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.
HYMN
Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates;
Behold, the King of glory waits;
The King of kings is drawing near;
The Savior of the world is here!
A Helper just He comes to thee,
His chariot is humility,
His kingly crown is holiness,
His scepter, pity in distress.
O blest the land, the city blest,
Where Christ the Ruler is confessed!
O happy hearts and happy homes
To whom this King in triumph comes!
Fling wide the portals of your heart;
Make it a temple, set apart
From earthly use for heaven’s employ,
Adorned with prayer and love and joy.
Redeemer, come, with us abide;
Our hearts to Thee we open wide;
Let us Thy inner presence feel;
Thy grace and love in us reveal.
Thy Holy Spirit lead us on
Until our glorious goal is won;
Eternal praise, eternal fame
Be offered, Savior, to Thy Name!
Tune: Truro L.M.
Music: Psalmodia Evangelica, 1789
Text: George Weissel, 1590-1635
Translation: Catherine WInkworth, 1827-1878
Go to the Psalmody
Or:
When Jesus left His Father’s throne,
He chose a humble birth;
Like us, unhonored and unknown,
He came to dwell on earth.
Like Him may we be found below,
In wisdom’s path of peace;
Like Him in grace and knowledge grow,
As years and strength increase.
Sweet were His words and kind His look,
When mothers round Him pressed;
Their infants in His arms He took,
And on His bosom blessed.
Safe from the world’s alluring harms,
Beneath His watchful eye,
Thus in the circle of His arms
May we forever lie.
When Jesus into Zion rode,
The children sang around;
For joy they plucked the palms and strewed
Their garments on the ground.
Hosanna our glad voices raise,
Hosanna to our King!
Should we forget our Savior’s praise,
The stones themselves would sing.
Tune: Kingsfold C.M.D
Music: Traditional English Melody
Text: James Montgomery, 1771-1854
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 Christ was scourged and treated with contempt, but God’s right hand has raised him up.
Psalm 110:1-5, 7
The Messiah, king and priest
Christ’s reign will last until all his enemies are made subject to him (1 Corinthians 15:25).
The Lord’s revelation to my Master: †
“Sit on my right: *
your foes I will put beneath your feet.”
The Lord will wield from Zion †
your scepter of power: *
rule in the midst of all your foes.
A prince from the day of your birth †
on the holy mountains; *
from the womb before the dawn I begot you.
The Lord has sworn an oath he will not change. †
“You are a priest for ever, *
a priest like Melchizedeck of old.”
The Master standing at your right hand *
will shatter kings in the day of his great wrath.
He shall drink from the stream by the wayside *
and therefore he shall lift up his head.
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
Almighty God, bring the kingdom of Christ, your anointed one, to its fullness. May the perfect offering of your Son, eternal priest of the new Jerusalem, be offered in every place to your name and make all nations a holy people for you.
Ant. Christ was scourged and treated with contempt, but God’s right hand has raised him up.
Ant. 2 The blood of Christ washes away our sins and makes us worthy to serve the living God.
Psalm 115
Praise of the true God
You have renounced idol worship to serve the living and true God (1 Thessalonians 1:9).
Not to us, Lord, not to us, *
but to your name give the glory
for the sake of your love and your truth, *
lest the heathen say: “Where is their God?”
But our God is in the heavens; *
he does whatever he wills.
Their 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; *
they have nostrils but they cannot smell.
With their hands they cannot feel; †
with their feet they cannot walk. *
No sound comes from their throats.
Their makers will come to be like them *
and so will all who trust in them.
Sons of Israel, trust in the Lord; *
he is their help and their shield.
Sons of Aaron, trust in the Lord; *
he is their help and their shield.
You who fear him, trust in the Lord; *
he is their help and their shield.
He remembers us, and he will bless us; †
he will bless the sons of Israel. *
He will bless the sons of Aaron.
