Jesus said, “I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
John 8:12
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,
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.
Lord, I call upon thee, haste thee unto me *
and
consider my voice when I cry unto thee.
Let my prayer be set forth in thy sight as the
incense *
and let the lifting up of my hands be an evening
sacrifice.
Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth *
and keep
the door of my lips.
O let not mine heart be inclined to any evil thing *
let
me not be occupied in ungodly works with the men that work
wickedness, lest I eat of such things as please them.
Let the righteous rather smite me friendly *
and
reprove me.
But let not their precious balms break my head *
yea,
I will pray yet against their wickedness.
Let their judges be overthrown in stony places *
that
they may hear my words, for they are sweet.
Our bones lie scattered before the pit *
like as
when one breaketh and heweth wood upon the earth.
But mine eyes look unto thee, O Lord God *
in
thee is my trust, O cast not out my soul.
Keep me from the snare that they have laid for me *
and
from the traps of the wicked doers.
Let the ungodly fall into their own nets together *
and
let me ever escape them.
Hear my prayer, O Lord, and consider my desire *
hearken
unto me for thy truth and righteousness’ sake.
And enter not into judgement with thy servant *
for
in thy sight shall no man living be justified.
For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten
my life down to the ground *
he hath laid me in the darkness,
as the men that have been long dead.
Therefore is my spirit vexed within me *
and my
heart within me is desolate.
Yet do I remember the time past; I muse upon all thy
works *
yea, I exercise myself in the works of thy hands.
I stretch forth my hands unto thee *
my soul
gaspeth unto thee as a thirsty land.
Hear me, O Lord, and that soon, for my spirit waxeth
faint *
hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them
that go down into the pit.
O let me hear thy loving-kindness betimes in the
morning, for in thee is my trust *
shew thou me the way that
I should walk in, for I lift up my soul unto thee.
Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies *
for I
flee unto thee to hide me.
Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth thee, for thou
art my God *
let thy loving Spirit lead me forth into the
land of righteousness.
Quicken me, O Lord, for thy Name’s sake *
and
for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.
[And of thy goodness slay mine enemies *
and
destroy all them that vex my soul; for I am thy servant.]
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.
A Reading from the Second Letter to the Corinthians.
Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
The Word of the
Lord.
Thanks be to God.
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.
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.
Officiant The
Lord be with you.
People And
with thy spirit.
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. 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.
O Almighty God, who alone canst order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men: Grant unto thy people that they may love the thing which thou commandest, and desire that which thou dost promise; that so, among the sundry and manifold changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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.
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.
O God, who dost manifest in thy servants the signs of thy presence: Send forth upon us the Spirit of love, that in companionship with one another thine 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, 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.
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