Thursday
Evening
Prayer – Holy Innocents
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.
Psalms
19
Cœli enarrant
1 The heavens declare the glory
of God, *
and the firmament shows his handiwork.
2 One day
tells its tale to another, *
and one night imparts knowledge to
another.
3 Although they have no words or language, *
and
their voices are not heard,
4 Their sound has gone out into
all lands, *
and their message to the ends of the world.
5
In the deep has he set a pavilion for the sun; *
it comes forth
like a bridegroom out of his chamber;
it rejoices like a champion
to run its course.
6 It goes forth from the uttermost edge of
the heavens
and runs about to the end of it again; *
nothing is
hidden from its burning heat.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect
and revives the soul; *
the
testimony of the Lord is sure
and gives wisdom to the innocent.
8
The statutes of the Lord are just
and rejoice the heart; *
the
commandment of the Lord is clear
and gives light to the eyes.
9
The fear of the Lord is clean
and endures for ever; *
the
judgments of the Lord are true
and righteous altogether.
10
More to be desired are they than gold,
more than much fine gold,
*
sweeter far than honey,
than honey in the comb.
11 By
them also is your servant enlightened, *
and in keeping them there
is great reward.
12 Who can tell how often he offends?
*
cleanse me from my secret faults.
13 Above all, keep your
servant from presumptuous sins;
let them not get dominion over me;
*
then shall I be whole and sound,
and innocent of a great
offense.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my
heart be acceptable in your sight, *
O Lord, my strength and my
redeemer.
126 In convertendo
1 When the
Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, *
then were we like those who
dream.
2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, *
and our
tongue with shouts of joy.
3 Then they said among the nations,
*
"The Lord has done great things for them."
4
The Lord has done great things for us, *
and we are glad
indeed.
5 Restore our fortunes, O Lord, *
like the
watercourses of the Negev.
6 Those who sowed with tears *
will
reap with songs of joy.
7 Those who go out weeping, carrying
the seed, *
will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves.
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
Sing, O barren one who did not bear;
burst
into song and shout,
you who have not been in
labour!
For the children of the desolate woman will be
more
than the children of her that is married,
says the Lord.
Enlarge the site of your tent,
and
let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;
do not hold
back; lengthen your cords
and strengthen
your stakes.
For you will spread out to the right and to the
left,
and your descendants will possess the
nations
and will settle the desolate towns.
Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed;
do
not be discouraged, for you will not suffer disgrace;
for you will
forget the shame of your youth,
and the disgrace
of your widowhood you will remember no more.
For your Maker is
your husband,
the Lord of hosts is his name;
the
Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
the God of
the whole earth he is called.
For the Lord has called
you
like a wife forsaken and grieved in
spirit,
like the wife of a man’s youth when she is cast
off,
says your God.
For a brief moment I
abandoned you,
but with great compassion I will
gather you.
In overflowing wrath for a moment
I
hid my face from you,
but with everlasting love I will have
compassion on you,
says the Lord, your Redeemer.
This is like the days of Noah to me:
Just
as I swore that the waters of Noah
would
never again go over the earth,
so I have sworn that I will
not be angry with you
and will not rebuke you.
For the mountains may depart
and the hills
be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from
you,
and my covenant of peace shall not be
removed,
says the Lord, who has compassion on
you.
O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted,
I
am about to set your stones in antimony,
and lay
your foundations with sapphires.*
I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
your
gates of jewels,
and all your wall of precious
stones.
All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
and
great shall be the prosperity of your children.
The Word of the
Lord.
Thanks
be to God
Canticle 15
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.
Reading
People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’ And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
The
Word of the Lord.
Thanks
be to God
Canticle 17
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: Holy Innocents
We remember today, O God, the slaughter of the holy innocents of Bethlehem by King Herod. Receive, we pray, into the arms of your mercy all innocent victims; and by your great might frustrate the designs of evil tyrants and establish your rule of justice, love, and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. 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