Evening Prayer: Wednesday 7 December 2016

December 7, 2016

Ambrose of Milan, Bishop and Teacher of the Faith, 397
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 80
1 Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock;*
shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim.
2 In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh,*
stir up your strength and come to help us.
3 Restore us, O God of hosts;*
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
4 O Lord God of hosts,*
how long will you be angered
despite the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears;*
you have given them bowls of tears to drink.
6 You have made us the derision of our neighbours,*
and our enemies laugh us to scorn.
7 Restore us, O God of hosts;*
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
8 You have brought a vine out of Egypt;*
you cast out the nations and planted it.
9 You prepared the ground for it;*
it took root and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered by its shadow*
and the towering cedar trees by its boughs.
11 You stretched out its tendrils to the Sea*
and its branches to the River.
12 Why have you broken down its wall,*
so that all who pass by pluck off its grapes?
13 The wild boar of the forest has ravaged it,*
and the beasts of the field have grazed upon it.
14 Turn now, O God of hosts, look down from heaven;
behold and tend this vine;*
preserve what your right hand has planted.
15 They burn it with fire like rubbish;*
at the rebuke of your countenance let them perish.
16 Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand,*
the son of man you have made so strong for yourself.
17 And so will we never turn away from you;*
give us life, that we may call upon your name.
18 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;*
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ, our good shepherd; you have led us to the kingdom of your Father’s love. Forgive our careless indifference to your loving care for all your creatures, and remake us in the likeness of your new and risen life. We ask this in your name.

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)

John 7.53-8.11
Then each of them went home, while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’ And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground.When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.Jesus straightened up and said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, sir.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.’

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: Prepare the way of the Lord,* make his paths straight.
All flesh shall see the salvation of God. (Luke 3. 4, 6)

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: Prepare the way of the Lord,* make his paths straight.
All flesh shall see the salvation of God. (Luke 3. 4, 6)

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 our hearts, Lord, to prepare the way of your only-begotten Son: that, in his coming, we might serve you with our hearts made pure; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, 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.