Evening Prayer: Wednesday 1 April 2015

April 1, 2015

WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK
Evening Prayer – The Suffering Christ

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: Lord, hear my prayer;* answer me in your righteousness. (Ps. 143.1)

Opening (from (from Psalm 143))

1 I spread out my hands to you;*
my soul gasps to you like a thirsty land.
2 O Lord, make haste to answer me; my spirit fails me;*
do not hide your face from me
or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.
3 Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord,*
for I flee to you for refuge.
4 Teach me to do what pleases you, for you are my God;*
let your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

Glory to the Father…

or a suitable hymn

Psalm 10
1 Why do you stand so far off, O Lord,*
and hide yourself in time of trouble?
2 The wicked arrogantly persecute the poor,*
but they are trapped in the schemes they have devised.
3 The wicked boast of their heart’s desire;*
the covetous curse and revile the Lord.
4 The wicked are so proud that they care not for God;*
their only thought is, ‘God does not matter.’
5 Their ways are devious at all times;
your judgements are far above out of their sight;*
they defy all their enemies.
6 They say in their heart, ‘I shall not be shaken;*
no harm shall happen to me ever.’
7 Their mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression;*
under their tongue are mischief and wrong.
8 They lurk in ambush in public squares
and in secret places they murder the innocent;*
they spy out the helpless.
9 They lie in wait, like a lion in a covert;
they lie in wait to seize upon the lowly;*
they seize the lowly and drag them away in their net.
10 The innocent are broken and humbled before them;*
the helpless fall before their power.
11 They say in their heart, ‘God has forgotten;*
he hides his face; he will never notice.’
12 Rise up, O Lord;
lift up your hand, O God;*
do not forget the afflicted.
13 Why should the wicked revile God?*
why should they say in their heart, ‘You do not care’?
14 Surely, you behold trouble and misery;*
you see it and take it into your own hand.
15 The helpless commit themselves to you,*
for you are the helper of orphans.
16 Break the power of the wicked and evil;*
search out their wickedness until you find none.
17 The Lord is king for ever and ever;*
the ungodly shall perish from his land.
18 The Lord will hear the desire of the humble;*
you will strengthen their heart and your ears shall hear;
19 To give justice to the orphan and oppressed,*
so that mere mortals may strike terror no more.

Conclusion (from 1 Peter 2)

1 Christ our Lord suffered for us, leaving us an example,*
that we should follow in his steps.
2 He committed no sin, no guile was found on his lips;*
when he was reviled he did not revile in return.
3 When he suffered he did not threaten,*
but trusted in God who judges justly.
4 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree,*
that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.
5 By his wounds we have been healed;*
for we were straying like sheep,
6 But now we have returned*
to the shepherd and guardian of our souls.

Glory to the Father…

Antiphon: Lord, hear my prayer;* answer me in your righteousness. (Ps. 143.1)

READING(S)

John 12:27-36
‘Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—“Father, save me from this hour”? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’ The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him.’ Jesus answered, ‘This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgement of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’ He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. The crowd answered him, ‘We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains for ever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?’ Jesus said to them, ‘The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.’
After Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them.

Response (Ps. 140.6)

I have said to the Lord, You are my God.
I have said to the Lord, You are my God.
Listen, O Lord, to my supplication.
You are my God.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
I have said to the Lord, You are my God.

MAGNIFICAT

Magnificat Antiphon: Christ Jesus* humbled himself even to death.

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 Antiphon: Christ Jesus* humbled himself even to death.

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

Lord God, your Son our Saviour gave his body to be whipped and turned his face for men to spit upon. Give your servants grace to accept suffering for his sake, confident of the glory that will be revealed; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive 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.