Wednesday –
Eve of Holy Cross
Evening Prayer
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; let the whole earth tremble before him. Psalm 96:9
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.
46 Deus noster
refugium
1 God is our refuge and strength, *
a very
present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though
the earth be moved, *
and though the mountains be toppled into the
depths of the sea;
3 Though its waters rage and foam, *
and
though the mountains tremble at its tumult.
4 The Lord of
hosts is with us; *
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
5
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, *
the
holy habitation of the Most High.
6 God is in the midst of her;
she shall not be overthrown;
*
God shall help her at the break of day.
7 The nations
make much ado, and the kingdoms are shaken; *
God has spoken, and
the earth shall melt away.
8 The Lord of hosts is with us;
*
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
9 Come now and look
upon the works of the Lord, *
what awesome things he has done on
earth.
10 It is he who makes war to cease in all the world;
*
he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear,
and burns the
shields with fire.
11 "Be still, then, and know that I am God; *
I will be
exalted among the nations;
I will be exalted in the earth."
12
The Lord of hosts is with us; *
the God of Jacob is our
stronghold.
87 Fundamenta
ejus
1
On the holy mountain stands the city he has founded; *
the Lord
loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
2
Glorious things are spoken of you, *
O city of our God.
3 I
count Egypt and Babylon among those who know me; *
behold
Philistia, Tyre, and Ethiopia:
in Zion were they born.
4 Of
Zion it shall be said, "Everyone was born in her, *
and the
Most High himself shall sustain her."
5 The Lord will
record as he enrolls the peoples, *
"These also were born
there."
6 The singers and the dancers will say, *
"All
my fresh springs are in you."
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
Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands to heaven. He said, ‘O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and steadfast love for your servants who walk before you with all their heart, the covenant that you kept for your servant my father David as you declared to him; you promised with your mouth and have this day fulfilled with your hand. Therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant my father David that which you promised him, saying, “There shall never fail you a successor before me to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children look to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.” Therefore, O God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you promised to your servant my father David.
‘But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, much less this house that I have built! Have regard to your servant’s prayer and his plea, O Lord my God, heeding the cry and the prayer that your servant prays to you today; that your eyes may be open night and day towards this house, the place of which you said, “My name shall be there”, that you may heed the prayer that your servant prays towards this place. Hear the plea of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray towards this place; O hear in heaven your dwelling-place; heed and forgive.
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
So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth,* called ‘the uncircumcision’ by those who are called ‘the circumcision’—a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands— remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body* through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it.* So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.* In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually* into a dwelling-place for God.
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: Eve of Holy Cross Day
O God, who by the passion of your blessed Son made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life and peace: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
A Collect for Protection
Be our light in the darkness, O Lord, and in your great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of your only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
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
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