Evening Prayer

Friday after the Third Sunday in Lent

O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; let the whole earth stand in awe of him.

Psalm 96:9

BCP p. 63

Officiant O God, make speed to save us.
People
O Lord, make haste to help us.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost: *

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

O Gracious Light

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 thy praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Thou art 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.

Psalm 91

Whoso dwelleth under the defence of the most High *
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say unto the Lord, Thou art my hope, and my strong hold *
my God, in him will I trust.

For he shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunter *
and from the noisome pestilence.

He shall defend thee under his wings, and thou shalt be safe under his feathers *
his faithfulness and truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Thou shalt not be afraid for any terror by night *
nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

For the pestilence that walketh in darkness *
nor for the sickness that destroyeth in the noon-day.

A thousand shall fall beside thee, and ten thousand at thy right hand *
but it shall not come nigh thee.

Yea, with thine eyes shalt thou behold *
and see the reward of the ungodly.

For thou, Lord, art my hope *
thou hast set thine house of defence very high.

There shall no evil happen unto thee *
neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

For he shall give his angels charge over thee *
to keep thee in all thy ways.

They shall bear thee in their hands *
that thou hurt not thy foot against a stone.

Thou shalt go upon the lion and adder *
the young lion and the dragon shalt thou tread under thy feet.

Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him *
I will set him up, because he hath known my Name.

He shall call upon me, and I will hear him *
yea, I am with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and bring him to honour.

With long life will I satisfy him *
and shew him my salvation.

Psalm 92

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord *
and to sing praises unto thy Name, O most Highest;

To tell of thy loving-kindness early in the morning *
and of thy truth in the night-season;

Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the lute *
upon a loud instrument, and upon the harp.

For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy works *
and I will rejoice in giving praise for the operations of thy hands.

O Lord, how glorious are thy works *
thy thoughts are very deep.

An unwise man doth not well consider this *
and a fool doth not understand it.

When the ungodly are green as the grass, and when all the workers of wickedness do flourish *
then shall they be destroyed for ever; but thou, Lord, art the most Highest for evermore.

For lo, thine enemies, O Lord, lo, thine enemies shall perish *
and all the workers of wickedness shall be destroyed.

But mine horn shall be exalted like the horn of an unicorn *
for I am anointed with fresh oil.

Mine eye also shall see his lust of mine enemies *
and mine ear shall hear his desire of the wicked that arise up against me.

The righteous shall flourish like a palm-tree *
and shall spread abroad like a cedar in Libanus.

Such as are planted in the house of the Lord *
shall flourish in the courts of the house of our God.

They also shall bring forth more fruit in their age *
and shall be fat and well-liking.

That they may shew how true the Lord my strength is *
and that there is no unrighteousness in him.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost: *

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

The Lessons

The First Lesson 1 Cor. 9:16-27

A Reading from the First Letter to the Corinthians.

For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel. For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you. Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

3. The Song of Mary Luke 1:46-55

My soul doth magnify the Lord, *
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.

For he hath regarded *
the lowliness of his handmaiden.

For behold from henceforth *
all generations shall call me blessed.

For he that is mighty hath magnified me, *
and holy is his Name.

And his mercy is on them that fear him *
throughout all generations.

He hath showed strength with his arm; *
he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He hath put down the mighty from their seat, *
and hath exalted the humble and meek.

He hath filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he hath sent empty away.

He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel, *
as he promised to our forefathers,
Abraham and his seed for ever.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost: *

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

The Apostles’ Creed BCP p. 66

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Prayers

Officiant The Lord be with you.
People
And with thy spirit.
Officiant
Let us pray.

The Lord’s Prayer

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.

Suffrages A

V. O Lord, show thy mercy upon us;
R.
And grant us thy salvation.
V.
Endue thy ministers with righteousness;
R.
And make thy chosen people joyful.
V.
Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
R.
For only in thee can we live in safety.
V.
Lord, keep this nation under thy care;
R.
And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
V.
Let thy way be known upon earth;
R.
Thy 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 thy Holy Spirit.

The Collect of the Day

Almighty God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Collect of the Day

Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.





A Collect for Fridays

O Lord Jesus Christ, who by thy death didst take away the sting of death: Grant unto us thy servants so to follow in faith where thou hast led the way, that we may at length fall asleep peacefully in thee, and awake up after thy likeness; for thy tender mercies’ sake. Amen.

A Prayer for Mission

O God and Father of all, whom the whole heavens adore: Let the whole earth also worship you, all nations obey you, all tongues confess and bless you, and men and women everywhere love you and serve you in peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us pray now for our own needs and those of others.



A Prayer of St. Chrysostom BCP p. 72

Almighty God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication unto thee; and hast promised through thy well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name thou wilt be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.



Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.

2 Corinthians 13:14