Thursday
Evening Prayer – St. Thomas
Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Psalm 141:2
O God, make speed to save us.
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.
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom then shall I
fear? *
the LORD is the strength of my life;
of whom then shall
I be afraid?
2 When evildoers came upon me to eat up my flesh,
*
it was they, my foes and my adversaries, who stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army should encamp against me, *
yet my heart
shall not be afraid;
4 And though war should rise up against me,
*
yet will I put my trust in him.
5 One thing have I asked of
the LORD;
one thing I seek; *
that I may dwell in the house of
the LORD all the days of my life;
6 To behold the fair beauty of
the LORD *
and to seek him in his temple.
7 For in the day of
trouble he shall keep me safe in his shelter; *
he shall hide me
in the secrecy of his dwelling
and set me high upon a rock.
8
Even now he lifts up my head *
above my enemies round about me.
9
Therefore I will offer in his dwelling an oblation
with sounds of
great gladness; *
I will sing and make music to the LORD.
10
Hearken to my voice, O LORD, when I call; *
have mercy on me and
answer me.
11 You speak in my heart and say, "Seek my face."
*
Your face, LORD, will I seek.
12 Hide not your face from me,
*
nor turn away your servant in displeasure.
13 You have been
my helper;
cast me not away; *
do not forsake me, O God of my
salvation.
14 Though my father and my mother forsake me, *
the
LORD will sustain me.
15 Show me your way, O LORD; *
lead me on
a level path, because of my enemies.
16 Deliver me not into the
hand of my adversaries, *
for false witnesses have risen up
against me,
and also those who speak malice.
17 What if I had
not believed
that I should see the goodness of the LORD *
in
the land of the living!
18 O tarry and await the LORD'S
pleasure;
be strong, and he shall comfort your heart; *
wait
patiently for the LORD. out of all his troubles.
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.
Reading
Isaiah 43:8-13
Bring forth the people who are blind, yet have eyes,
who
are deaf, yet have ears!
Let all the nations gather
together,
and let the peoples assemble.
Who
among them declared this,
and foretold to us the
former things?
Let them bring their witnesses to justify
them,
and let them hear and say, ‘It
is true.’
You are my witnesses, says the Lord,
and
my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and
believe me
and understand that I am
he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor shall
there be any after me.
I, I am the Lord,
and
besides me there is no saviour.
I declared and saved and
proclaimed,
when there was no strange god among
you;
and you are my witnesses, says the Lord.
I
am God, and also henceforth I am He;
there
is no one who can deliver from my hand;
I work
and who can hinder it?
The
Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices
in God my Savior;*
for he has looked with favor on his lowly
servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
the
Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He
has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.
He has
shown the strength of his arm,*
he has scattered the proud in
their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their
thrones,*
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry
with good things,*
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has
come to the help of his servant Israel,*
for he has remembered his
promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers,*
to
Abraham and his children for ever.
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.
John 14:1-7
‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe* in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling-places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?* And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.’* Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know* my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.’
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Lord, you now have set your servant free *
to go in peace as
you have promised;
For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *
whom you have
prepared for all the world to see:
A Light to enlighten the nations, *
and the glory of your
people Israel.
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.
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.
The
Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
Our
Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom
come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give
us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive
those
who sin against us.
Save
us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For
the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for
ever. Amen.
Show us your mercy, O Lord;
And grant us your salvation.
Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
Let your people sing with joy.
Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
For only in you can we live in safety.
Lord, keep this nation under your care;
And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
Let your way be known upon earth;
Your saving health among all nations.
Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Create in us clean hearts, O God;
And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.
Collect of the Day: St. Thomas
Almighty and everliving God, who strengthened your apostle Thomas with sure and certain faith in your Son's resurrection: Grant us so perfectly and without doubt to believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God, that our faith may never be found wanting in your sight; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
A Collect for Peace
Most holy God, the source of all good desires, all right judgments, and all just works: Give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, so that our minds may be fixed on the doing of your will, and that we, being delivered from the fear of all enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through the mercies of Christ Jesus our Savior. Amen.
For Mission
Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Let
us pray now for our own needs and those of others.
A Prayer of St. Chrysostom
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.
Glory
to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can
ask or imagine: Glory to him from generation to generation in the
Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians
3:20,21