Officiant O
God, make speed to save us.
People O
Lord, make haste to help us.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Alleluia.
O gracious light,
pure brightness of the everliving
Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as
we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper
light,
we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit.
You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy
voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of Life,
and to be glorified
through all the worlds.
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? *
and are
so far from my cry
and from the words of my distress?
O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not answer;
*
by night as well, but I find no rest.
Yet you are the Holy One, *
enthroned upon the
praises of Israel.
Our forefathers put their trust in you; *
they
trusted, and you delivered them.
They cried out to you and were delivered; *
they
trusted in you and were not put to shame.
But as for me, I am a worm and no man, *
scorned by
all and despised by the people.
All who see me laugh me to scorn; *
they curl their
lips and wag their heads, saying,
“He trusted in the LORD; let him deliver him;
*
let him rescue him, if he delights in him.”
Yet you are he who took me out of the womb, *
and
kept me safe upon my mother’s breast.
I have been entrusted to you ever since I was born;
*
you were my God when I was still in my mother’s womb.
Be not far from me, for trouble is near, *
and there
is none to help.
Many young bulls encircle me; *
strong bulls of
Bashan surround me.
They open wide their jaws at me, *
like a ravening
and a roaring lion.
I am poured out like water;
all my bones are out of
joint; *
my heart within my breast is melting wax.
My mouth is dried out like a pot-sherd;
my tongue
sticks to the roof of my mouth; *
and you have laid me in the dust
of the grave.
Packs of dogs close me in,
and gangs of evildoers
circle around me; *
they pierce my hands and my feet;
I can
count all my bones.
They stare and gloat over me; *
they divide my
garments among them;
they cast lots for my clothing.
Be not far away, O LORD; *
you are my strength;
hasten to help me.
Save me from the sword, *
my life from the power of
the dog.
Save me from the lion’s mouth, *
my wretched
body from the horns of wild bulls.
I will declare your Name to my brethren; *
in the
midst of the congregation I will praise you.
Praise the LORD, you that fear him; *
stand in awe of
him, O offspring of Israel;
all you of Jacob’s line, give
glory.
For he does not despise nor abhor the poor in their
poverty;
neither does he hide his face from them; *
but when
they cry to him he hears them.
My praise is of him in the great assembly; *
I will
perform my vows in the presence of those who worship him.
The poor shall eat and be satisfied,
and those who
seek the LORD shall praise him: *
“May your heart live for
ever!”
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the
LORD, *
and all the families of the nations bow before him.
For kingship belongs to the LORD; *
he rules over the
nations.
To him alone all who sleep in the earth bow down in
worship; *
all who go down to the dust fall before him.
My soul shall live for him;
my descendants shall
serve him; *
they shall be known as the LORD’S for ever.
They shall come and make known to a people yet unborn
*
the saving deeds that he has done.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.
The Word of the
Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers; *
you are
worthy of praise; glory to you.
Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name; *
we
will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.
Glory to you in the splendor of your temple; *
on the
throne of your majesty, glory to you.
Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim; *
we will
praise you and highly exalt you for ever.
Glory to you, beholding the depths; *
in the high
vault of heaven, glory to you.
Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; *
we will
praise you and highly exalt you for ever.
I believe in God, the Father
almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus
Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of
the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered
under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He
descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He
ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the
Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I
believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the
communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the
resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Officiant The
Lord be with you.
People And
also with you.
Officiant Let
us pray.
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.
For thine is the
kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
V. Show
us your mercy, O Lord;
R. And
grant us your salvation.
V. Clothe
your ministers with righteousness;
R. Let
your people sing with joy.
V. Give
peace, O Lord, in all the world;
R. For
only in you can we live in safety.
V. Lord,
keep this nation under your care;
R. And
guide us in the way of justice and truth.
V. Let
your way be known upon earth;
R. Your
saving health among all nations.
V. Let
not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
R. Nor
the hope of the poor be taken away.
V. Create
in us clean hearts, O God;
R. And
sustain us with your Holy Spirit.
Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered together in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your power among all peoples, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ, by your death you took away the sting of death: Grant to us your servants so to follow in faith where you have led the way, that we may at length fall asleep peacefully in you and wake up in your likeness; for your tender mercies’ sake. Amen.
O God, you manifest in your servants the signs of your presence: Send forth upon us the spirit of love, that in companionship with one another your abounding grace may increase among us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray now for our own needs and those of others.
Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.
Let us bless the
Lord.
Thanks be to God.
May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Romans 15:13