Evening Prayer: Thursday 23 October 2014

October 23, 2014

James of Jerusalem, Martyr, c.62

Evening Prayer: WEEK D

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 shall be for ever.
Amen.

PSALMODY

Antiphon: As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,*
so our eyes look to the Lord our God. (Ps. 123.2f)

Opening (from Psalm 119)

1 Your faithfulness remains from one generation to another;*
you established the earth, and it abides.
2 By your decree these continue to this day,*
for all things are your servants.
3 I will never forget your commandments,*
because by them you give me life.
4 I see that all things come to an end,*
but your commandment has no bounds.

Glory to the Father…

or a suitable hymn

Psalm 81

1               Sing with joy to God our strength*

and raise a loud shout to the God of Jacob.

2               Raise a song and sound the timbrel,*

the merry harp, and the lyre.

3               Blow the ram’s-horn at the new moon,*

and at the full moon, the day of our feast.

4               For this is a statute for Israel,*

a law of the God of Jacob.

5               He laid it as a solemn charge upon Joseph,*

when he came out of the land of Egypt.

6               I heard an unfamiliar voice saying,*

‘I eased his shoulder from the burden;

his hands were set free from bearing the load.’

7               You called on me in trouble, and I saved you;*

I answered you from the secret place of thunder

and tested you at the waters of Meribah.

8               Hear, O my people, and I will admonish you:*

O Israel, if you would but listen to me!

9               There shall be no strange god among you;*

you shall not worship a foreign god.

10            I am the Lord your God,

who brought you out of the land of Egypt and said,*

‘Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.’

11            And yet my people did not hear my voice,*

and Israel would not obey me

12            So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their hearts,*

to follow their own devices.

13            Oh, that my people would listen to me!*

that Israel would walk in my ways!

14            I should soon subdue their enemies*

and turn my hand against their foes.

15            Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him,*

and their punishment would last for ever.

16            But Israel would I feed with the finest wheat*

and satisfy him with honey from the rock.

Father, forgive our foolish ways, and feed us always with that living bread which is given for the life of the world, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Conclusion (from Revelation 5 and 15)

1 Great and wonderful are your deeds, Lord God the Almighty;*
just and true are your ways, O King of the ages!
2 Who shall not revere and praise your name, O Lord?*
for you alone are holy.
3 All nations shall come and worship in your presence,*
for your just dealings have been revealed.
4 To God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb*
be praise and honour, glory and might, for ever and ever. Amen.

Antiphon: As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God.

READING(S)

Luke 10:25-37

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’ He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’

But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.” Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’

Silence

Response (Ps. 119.89)

Lord, your word is everlasting.
Lord, your word is everlasting.
It stands firm in the heavens.
Your word is everlasting.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Lord, your word is everlasting.

MAGNIFICAT

Magnificat Antiphons: God looks with favour* on his lowly servant.

1 My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,*
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
2 for he has looked with favour on his lowly servant;*
from this day all generations will call me blessed.
3 The Almighty has done great things for me*
and holy is his name.
4 He has mercy on those who fear him*
in every generation.
5 He has shown the strength of his arm;*
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
6 He has cast down the mighty from their thrones*
and has lifted up the lowly.
7 He has filled the hungry with good things,*
and the rich he has sent away empty.
8 He has come to the help of his servant Israel,*
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
9 the promise he made to our forebears,*
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father… (may be said by all)

Magnificat Antiphons: God looks with favour* on his lowly servant.

PRAYERS

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

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.
Do not bring us to to the time of trial,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. 
Amen.

Collect of the Day (may be omitted when the Eucharist follows)
Almighty and everliving God, increase in us your gift of faith, that forsaking what lies behind and reaching out to what is before, we may run the way of your commandments and win the crown of everlasting joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Lord God almighty, come and dispel the darkness from our hearts, that in the radiance of your brightness we may know you, the only unfading light, glorious in all eternity.
Amen.

Let us bless the Lord:
Thanks be to God!

The God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing:
through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.