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.
Sing we triumphant hymns of praise,
New hymns to heaven exulting raise:
Christ, by a road before untrod,
Ascendeth to the throne of God.
The holy Apostolic band
Upon the Mount of Olives stand,
And with the Virgin Mother see
Jesu’s resplendent majesty.
O grant us thitherward to tend,
And with unwearied hearts ascend
Toward thy kingdom’s throne, where thou
(As is our faith) art seated now.
All glory, Lord, to thee we pay,
Ascending o’er the stars to-day;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father and to Paraclete.
Psalm 112 (113)
Praise of the Lord's name |
I left my Father to come into the world. Now I leave the world to return to my Father. Alleluia.
Praise, servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord.
Let the Lord’s name be blessed,
now and for ever.
From the sun’s rising to its setting,
the Lord’s name is to be praised.
The Lord is high over all peoples,
his glory is above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God, who lives on high,
who bends down to watch over heaven and earth?
He raises the weak from the ground,
the poor from the dunghill,
raises them among the princes,
the princes of his people.
He gives the barren woman a household,
makes her the happy mother of children.
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.
I left my Father to come into the world. Now I leave the world to return to my Father. Alleluia.
Psalm 116 (117)
Praise of the merciful Lord |
After he had spoken to his disciples, the Lord Jesus ascended into heaven. Now he sits at the right hand of God. Alleluia.
Praise the Lord, all nations; all peoples, praise him.
For his mercy is strong over us and his faithfulness is 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.
After he had spoken to his disciples, the Lord Jesus ascended into heaven. Now he sits at the right hand of God. Alleluia.
No-one has ascended into heaven except he who came down from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven now. Alleluia.
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.
No-one has ascended into heaven except he who came down from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven now. Alleluia.
| Short reading |
Ephesians 2:4-6 © |
God loved us with so much love that he was generous with his mercy: when we were dead through our sins, he brought us to life with Christ – it is through grace that you have been saved – and raised us up with him and gave us a place with him in heaven, in Christ Jesus.
God ascends amid shouts of joy. Alleluia, alleluia.
– God ascends amid shouts of joy. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord goes up to the sound of trumpets.
– God ascends amid shouts of joy. Alleluia, alleluia.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– God ascends amid shouts of joy. Alleluia, alleluia.
| My soul rejoices in the Lord |
Father, I have made your name known to the men you gave me. Now I pray for them rather than for the world, for I am coming to you. 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.
Father, I have made your name known to the men you gave me. Now I pray for them rather than for the world, for I am coming to you. Alleluia.
| Prayers and Intercessions |
|
Let us rejoice as we pray to Christ, who is seated at the right hand of the Father:
– You, Christ, are the king of glory.
King of glory, you have taken our mortal flesh in all its fragility and lifted it up to the heights:
free it from the corruption of ancient sin and restore our nature to its created purity.
– You, Christ, are the king of glory.
Following the path of love, you came down to live among us:
following the path of love, may we ascend to join you.
– You, Christ, are the king of glory.
You promised to draw all men to yourself:
do not let anyone be separated from your mystical body.
– You, Christ, are the king of glory.
May our hearts and minds follow your lead
to where you have ascended in glory.
– You, Christ, are the king of glory.
Now we await your coming as God in judgement:
may we one day, together with the dead, behold you as Lord in all the majesty of your loving kindness.
– You, Christ, are the king of glory.
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.
O God, fill us with rejoicing and reverent thankfulness,
for Christ your Son’s ascension lifts us up with him.
We, his mystical body, are called in hope
to where he, our Head, has preceded us in glory.
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.
AMEN
