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.
Thee, O Christ, the Father’s splendour,
Life and virtue of the heart,
In the presence of the Angels
Sing we now with tuneful art;
Fitly in alternate chorus
Bearing our responsive part.
Thus we praise with veneration
All the armies of the sky;
Chiefly him, the warrior Primate
Of celestial chivalry,
Michael, who in princely virtue
Cast Abaddon from on high.
By whose watchful care repelling,
King of everlasting grace,
Every ghostly adversary,
All things evil, all things base,
Grant us of thine only goodness
In thy Paradise a place.
Glory to the Father sing we
With resounding voices sweet,
Glory unto Christ our Saviour,
Glory to the Paraclete:
Standing forth, One God and Trinal,
Ere the ages; as is meet.
Psalm 8
The greatness of God, the dignity of man |
King of the angels, how exalted is your glory above the sky!
How wonderful is your name over all the earth,
O Lord, our Lord!
How exalted is your glory
above the sky!
Out of the mouths of children and infants you have brought praise,
to confound your enemies, to destroy your vengeful foes.
When I see the heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and stars, which you set in their place –
what is man, that you should take thought for him?
what is the son of man, that you should look after him?
You have made him but one step lower than the angels;
you have crowned him with glory and honour;
you have set him over the works of your hands.
You have put everything beneath his feet,
cattle and sheep and the beasts of the field,
the birds in the air and the fish in the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the waters.
How wonderful is your name above all the earth,
O Lord, our Lord!
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.
King of the angels, how exalted is your glory above the sky!
Psalm 137 (138)
Thanksgiving |
In the presence of the angels I will make music to you, my God.
I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth.
In the presence of the angels I will make music to you,
worship before your holy temple.
I will praise your name
because of your mercy and faithfulness:
high above all other names is the greatness of your word.
Each day that I call on you, Lord,
listen to me, strengthen my spirit.
All the kings of the earth will proclaim your glory, Lord,
when they hear your word.
They will sing of the paths of the Lord,
so great is his glory.
For the Lord is on high
but he cares for the humble;
and he knows the proud from afar.
If I walk in the midst of troubles, you will give me life.
If my enemies rise up against me,
your right hand will keep me safe.
The Lord does all that I need.
Lord, your kindness lasts for ever:
do not forsake the work of your hands.
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.
In the presence of the angels I will make music to you, my God.
| Christ, firstborn of all creatures and firstborn from the dead |
I saw by the throne a Lamb that seemed to have been sacrificed, and I heard the sound of an immense number of angels gathered round the throne.
Let us give thanks to God the Father,
who has made us worthy to share in the light that is the saints’ inheritance.
He has rescued us from the power of the shadows
and brought us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption
and the forgiveness of sins.
He is the image of the invisible God,
the first-born of all creation,
for in him all things were created,
in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible,
thrones and dominations,
principalities and powers.
All things were created through him and for him:
he is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
And he is the head of the body, the Church.
He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead,
and so he is pre-eminent above all.
For it was the Father’s will that the fullness of God should dwell in him,
and that through him all things should be reconciled to himself.
Through the blood of the Cross he brought peace to all things,
both on Earth and in the heavens.
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 saw by the throne a Lamb that seemed to have been sacrificed, and I heard the sound of an immense number of angels gathered round the throne.
| Short reading |
Apocalypse 1:4-5,6 © |
Grace and peace to you from him who is, who was, and who is to come, from the seven spirits in his presence before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, who is the First-born from the dead and the Ruler of the kings of the earth. He loves us and has washed away our sins with his blood. To him, then, be glory and power.
Sweet smoke rises in the sight of the Lord.
– Sweet smoke rises in the sight of the Lord.
The hands of the angels burn incense.
– Sweet smoke rises in the sight of the Lord.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– Sweet smoke rises in the sight of the Lord.
| My soul rejoices in the Lord |
The angel Gabriel said to Mary: ‘Behold, you are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus.’
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.
The angel Gabriel said to Mary: ‘Behold, you are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus.’
| Prayers and Intercessions |
|
Let us pray to the Lord that, with the angels who do his will, we may be made more eager to hear his words:
– Lord, we beg you, hear us.
That by the hands of the angels
our prayers may rise up to you like sweet-scented incense –
– Lord, we beg you, hear us.
That by your angel’s hand
our offerings may be brought to your altar in heaven –
– Lord, we beg you, hear us.
That we may be made worthy to proclaim, with the whole host of heaven,
glory to God in the highest and peace to men on earth –
– Lord, we beg you, hear us.
That at our life’s end your angels may take us up
and lead us to paradise, our true home –
– Lord, we beg you, hear us.
That Saint Michael, the standard-bearer,
may bring the souls of the faithful departed into the light of heaven –
– Lord, we beg you, hear us.
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, in your wisdom you assign to angels and to men the service that each should render you.
As the angels serve you in heaven,
so may they bring us help on earth.
[We make our prayer] 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
