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.
The heavenly Word proceeding forth
Yet leaving not the Father’s side,
Accomplishing his work on earth
Had reached at length life’s eventide.
By false disciple to be giv’n
To foemen for his life athirst,
Himself, the very bread of heav’n,
He gave to his disciples first.
He gave himself in either kind,
He gave his flesh, he gave his blood;
In love’s own fullness thus designed
Of man’s whole self to be the food.
O Saviour victim, opening wide
The gates of life to man below,
Our foes press hard on every side;
Thine aid supply, thy strength bestow.
All praise and thanks to thee ascend
For evermore, blest One in Three;
O grant us life that shall not end
In our true native land with thee.
Psalm 109 (110)
The Messiah, king and priest |
Christ the Lord is a priest for ever. Like Melchizedek he made an offering of bread and wine.
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.
Christ the Lord is a priest for ever. Like Melchizedek he made an offering of bread and wine.
Psalm 115 (116B)
Thanksgiving in the Temple |
I will take the chalice of salvation and offer a thanksgiving sacrifice.
Still I trusted, even when I said
“I am greatly afflicted,”
when I said in my terror,
“all men are liars.”
How shall I repay the Lord
for all he has done for me?
I will take up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord.
I will fulfil my vows to the Lord
before all his people.
Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his faithful.
O Lord, I am your servant,
your maidservant’s son.
You have torn apart my chains:
I will make you a sacrifice of praise,
I will call on the name of the Lord.
I will fulfil my vows to the Lord
before all his people,
in the courts of the house of the Lord,
within your walls, Jerusalem.
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 will take the chalice of salvation and offer a thanksgiving sacrifice.
You are the Way, you are the Truth; you, Lord, are the life of the world.
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.
You are the Way, you are the Truth; you, Lord, are the life of the world.
| Short reading |
1 Corinthians 11:23-25 © |
This is what I received from the Lord, and in turn passed on to you: that on the same night that he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and thanked God for it and broke it, and he said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me.’ In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me.’
He gave them bread from heaven. Alleluia, alleluia.
– He gave them bread from heaven. Alleluia, alleluia.
Mankind has eaten the food of angels.
– He gave them bread from heaven. Alleluia, alleluia.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– He gave them bread from heaven. Alleluia, alleluia.
| My soul rejoices in the Lord |
O holy feast, in which we partake of Christ! It enacts the memory of his passion, it fills our minds with grace, and gives us a pledge of our future glory. 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.
O holy feast, in which we partake of Christ! It enacts the memory of his passion, it fills our minds with grace, and gives us a pledge of our future glory. Alleluia.
| Prayers and Intercessions |
|
Christ invites us all to his feast, at which he gives his body and blood to bring life to the world. We pray to him:
– Christ, bread of heaven, give us eternal life.
Christ, Son of the living God, you commanded us to celebrate the eucharistic feast in commemoration of you:
bestow on your Church the gift of celebrating it worthily.
– Christ, bread of heaven, give us eternal life.
Christ, sole High Priest, you gave priests the task of offering your sacraments:
may they live the reality of what they celebrate in signs.
– Christ, bread of heaven, give us eternal life.
Christ, manna from heaven, you make into one body all who share the one bread:
renew peace and harmony among all who believe in you.
– Christ, bread of heaven, give us eternal life.
Christ, heavenly healer, in your bread you give us the remedy of immortality and a pledge of resurrection:
give health to the sick and living hope to sinners.
– Christ, bread of heaven, give us eternal life.
Christ, king who is to come, you commanded us to celebrate the mysteries and proclaim your death until you come again:
give all who have died in you a share in your resurrection.
– Christ, bread of heaven, give us eternal life.
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.
Lord Jesus Christ,
you gave your Church an admirable sacrament
as the abiding memorial of your passion.
Teach us so to worship the sacred mystery of your Body and Blood
that its redeeming power may sanctify us always.
You live and reign with God the Father 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
