Thursday after Fourth Sunday of Advent
Evening Prayer – 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 85
1 You have been gracious to your land, O Lord,*
you have restored the good fortune of Jacob.
2 You have forgiven the iniquity of your people*
and blotted out all their sins.
3 You have withdrawn all your fury*
and turned yourself from your wrathful indignation.
4 Restore us then, O God our Saviour;*
let your anger depart from us.
5 Will you be displeased with us for ever?*
will you prolong your anger from age to age?
6 Will you not give us life again,*
that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show us your mercy, O Lord,*
and grant us your salvation.
8 I will listen to what the Lord God is saying,*
for he is speaking peace to his faithful people
and to those who turn their hearts to him.
9 Truly, his salvation is very near to those who fear him,*
that his glory may dwell in our land.
10 Mercy and truth have met together;*
righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11 Truth shall spring up from the earth,*
and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12 The Lord will indeed grant prosperity,*
and our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness shall go before him,*
and peace shall be a pathway for his feet.
God of grace, you loved the world so much that you gave your only Son to be our Saviour. Help us to rejoice in our salvation by showing mercy and truth, and by walking in the way of righteousness and peace. We ask this in his name and for his sake.
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 1.39-56
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’
And Mary said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’
And Mary remained with her for about three months and then returned to her home.
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 Antiphon: (O Rex gentium) O King of all nations,* Lord for whom they long, O Cornerstone that binds in one Jew and Gentile: Come and save mankind, save the men and women you have moulded from the earth.
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: (O Rex gentium) O King of all nations,* Lord for whom they long, O Cornerstone that binds in one Jew and Gentile: Come and save mankind, save the men and women you have moulded from the earth.
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 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
Stir up your power, Lord, and come: and strengthen us by the might of your love; that, although we are hindered by our sins, your abundant grace and mercy may quickly come and save us; for you live and reign with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. 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.
