Wednesday of Easter Week
Evening Prayer – New Life: The Lord
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: With you is the well of life,* and in your light we see light. (Ps. 36.9)
Opening (from Psalm 36)
1 Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens,*
and your faithfulness to the clouds.
2 Your righteousness is like the strong mountains,
your justice like the great deep;*
you save both man and beast, O Lord.
3 How priceless is your love, O God!*
your people take refuge under the shadow of your wings.
4 They feast upon the abundance of your house;*
you give them drink from the river of your delights.
Glory to the Father…
or a suitable hymn
Psalm 114
1 Hallelujah!
When Israel came out of Egypt,*
the house of Jacob from a people of strange speech,
2 Judah became God’s sanctuary*
and Israel his dominion.
3 The sea beheld it and fled;*
Jordan turned and went back.
4 The mountains skipped like rams,*
and the little hills like young sheep.
5 What ailed you, O sea, that you fled?*
O Jordan, that you turned back?
6 You mountains, that you skipped like rams?*
you little hills like young sheep?
7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,*
at the presence of the God of Jacob.
8 Who turned the hard rock into a pool of water*
and flint-stone into a flowing spring.
Conclusion (from Colossians 1)
1 Give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ;*
he has delivered us from the dominion of darkness.
2 He has transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,*
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins.
3 He is the image of the invisible God,*
the first-born of all creation.
4 For in him all things were created,*
in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.
5 He is the head of the body, the church;*
he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead.
6 In him all the fulness of God was pleased to dwell,*
to reconcile all things to himself,
making peace by the blood of his cross.
Glory to the Father…
Antiphon: With you is the well of life,* and in your light we see light. (Ps. 36.9)
READING(S)
John 15:1-11
‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
Matthew 28:1-16
After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.” This is my message for you.’ So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’
While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. After the priests had assembled with the elders, they devised a plan to give a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, ‘You must say, “His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.” If this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.’ So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story is still told among the Jews to this day.
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.
Response (Ps. 30.1)
I will exalt you, O Lord, for you have lifted me up; alleluia, alleluia.
I will exalt you, O Lord, for you have lifted me up; alleluia, alleluia.
You have not let my enemies triumph over me.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
I will exalt you, O Lord, for you have lifted me up; alleluia, alleluia.
MAGNIFICAT
Magnificat Antiphon: The Lord is risen indeed;* alleluia!
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: The Lord is risen indeed;* alleluia!
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 of life and power, through the mighty resurrection of your Son you have overcome the old order of sin and death and have made all things new in him. May we, being dead to sin and alive to you in Jesus Christ, reign with him in glory, who with you and the Holy Spirit is alive, 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.
