[Salvation]

Vespers -- Evening Prayer

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.

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A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 109 (110)

The Messiah, king and priest

Mary Magdalen came with the other Mary to see the tomb where the Lord had been laid, alleluia.

The Lord has said to my lord:

  “Sit at my right hand

  while I make your enemies your footstool.”

From Zion the Lord will give you a sceptre,

  and you will rule in the midst of your foes.

Royal power is yours in the day of your strength,

  among the sacred splendours.

  Before the dawn, I begot you from the womb.

The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent:

  “You are a priest for ever,

  a priest of the priesthood of Melchisedech.”

The Lord is at your right hand,

  and on the day of his anger he will shatter kings.

He will drink from the stream as he goes –

  he will hold his head high.

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.

Mary Magdalen came with the other Mary to see the tomb where the Lord had been laid, alleluia.

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Psalm 113A (114)

Israel set free from Egypt

Come and see where the Lord was laid, alleluia.

When Israel came out of Egypt,

  Jacob’s people from a land of strangers,

Judah became his sanctuary

  and Israel his domain.

The sea saw it, and fled;

  the Jordan flowed backwards at the sight;

the mountains leapt like rams;

  the hills, like yearling sheep.

Sea, what was it, what made you flee?

  And you, Jordan, why did you flow uphill?

Mountains, why did you leap like rams?

  Hills, like yearling sheep?

Tremble, Earth, at the presence of the Lord,

  the presence of the Lord of Jacob,

who has turned the rock into a pool of water

  and made a fountain out of the flint.

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.

Come and see where the Lord was laid, alleluia.

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Canticle	(Apocalypse 19)
The wedding of the Lamb
Jesus said: ‘Do not fear. Go and tell my brethren that they must go to Galilee: they will see me there.’ Alleluia.
Alleluia. Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,   because his judgements are true and just. Alleluia. Alleluia. Praise our God, all his servants,   and you who fear him, small and great. Alleluia. Alleluia. For the Lord reigns, our God, the Almighty:   let us rejoice and exult and give him glory. Alleluia. Alleluia. The marriage of the Lamb has come,   and his spouse has made herself ready. Alleluia. 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.
Jesus said: ‘Do not fear. Go and tell my brethren that they must go to Galilee: they will see me there.’ Alleluia.

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Short reading	1 Peter 3:18,21-22 ©
Christ himself, innocent though he was, had died once for sins, died for the guilty, to lead us to God. In the body he was put to death, in the spirit he was raised to life, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has entered heaven and is at God’s right hand, now that he has made the angels and Dominations and Powers his subjects.

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Canticle	Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
Look at my hands and feet; yes, it is I indeed. Alleluia.
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.
Look at my hands and feet; yes, it is I indeed. Alleluia.

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Prayers and Intercessions

?

Christ rose from the dead, the first-fruits of all who slept. Let us rejoice and give him praise, saying: – You rose from the dead: hear our prayer. Remember, Christ, your holy Church. You founded it on the Apostles and spread it throughout the world:   give your blessing to all who believe in you. – You rose from the dead: hear our prayer. Healer of our souls and our bodies,   come to our aid and bring us to safety. – You rose from the dead: hear our prayer. Help the sick and give them strength:   free them from their weakness. – You rose from the dead: hear our prayer. Help those who are weighed down with pain and oppression;   in your mercy, sustain the the poor. – You rose from the dead: hear our prayer. Through your cross and resurrection, you opened up for all the road to eternal life:   grant that our brethren who have died may share in the joy of your kingdom. – You rose from the dead: hear our prayer.

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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.

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O God, you have brought together many races in one single acknowledgement of your name.

May those who have been reborn in baptism

  be one in belief

  and one in holy living.

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.

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

A M E N

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

You Are Witnesses of These Things
April 16, 2009

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Thursday of the First Week of Easter

Father Robert Presutti, LC

Luke 24:35-48
The disciples of Jesus recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread. While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Then he said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, it is really I. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have." And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, "Have you anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them. He said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. And he said to them, "Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things."

Introductory Prayer:Lord, you are the source of all life because you are life itself. Your resurrection gives me the hope of being raised from the dead to rejoice with you in heaven forever. I need to reflect more often on the good you have done for us and on your promises to those who put their trust in you. Thank you, Jesus, for taking up your life again and leading the way home to heaven. I love you, and I want to follow after you with all my heart. I want to cooperate more fully with you in bringing many others to heaven with me.

Petition:Lord Jesus, bring me your Easter peace. Let me share in your victory over sin and death. May I live for you alone.

1. The Disciples’ Mixed and Changing Reaction to the Resurrection. The Gospel narratives manifest the disciples’ volatile situation. They want to believe, but lack confidence. They experience the sincere joy of seeing Christ resurrected, but have not completely overcome their cautious disbelief. The two from Emmaus recount their encounter, and Christ himself appears to them. Yet even when he is right there in front of them, they are slow to believe. Our Lord’s patient, accepting attitude is encouraging. He did not come for a meal, but takes a piece of fish to help them believe. We all have our moments of light and generosity, and our moments of sluggishness and inner resistance. I want to believe, but because it implies letting go of my false securities, I need detachment and purification. Christ aids my weakness by his nearness and closeness.

2. It Is I Myself. Christ is not a ghost. He is not a figment of my imagination, nor the result of my wishful thinking––something too good to be true. Christ is more real than my fears; his grace is stronger than my weakness, more powerful than sin and death itself. As the disciples have mixed reactions to his presence, he invites them to get a grip on themselves and reflect in faith. Reflection and contemplation in faith always lead to the truth of Christ. Am I living in an illusory world of my own making because I’m not reflecting in faith on the realities and experiences of my life? All I need to do is overcome my incredulity with faith and trust in the Christ.
  
3. Thus It Was Written. The Cross was not a mistake.  Christ does not see it as a necessary evil. Rather, “it was written”. In other words, it could not have been any other way. Without the Cross, no resurrection. Without the Resurrection, no experience of the fullness of life, no hope for things to come. My life too has its own experience of Christ’s cross. What for me might be an unexpected twist, an obstacle or a problem, is for the Lord a means of purifying my heart, and bringing me to the Resurrection.

Conversation with Christ: At times Lord, I fear I am seeing a ghost, just like the disciples. Your plan and will are so far beyond me that at times I have difficulty distinguishing my own wishful thinking or false hopes from your will and your call. Help me to find in you the only source of my hopes, and the One who will never fail me.

Resolution : Today I will speak of Christ’s resurrection and the hope which it brings us.