Evening Prayer: Monday 17 January 2022

Monday 17 January 2022

Anthony of Egypt, Abbot, 356
Week B

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: Where can I go from your Spirit? where can I flee from your presence?

Opening (from Psalm 139)

1 I will thank you because I am marvellously made;*
your works are wonderful, and I know it well.
2 My body was not hidden from you,*
while I was being made in secret
and woven in the depths of the earth.
3 How deep I find your thoughts, O God!*
how great is the sum of them!
4 If I were to count them, they would be more in number than
the sand;*
to count them all, my life span would need to be like yours.

Glory to the Father
or a suitable Hymn

Psalm 52
1 You tyrant, why do you boast of wickedness*
against the godly all day long?

2 You plot ruin; your tongue is like a sharpened razor,*
O worker of deception.

3 You love evil more than good*
and lying more than speaking the truth.

4 You love all words that hurt,*
O you deceitful tongue.

5 Oh, that God would demolish you utterly,*
topple you, and snatch you from your dwelling,
and root you out of the land of the living!

6 The righteous shall see and tremble,*
and they shall laugh at him, saying,

7 ‘This is the one who did not take God for a refuge,*
but trusted in great wealth
and relied upon wickedness.’

8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;*
I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.

9 I will give you thanks for what you have done*
and declare the goodness of your name in the presence
of the godly.

Glory to the Father…

God of the oppressed, we pray for all those who suffer injustice at the hands of cruel and indifferent rulers, especially for the innocent victims of war. Give them strength and patience, and hasten the day when the kingdoms of this world will own the perfect law of love, made known to us in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 54
1 Save me, O God, by your name;*
in your might, defend my cause.

2 Hear my prayer, O God;*
give ear to the words of my mouth.

3 For the arrogant have risen up against me,
and the ruthless have sought my life,*
those who have no regard for God.

4 Behold, God is my helper;*
it is the Lord who sustains my life.

5 Render evil to those who spy on me;*
in your faithfulness, destroy them.

6 I will offer you a freewill sacrifice*
and praise your name, O Lord, for it is good.

7 For you have rescued me from every trouble,*
and my eye has seen the ruin of my foes.

God of mercy, hear our prayer and come to our aid, that from the rising of the sun to its setting we may offer you a pure sacrifice of praise, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Conclusion


1 Timothy 3

1 Great indeed, we confess,*
is the mystery of our religion.
2 God was manifested in the flesh,*
vindicated in the Spirit,
3 Seen by angels,*
preached among the nations,
4 Believed on in the world;*
taken up in glory.

Glory to the Father…

Antiphon: Where can I go from your Spirit? where can I flee from your presence?

READING(S)

John 2.23-3.15

When he was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to testify about anyone; for he himself knew what was in everyone. Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus* by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’* Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.* Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You* must be born from above.”* The wind* blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? ‘Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you* do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.* And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.*

Silence

Response Psalm 105.5

Call to mind what wonders the Lord has done!
Call to mind what wonders the Lord has done!
God’s marvellous acts and the judgements of his mouth.
What wonders the Lord has done!
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Call to mind what wonders the Lord has done!

MAGNIFICAT

Magnificat Antiphon: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord (not repeated in canticle)

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: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord (not repeated in canticle)

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

Almighty and eternal God,
ruler of heaven and earth:
mercifully hear the prayers of your people,
and grant your peace to our times;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, world without end.

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.