Let us sing to the Lord, glorious in his triumph, alleluia.
Canticle: Revelation 15:3-4
Hymn of adoration
Mighty and wonderful are your works, *
Lord God Almighty!
Righteous and true are your ways, *
O King of the nations!
Who would dare refuse you honor, *
or the glory due your name, O Lord?
Since you alone are holy, *
all nations shall come
and worship in your presence. *
Your mighty deeds are clearly seen.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Let us sing to the Lord, glorious in his triumph, alleluia
READING
Galatians 5:16, 22-23a, 25
Live in accord with the spirit and you will not yield to the cravings of the flesh. The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patient endurance, kindness, generosity, faith, mildness and chastity. Since we live by the spirit, let us follow the spirit’s lead.
RESPONSORY
The Holy Spirit is the Paraclete, alleluia, alleluia.
— The Holy Spirit is the Paraclete, alleluia, alleluia.
He will teach you all things,
— alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
— The Holy Spirit is the Paraclete, alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL CANTICLE
Ant. Together they persevered in prayer with Mary, the mother of Jesus, alleluia.
Canticle of Mary
Luke 1:46-55
The soul rejoices in the Lord
My + soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, †
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior *
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: †
the Almighty has done great things for me,*
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Together they persevered in prayer with Mary, the mother of Jesus, alleluia.
INTERCESSIONS
Let us praise and thank the Father, who has poured out the grace of the Spirit on all peoples. Let us ask him for an ever greater share in his Spirit, saying:
Lord, pour out the grace of the Holy Spirit throughout the world.
Lord, you gave us your chosen One as the light of all peoples,
— open the eyes of the blind, and lead from captivity those who sit in darkness.
Lord, pour out the grace of the Holy Spirit throughout the world.
You anointed Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit for the ministry of salvation,
— may he once more go about the world, doing good and healing all.
Lord, pour out the grace of the Holy Spirit throughout the world.
Send your Spirit, the light of all hearts,
— to strengthen the faith of those in doubt.
Lord, pour out the grace of the Holy Spirit throughout the world.
Send your Spirit, our rest in labor,
— to support the weary and the broken-hearted.
Lord, pour out the grace of the Holy Spirit throughout the world.
Fulfill the hope of those who have died,
— so that they may rise again at the coming of Christ.
Lord, pour out the grace of the Holy Spirit throughout the world.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
(Let us again offer our praise to God and pray in the words of Christ:)
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.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Father,
in glorifying Christ and sending us your Spirit,
you open the way to eternal life.
May our sharing in this gift increase our love
and make our faith grow stronger.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.
Or:
O God, who by the glorification of your Christ
and the light of the Holy Spirit
have unlocked for us the gates of eternity,
grant, we pray,
that, partaking of so great a gift,
our devotion may grow deeper
and our faith be strengthened.
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.
DISMISSAL
If a priest or deacon presides, he dismisses the people:
The Lord be with you.
— And with your spirit.
May almighty God bless you,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
— Amen.
Another form of the blessing may be used, as at Mass.
Then he adds:
Go in peace.
— Thanks be to God.
In the absence of a priest or deacon and in individual recitation, Evening Prayer concludes:
May the Lord + bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
— Amen.
******
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The head that once was crowned with thorns
Is crowned with glory now:
A royal diadem adorns
The mighty victor’s brow.
The highest place that heav’n affords
Is surely his by right:
The King of kings and Lord of lords,
And heav’n’s eternal light.
The joy he is of all above,
The joy of all below:
To ev’ryone he shows his love,
And grants his name to know.
To them the cross, with all its shame,
With all its grace, is giv’n:
Their name an everlasting name.
Their joy the joy of heav’n.
The cross he bore is life and health,
Though shame and death to him:
His people’s hope, his people’s wealth,
Their everlasting theme.
Tune: St. Magnus (Nottingham) C.M.
Music: Jeremiah Clarke, 1659-1707
Text: Thomas Kelly, 1769-1854, slightly adapted
Continue with the Psalmody