Vespers (Evening Prayer)

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
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.

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 19 (20)
Prayer for victory
May the Lord hear your prayer in the day of tribulation, may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May he send you help from his holy place; from Sion, may he extend his protection. May he remember every one of your sacrifices and find merit in your burnt-offerings. May he deal with you as your heart desires and bring all your plans to fulfilment. We will rejoice in your saving help, we will raise our banners in the name of God; may the Lord grant all your prayers. Now I know that the Lord keeps his anointed one safe: in his sanctuary in heaven he hears his prayer, and lends the support of his strong right hand. Some put their faith in chariots and some in horses, but we invoked the name of the Lord our God. They stumbled and fell, but we rose and we stand upright. Lord, keep the king safe, and hear our prayer whenever we call upon you. 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.

Psalm 19 (20)

Prayer for victory

May the Lord hear your prayer in the day of tribulation, may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
May he send you help from his holy place; from Sion, may he extend his protection.

May he remember every one of your sacrifices and find merit in your burnt-offerings.
May he deal with you as your heart desires and bring all your plans to fulfilment.

We will rejoice in your saving help, we will raise our banners in the name of God; may the Lord grant all your prayers.

Now I know that the Lord keeps his anointed one safe: in his sanctuary in heaven he hears his prayer, and lends the support of his strong right hand.

Some put their faith in chariots and some in horses, but we invoked the name of the Lord our God.
They stumbled and fell, but we rose and we stand upright.

Lord, keep the king safe, and hear our prayer whenever we call upon you.

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.

Psalm 20 (21)
Thanksgiving for victory
Lord, the king will rejoice in your strength, he will triumph in your saving power. You have granted him his heart’s desire, you have not denied the wish that he spoke. For you showered him with blessings even before he asked for them. You have placed a crown of purest gold upon his head. He asked you for life, and you granted it to him, length of days for ever and for ever. Great is his glory through your help: you cover him with splendour and majesty. You lay a blessing upon him that will last for ever, you make him rejoice in joy before you. For the king hopes in the Lord, and through the kindness of the Most High he will not be shaken. Stand high above us, Lord, in your power; and we will sing and celebrate your might. 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.

Psalm 20 (21)

Thanksgiving for victory

Lord, the king will rejoice in your strength, he will triumph in your saving power.
You have granted him his heart’s desire, you have not denied the wish that he spoke.
For you showered him with blessings even before he asked for them. You have placed a crown of purest gold upon his head.
He asked you for life, and you granted it to him, length of days for ever and for ever.

Great is his glory through your help: you cover him with splendour and majesty.
You lay a blessing upon him that will last for ever, you make him rejoice in joy before you.
For the king hopes in the Lord, and through the kindness of the Most High he will not be shaken.

Stand high above us, Lord, in your power; and we will sing and celebrate your might.

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.

Canticle	Apocalypse 4,5
The song of the redeemed
You are worthy, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honour and power; for you made all things, and it is by your will that they existed and were created. You are worthy, Lord, to receive the book and open its seals, for you were killed, and with your blood you have ransomed people from every tribe and language and people and nation, and made them rulers and priests for God; and they will rule over the earth. The Lamb is worthy, who was killed, to receive power and riches and wisdom, strength and honour, 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.

Canticle

Apocalypse 4,5

The song of the redeemed

You are worthy, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honour and power;
for you made all things, and it is by your will that they existed and were created.

You are worthy, Lord, to receive the book and open its seals,
for you were killed, and with your blood you have ransomed people from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and made them rulers and priests for God; and they will rule over the earth.

The Lamb is worthy, who was killed, to receive power and riches and wisdom, strength and honour, 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.

Short reading	1 John 3:1,2 ©
Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God’s children; and that is what we are. My dear people, we are already the children of God but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed; all we know is, that when it is revealed we shall be like him because we shall see him as he really is.

Canticle	Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation. For he has shown me such favour – me, his lowly handmaiden. Now all generations will call me blessed, because the mighty one has done great things for me. His name is holy, his mercy lasts for generation after generation for those who revere him. He has put forth his strength: he has scattered the proud and conceited, torn princes from their thrones; but lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel, he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his children 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.

Canticle

Magnificat

My soul rejoices in the Lord

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation.
For he has shown me such favour –
me, his lowly handmaiden.
Now all generations will call me blessed,
because the mighty one has done great things for me.
His name is holy,
his mercy lasts for generation after generation
for those who revere him.

He has put forth his strength:
he has scattered the proud and conceited,
torn princes from their thrones;
but lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children 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.

Prayers and Intercessions

Christ the Lord lives among us and we are his adopted people. Let us praise him and offer him our prayers: - Lord, listen to us and show your greatness.
Lord, king and ruler of the nations, guide all peoples and all who exercise power: that they may work together for the common good, according to your laws.
You conquered our captivity and took it prisoner:: restore to freedom our brethren who are captive in body or in soul.
May our young grow up irreproachable in your sight: and may they wholeheartedly follow you when you call.
Make children follow your example: and move steadily forward in wisdom and grace.
Take up the dead into your eternal kingdom: where we hope one day to rule at your side.

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 that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Lord God almighty, we thank you that you have brought us through the day to this evening.
We lift our hands to you in thanks:
accept this as our sacrifice to you.

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.

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

A M E N

Regnum Christi

The Greatest Sinners Can Become the Greatest Saints!
November 18, 2008

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Tuesday of the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time

Father Dominic Pham, LC

Luke 19: 1-10
At that time Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house." And he came down quickly and received him with joy. When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner." But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."

Introductory Prayer:Lord Jesus, I want to love you as Zacchaeus did. He put no limits on his love. He knew what it was to live a life of sin – how empty it was. Then he met you, and for the first time he felt fulfilled. Let me renew my self-offering to you today as though it were my first time.

Petition:Christ Jesus, teach me how to love you with a selfless love, holding nothing back and thus making you the center of my life.

1. Do Riches Truly Bring Peace and Fulfillment?

Zacchaeus was definitely not hurting financially. He had a steady job, probably a nice house, a decent family. What more could he need? Yet he was still dissatisfied. How many times do we read about the rich and famous and their problems? How can someone who has every material possession imaginable be so unhappy? Because man was not created for this earth: He journeys through it in order to reach his true home. Problems enter when man lives for the world, instead of simply in the world. St. Augustine said it perfectly when he said, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

2. Finding True Wealth

We are often so consumed with “having” that we forget the joy of simply “being.” If we were to take a few moments to be silent and contemplate the many gifts of God, we would see that his love truly is present in everything. Zacchaeus meets Christ in the most peculiar way. He climbs a tree to see if all the rumors he has heard are true, and when his eyes meet Christ’s, he is “sold.” At once he is convinced of his own unworthiness and of his need to right all the wrongs he has ever done. He is not convinced out of fear: he has seen for the first time the look of love and mercy – his true wealth that will last for eternity.

3. Time to Make a Choice

Every change in life takes courage and a good dose of humility. If someone never feels the need for a savior, why would he desire one? This is why suffering is so important in the life of a Christian. It makes him more human, more open to the grace of God. When someone looks at his life and recognizes areas of sin, he faces the decision: either to open up to God’s grace and grow with his grace, or to turn away from the loving and inviting gaze of our Lord.

Conversation with Christ:Lord, I desire to know you better, because if I knew you better I couldn’t help but love you more. Lord, in moments of darkness and confusion, may I turn to you for consolation. In moments of light and joy, may I turn to you to thank you for your mercy and glorify your infinite kindness.

Resolution:Today, I will take 10 extra minutes to sit in silence, contemplating the many blessings God has given me.