The Lord will bless those who fear him, *
the little no less than the great:
to you may the Lord grant increase, *
to you and all your children.
May you be blessed by the Lord, *
the maker of heaven and earth.
The heavens belong to the Lord *
but the earth he has given to men.
The dead shall not praise the Lord, *
nor those who go down into the silence.
But we who live bless the Lord *
now and for ever. Amen.
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, creator and ruler of heaven and earth, you made man in your likeness to subdue the earth and master it, and to recognize the work of your hands in created beauty. Grant that your children, thus surrounded on all sides by signs of your presence, may live continually in Christ, praising you through him and with him.
Ant. The blood of Christ washes away our sins and makes us worthy to serve the living God.
Ant. 3 Christ bore our sins in his own body on the cross so that we might die to sin and be alive to all that is good.
Canticle: 1 Peter 2:21-24
The willing acceptance of his passion by Christ, the servant of God
Christ suffered for you, †
and left you an example *
to have you follow in his footsteps.
He did no wrong; *
no deceit was found in his mouth.
When he was insulted, *
he returned no insult.
When he was made to suffer, *
he did not counter with threats.
Instead he delivered himself up *
to the One who judges justly.
In his own body *
he brought your sins to the cross,
so that all of us, dead to sin, *
could live in accord with God’s will.
By his wounds you were healed.
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. Christ bore our sins in his own body on the cross so that we might die to sin and be alive to all that is good.
READING
Acts 13:26-30
My brothers, it was to us that this message of salvation was sent forth. The inhabitants of Jerusalem and their rulers failed to recognize him, and in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets, which we read sabbath after sabbath. Even though they found no charge against him which deserved death, they begged Pilate to have him executed. Once they had thus brought about all that had been written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. Yet God raised him from the dead.
RESPONSORY
We worship you, O Christ, and we praise you.
– We worship you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your cross you have redeemed the world.
– We praise you.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
– We worship you, O Christ, and we praise you.
GOSPEL CANTICLE
Ant. It is written: I will strike the shepherd and his flock will be scattered. But when I have risen, I will go before you into Galilee. There you shall see me, says the Lord.
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. It is written: I will strike the shepherd and his flock will be scattered. But when I have risen, I will go before you into Galilee. There you shall see me, says the Lord.
INTERCESSIONS
The Savior of mankind by dying destroyed death and by rising again restored life. Let us humbly ask him:
Sanctify your people, redeemed by your blood.
Redeemer of the world, give us a greater share of your passion through a deeper spirit of repentance,
– so that we may share the glory of your resurrection.
Sanctify your people, redeemed by your blood.
May your Mother, comfort of the afflicted, protect us,
– may we console others as you console us.
Sanctify your people, redeemed by your blood.
Look with love on those who suffer because of our indifference,
– come to their aid, and turn our uncaring hearts to works of justice and charity.
Sanctify your people, redeemed by your blood.
You humbled yourself by being obedient even to accepting death, death on a cross,
– give all who serve you the gifts of obedience and patient endurance.
Sanctify your people, redeemed by your blood.
Transform the bodies of the dead to be like your own in glory,
– and bring us at last into their fellowship.
Sanctify your people, redeemed by your blood.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
(Gathering our prayer and praises into one, let us offer the prayer Christ himself taught us:)
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
Almighty, ever-living God,
you have given the human race Jesus Christ our Savior
as a model of humility.
He fulfilled your will
by becoming man and giving his life on the cross.
Help us to bear witness to you
by following his example of suffering
and make us worthy to share his resurrection.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.
Or:
Almighty and ever-living God,
who as an example of humility for the human race to follow
caused our Savior to take flesh and submit to the Cross,
graciously grant that we may heed his lesson of patient suffering
and so merit a share in his Resurrection.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one 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.
******
Celebrate Easter with a gift to iBreviary!
DONATE to support the continued development of the iBreviary
SUBSCRIBE iBreviary newsletter
