Friday after Pentecost 22 (Ordination of Samuel Seabury, Bishop, 1784)
Evening Prayer: WEEK C
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: Search me out, O God, and know my heart;*
try me and know my restless thoughts. (Ps. 139.22)
Opening (from Psalm 139)
1 You trace my journeys and my resting-places*
and are acquainted with all my ways.
2 Indeed there is not a word on my lips,*
but you, O Lord, know it altogether.
3 If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will cover me,*
and the light around me turn to night’,
4 Darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day;*
darkness and light to you are both alike.
Glory to the Father…
or a suitable hymn
Psalm 15
1 Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle? *
who may abide upon your holy hill?
2 Whoever leads a blameless life and does what is right,*
who speaks the truth from his heart.
3 There is no guile upon his tongue;
he does no evil to his friend;*
he does not heap contempt upon his neighbour.
4 In his sight the wicked is rejected,*
but he honours those who fear the Lord.
5 He has sworn to do no wrong*
and does not take back his word.
6 He does not give his money in hope of gain,*
nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
7 Whoever does these things*
shall never be overthrown.
God of love, teach us to walk blamelessly in your ways, that our whole life may be established in you, and that we may come to the place prepared for us by your Son, Jesus Christ our Redeemer.
Psalm 16
1 Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you;*
I have said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord,
my good above all other.’
2 All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land,*
upon those who are noble among the people.
3 But those who run after other gods*
shall have their troubles multiplied.
4 Their libations of blood I will not offer,*
nor take the names of their gods upon my lips.
5 O Lord, you are my portion and my cup;*
it is you who uphold my lot.
6 My boundaries enclose a pleasant land;*
indeed, I have a goodly heritage.
7 I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel;*
my heart teaches me, night after night.
8 I have set the Lord always before me;*
because he is at my right hand I shall not fall.
9 My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices;*
my body also shall rest in hope.
10 For you will not abandon me to the grave,*
nor let your holy one see the Pit.
11 You will show me the path of life;*
in your presence there is fullness of joy,
and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.
Gracious God, we bless your holy name for the heritage you have given us. Show us the path of life, that we may follow it in hope, and come to know the joy of the resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
A song of Pilgrimage (from Sirach 51)
1 While I was still young, before I began my travels,*
I sought for wisdom openly in my prayers.
2 I asked for her outside the temple sanctuary,*
and I will seek her to the end.
3 She has been the delight of my heart.*
from first blossom to early fruit.
4 I have kept firmly to the true path;*
I have followed her steps since my youth.
5 I bowed my ear a little and received her;*
I found wisdom and was well instructed.
6 Glory to the One who gives me wisdom!*
I will live according to her way.
7 From the beginning I gained understanding from her;*
therefore I will never be deserted.
8 Because I longed to find her with all my heart,*
I have gained a good possession.
9 As my reward the Lord has given me a tongue*
with which I shall sing his praises.
Glory to the Father…
Antiphon: Search me out, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my restless thoughts.
READING(S)
Luke 16:1-9
Then Jesus said to the disciples, ‘There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So he summoned him and said to him, “What is this that I hear about you? Give me an account of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.” Then the manager said to himself, “What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.” So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, “How much do you owe my master?” He answered, “A hundred jugs of olive oil.” He said to him, “Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.” Then he asked another, “And how much do you owe?” He replied, “A hundred containers of wheat.” He said to him, “Take your bill and make it eighty.” And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes.
Silence
Response (Sirach 51.26)
Buy wisdom without money, take her yoke upon you.
Buy wisdom without money, take her yoke upon you.
Let your souls receive instruction.
Take her yoke upon you.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Buy wisdom without money, take her yoke upon you.
MAGNIFICAT
Magnificat Antiphons: God has cast down the mighty* and lifted up the lowly.
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 has cast down the mighty* and lifted up the lowly.
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 God, you sent your Son Jesus Christ to be the light of the world. Free us from all that darkens and ensnares us, and bring us to eternal light and joy; through the power of him 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.
