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 71 (72)
The Messiah's royal power
He has built a kingdom for God his Father. He is the firstborn from the dead and ruler over the kings of the earth.
Give the king your judgement, O God, give the king’s son your righteousness. Let him judge your people with justice and your poor ones with wisdom. Let the mountains bring peace to your people, let the hills bring righteousness. He will give his judgement to the poor among the people, he will rescue the children of the destitute, he will lay low the false accuser. He will endure with the sun, beneath the moon, from generation to generation. He will come down like rain on the pasture, like a shower that waters the earth. In his time, righteousness will flourish and abundance of peace, until the moon itself is no more. He will rule from coast to coast, from the world’s centre to its farthest edge. The desert-dwellers will cast themselves down before him; his enemies will eat dust at his feet. The kings of Tharsis and the islands will bring tribute, the kings of Arabia and Sheba will bring gifts. All the kings will worship him, all nations will serve him. 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.
He has built a kingdom for God his Father. He is the firstborn from the dead and ruler over the kings of the earth.

Psalm 71 (72)
The Lord will save the poor from the powerful, and the needy whom nobody hears.
Because he has given freedom to the destitute who called to him, to the poor, whom no-one will hear. He will spare the poor and the needy, he will keep their lives safe. He will rescue their lives from oppression and violence, their blood will be precious in his sight. He will live long, and receive gifts of gold from Arabia; they will pray for him always, bless him all through the day. There will be abundance of grain in the land, it will wave even from the tops of the mountains; its fruit will be richer than Lebanon. The people will flourish as easily as grass. Let his name be blessed for ever, let his name endure beneath the sun. All the nations of the earth will be blessed in him, all nations will acclaim his greatness. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone works wonders. Let his majesty be blessed for ever; let it fill all the earth. Amen, amen. 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 Lord will save the poor from the powerful, and the needy whom nobody hears.

Canticle	Apocalypse 11
The Judgement
The saints have victory through the blood of the Lamb and the witness they have borne.
We thank you, Lord God Almighty, who are and who were, that you have taken up your great power and begun to reign. The nations were angered, but your anger came, the time for the dead to be judged, the time to reward the prophets and saints, your servants, and those who feared your name, both great and small. Now have come the salvation and might and kingdom of our God, and the power of his Anointed, for the accuser of our brethren has been brought down, who accused them day and night in the sight of God. But they vanquished him through the blood of the Lamb and through their own witness. They did not cling to life, even in the face of death. Therefore rejoice, heavens, and you who dwell in them. 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 saints have victory through the blood of the Lamb and the witness they have borne.

Short reading	Hebrews 13:12-15 ©
Jesus suffered outside the gate to sanctify the people with his own blood. Let us go to him, then, ‘outside the camp’, and share his degradation. For there is no eternal city for us in this life but we look for one in the life to come. Through him, let us offer God an unending sacrifice of praise, a verbal sacrifice that is offered every time we acknowledge his name.

Canticle	Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
As they were eating, Jesus took some bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to his disciples.
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.
As they were eating, Jesus took some bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to his disciples.

Prayers and Intercessions	?
Let us worship our Saviour. At the Last Supper, when he was about to be betrayed, he commanded the Church to commemorate for ever his death and resurrection. Let us pray to him, saying: – Sanctify the people you redeemed with your blood. You are our Redeemer. Let our penance unite us to you in your Passion: let it bring us to the glory of the Resurrection. – Sanctify the people you redeemed with your blood. May your Mother, the comfort of the afflicted, give us her protection. You console us and make us live again: may we do the same, in our turn, for those who mourn. – Sanctify the people you redeemed with your blood. Teach the faithful in adversity to share in your passion, and let the light of your salvation shine out through them. – Sanctify the people you redeemed with your blood. You lowered yourself and were obedient even to death: death on a cross. Let your servants be obedient also, and suffer patiently. – Sanctify the people you redeemed with your blood. May the dead share in the light of your resurrection; and may we, too, one day be united with them. – Sanctify the people you redeemed with your blood.

Prayers and Intercessions

Let us worship our Saviour. At the Last Supper, when he was about to be betrayed, he commanded the Church to commemorate for ever his death and resurrection. Let us pray to him, saying: