Vespers (Evening Prayer)

Introduction

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.

Hymn

O blest Creator of the light,

Who mak’st the day with radiance bright,

And o’er the forming world didst call

The light from chaos first of all.

Whose wisdom joined in meet array

The morn and eve, and named them day;

Night comes with all its darkling fears;

Regard thy people’s prayers and tears.

Lest, sunk in sin and ’whelmed with strife

They lose the gift of endless life;

While thinking but the thoughts of time,

They weave new chains of woe and crime.

But grant them grace that they may strain

The heavenly gate and prize to gain;

Each harmful lure aside to cast,

And purge away each error past.

O Father, that we ask be done

Through Jesus Christ, thine only Son,

Who, with the Holy Ghost and thee,

Doth live and reign eternally.

Psalm 140 (141) Prayer in time of danger

Let my prayer rise like incense before you, O Lord.

O Lord, I call on you,

hurry to my help:

listen to my voice when I call.

When I make my prayer, let it rise like incense before you;

when I raise my hands, let it be like the evening sacrifice.

Set a guard on my mouth, Lord,

a watch upon my lips.

Do not let my heart turn to evil thoughts,

to the planning of wicked deeds,

to alliance with wrongdoers.

Let me not share in their delights.

Let the just man strike and rebuke me out of kindness;

but sinners shall never anoint me with oil,

or I would be an ally in their plans.

When they fall into the hands of harsh judges,

they will see how kind my words were.

Like fragments of spoil after digging,

their bones will lie scattered round the mouth of the underworld.

To you, Lord, to you my eyes are turned.

I take refuge in you –

preserve my life.

Protect me from the trap they have laid for me,

save me from the snares of the wicked.

Let them be caught in their own nets, all of them,

while I pass by in safety.

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.

Let my prayer rise like incense before you, O Lord.

Psalm 141 (142) You are my refuge

You are my refuge, Lord, my share in the land of the living.

My voice cries out to the Lord;

my voice cries out its entreaty.

I pour out lamentation in his sight,

I proclaim my troubles before him.

When my spirit is failing within me,

still, Lord, you know my paths.

On the road I was travelling,

they set up a trap for me.

I looked about me and saw

there was no-one beside me to help.

I have nowhere to flee;

and no-one will miss me.

I have cried to you, Lord,

I have said: “you are my refuge, my share in the land of the living.

Listen to my call for help, for I am crushed down.”

“Lead my spirit from prison, so that I may praise your name.

The upright will gather around me, because you have restored 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.

You are my refuge, Lord, my share in the land of the living.

Canticle	Philippians 2

Christ, God's servant

The Lord Jesus humbled himself: for this, God has raised him to glory.

Jesus Christ, although he shared God’s nature,

did not try to seize equality with God for himself;

but emptied himself, took on the form of a slave,

and became like a man:

not in appearance only,

for he humbled himself by accepting death,

even death on a cross.

For this, God has raised him high,

and given him the name that is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bend,

in heaven, on earth, and under the earth,

and every tongue will proclaim

“Jesus Christ is Lord,”

to the glory of God the Father.

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 Jesus humbled himself: for this, God has raised him to glory.

Short reading	Romans 11:33-36 ©

How rich are the depths of God – how deep his wisdom and knowledge – and how impossible to penetrate his motives or understand his methods! Who could ever know the mind of the Lord? Who could ever be his counsellor? Who could ever give him anything or lend him anything? All that exists comes from him; all is by him and for him. To him be glory for ever! Amen.

Short Responsory

How great are your works, O Lord.

– How great are your works, O Lord.

In your wisdom you have created them all.

– How great are your works, O Lord.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

– How great are your works, O Lord.

Canticle	Magnificat

My soul rejoices in the Lord

Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.

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.

Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.

Prayers and Intercessions

Let us give glory to the One God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and humbly offer him our prayers: