Evening Prayer: Friday 5 December 2014

December 5, 2014

Evening Prayer: Friday after the First Sunday in Advent

Clement of Alexandria, Teacher of the Faith, c.210

Anticipation

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: My eyes are turned to you, Lord God;*
in you I take refuge; do not strip me of my life. (Ps. 141.8)

Opening (from Psalms 140 and 141)

1 I have said to the Lord, ‘You are my God;*
listen, O Lord, to my supplication.’
2 O Lord, I call to you; come to me quickly;*
hear my voice when I cry to you.
3 I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the poor*
and render justice to the needy.
4 Surely, the righteous will give thanks to your name,*
and the upright shall continue in your sight.

Glory to the Father…

or a suitable hymn

Psalm 102

1 Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come before you;*
hide not your face from me in the day of my trouble.

2 Incline your ear to me;*
when I call, make haste to answer me,

3 For my days drift away like smoke,*
and my bones are hot as burning coals.

4 My heart is smitten like grass and withered,*
so that I forget to eat my bread.

5 Because of the voice of my groaning*
I am but skin and bones.

6 I have become like a vulture in the wilderness,*
like an owl among the ruins.

7 I lie awake and groan;*
I am like a sparrow, lonely on a house-top.

8 My enemies revile me all day long,*
and those who scoff at me have taken an oath against me.

9 for I have eaten ashes for bread*
and mingled my drink with weeping.

10 Because of your indignation and wrath*
you have lifted me up and thrown me away.

11 My days pass away like a shadow,*
and I wither like the grass.

12 But you, O Lord, endure for ever,*
and your name from age to age.

13 You will arise and have compassion on Zion,
for it is time to have mercy upon her;*
indeed, the appointed time has come.

14 For your servants love her very rubble,*
and are moved to pity even for her dust.

15 The nations shall fear your name, O Lord,*
and all the kings of the earth your glory.

16 For the Lord will build up Zion,*
and his glory will appear.

17 He will look with favour on the prayer of the homeless;*
he will not despise their plea.

18 Let this be written for a future generation,*
so that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord.

19 For the Lord looked down from his holy place on high;*
from the heavens he beheld the earth;

20 That he might hear the groan of the captive*
and set free those condemned to die;

21 That they may declare in Zion the name of the Lord,*
and his praise in Jerusalem;

22 When the peoples are gathered together,*
and the kingdoms also, to serve the Lord.

23 He has brought down my strength before my time;*
he has shortened the number of my days;

24 And I said, ‘O my God,
do not take me away in the midst of my days;*
your years endure throughout all generations.

25 In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,*
and the heavens are the work of your hands;

26 They shall perish, but you will endure;
they all shall wear out like a garment;*
as clothing you will change them,
and they shall be changed;

27 But you are always the same,*
and your years will never end.

28 The children of your servants shall continue,*
and their offspring shall stand fast in your sight.’

God of unchanging mercy, look with compassion upon all who suffer: the sick and the friendless, the homeless and the captive, the weary and the depressed. Be present to them in the power of your healing love; give them health, comfort, and hope; and bring them to share in the life of your risen Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Conclusion (from Revelation 22)

1 ‘Behold, I am coming soon*
to repay everyone for what he has done.
2 ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last,*
the beginning and the end.
3 ‘I am the root and offspring of David,*
the bright morning star.’
4 The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come’;*
let anyone who hears, say, ‘Come’,
5 Let anyone who is thirsty come;*
let anyone who desires take the water of life without price.
6 The Lord says, ‘Surely I am coming soon’.*
Amen; come, Lord Jesus!
Glory to the Father…

Antiphon: My eyes are turned to you, Lord God;
in you I take refuge; do not strip me of my life.

READING(S)

Luke 20:41 – 21:4

Then he said to them, ‘How can they say that the Messiah is David’s son? For David himself says in the book of Psalms,
“The Lord said to my Lord,
‘Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.’ ”
David thus calls him Lord; so how can he be his son?’
In the hearing of all the people he said to the disciples, ‘Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honour at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.’
He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. He said, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.’

Silence

Response (Ps. 28.11)

Save your people and bless your inheritance.
Save your people and bless your inheritance.
Shepherd them and carry them for ever.
Bless your inheritance.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Save your people and bless your inheritance.

 

MAGNIFICAT

Magnificat Antiphons: Look up and raise your heads,* because your redemption is drawing near. (Luke 21, 28)

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: Look up and raise your heads,* because your redemption is drawing near. (Luke 21, 28)

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

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and put on the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility, that on the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

(A suitable hymn)

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.