Evening Prayer: Sunday 28 December 2025

Sunday 28 December 2025

This is the new revised order for Daily Prayer authorised for experimental use. You can find the 2006 Revised version here.

First Sunday After Christmas
Christmas and Epiphany

O God make speed to save us;
O Lord make haste to help us.

Glory to God, Source of all Being, Eternal Word, and Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever.
Amen.

PSALMODY

Antiphon: Let your loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us, as we have put our trust in you.
(Psalm 33.22)

Opening (from Psalm 33)

1. Behold, your eye, O Lord, is upon those who fear you, *
on those who wait upon your love.

2. To pluck their lives from death, *
and to feed them in time of famine.

3. Our soul waits for the Lord *
who is our help and our shield.

4. Indeed, our heart rejoices in God *
in whose holy name we put our trust.

Glory ...
or a suitable Hymn

Psalm 145
1. I will exalt you, O God my sovereign, *
and bless your name for ever and ever.

2. Every day will I bless you *
and praise your name for ever and ever.

3. Great are you, O Lord, and greatly to be praised; *
there is no end to your greatness.

4. One generation shall praise your works to another *
and shall declare your power.

5. I will ponder the glorious splendour of your , majesty *
and all your marvellous works.

6. They shall speak of the might of your wondrous acts, *
and I will tell of your greatness.

7. They shall publish the remembrance of your great goodness; *
they shall sing of your righteous deeds.

8. O Lord, you are gracious and full of compassion, *
slow to anger and of great kindness.

9. You are loving to everyone *
and your compassion is over all your works.

10. All your works praise you, O Lord, *
and your faithful servants bless you.

11. They make known the glory of your dominion *
and speak of your power;

12. so that the peoples may know of your power *
and the glorious splendour of your dominion.

13. Your sovereignty is an everlasting one; * your dominion endures throughout all ages.
Lord, you are faithful in all your words * and merciful in all your deeds.

14. You uphold all those who fall *
and lift up those who are bowed down.

15. The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord, *
and you give them their food in due season.

16. You open wide your hand *
and satisfy the needs of every living creature.

17. You are righteous in all your ways *
and loving in all your works.

18. You are near to those who call upon you, *
to all who call upon you faithfully.

19. You fulfil the desire of those who fear you, *
you hear their cry and help them.

20. You preserve all those who love you, *
but you destroy all the wicked.

21. My mouth shall speak your praise, O Lord; *
let all flesh bless your holy name for ever and ever.

Glory …

Conclusion


Philippians 2

1. Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus:*
the divine nature was his from the first:

2. Yet he did not grasp at equality with God;*
he emptied himself and became like a slave.

3. Taking the nature of man he was revealed in human form;*
he humbled himself and became obedient even to death, death on a cross.

4. Therefore God has raised him on high,*
and has given him a name above every other name;

5. So that in the name of Jesus every knee shall bow,*
in heaven, on earth, and in the depths;

6. And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord;*
to the glory of God the Father.

Glory …

Antiphon: Let your loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us, as we have put our trust in you.

READING(S)

Luke 2:15-21

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Silence

Response (Psalm 89.27)

I will make the son of David my firstborn.
I will make the son of David my firstborn.
Higher than the rulers of the earth.
My firstborn.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
I will make the son of David my firstborn.

SONG OF MARY

Song of Mary Antiphon: To us is born a Saviour,* Christ the Lord. (Luke 2.11)

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)

Song of Mary Antiphon: To us is born a Saviour,* Christ the Lord. (Luke 2.11)

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

O God,
you make us glad with the yearly remembrance
of the birth of your Son, Jesus Christ:
grant that, as we joyfully receive him as our Saviour,
so we may with confidence
behold him as he comes to be our Judge;
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.