Evening Prayer: Wednesday 16 March 2022

Wednesday 16 March 2022

Boniface of Ross, Bishop, eighth century
Returning to God

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: Show me your ways, O Lord, and teach me your paths.

Opening (from Psalm 25)

1 You are the God of my salvation;*
in you have I trusted all the day long.
2 Remember, O Lord, your compassion and love,*
for they are from everlasting.
3 Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions;*
remember me according to your love.
4 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,*
for my hope has been in you.

Glory to the Father
or a suitable Hymn

Psalm 78.17-39
17 But they went on sinning against him,*
rebelling in the desert against the Most High.

18 They tested God in their hearts,*
demanding food for their craving.

19 They railed against God and said,*
‘Can God set a table in the wilderness?

20 True, he struck the rock, the waters gushed out, and the
gullies overflowed;*
but is he able to give bread
or to provide meat for his people?’

21 When the Lord heard this, he was full of wrath;*
a fire was kindled against Jacob,
and his anger mounted against Israel;

22 For they had no faith in God,*
nor did they put their trust in his saving power.

23 So he commanded the clouds above*
and opened the doors of heaven.

24 He rained down manna upon them to eat*
and gave them grain from heaven.

25 So mortals ate the bread of angels;*
he provided for them food enough.

26 He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens*
and led out the south wind by his might.

27 He rained down flesh upon them like dust*
and wingèd birds like the sand of the sea.

28 He let it fall in the midst of their camp*
and round about their dwellings.

29 So they ate and were well filled,*
for he gave them what they craved.

30 But they did not stop their craving,*
though the food was still in their mouths.

31 So God's anger mounted against them;*
he slew their strongest men
and laid low the youth of Israel.

32 In spite of all this, they went on sinning*
and had no faith in his wonderful works.

33 So he brought their days to an end like a breath*
and their years in sudden terror.

34 Whenever he slew them, they would seek him,*
and repent, and diligently search for God.

35 They would remember that God was their rock,*
and the Most High God their redeemer.

36 But they flattered him with their mouths*
and lied to him with their tongues.

37 Their heart was not steadfast toward him,*
and they were not faithful to his covenant.

38 But he was so merciful that he forgave their sins
and did not destroy them;*
many times he held back his anger
and did not permit his wrath to be roused.

39 For he remembered that they were but flesh,*
a breath that goes forth and does not return

Glory to the Father…

God of pilgrims, strengthen our faith, we pray. Guide us through the uncertainties of our journey, and hold before us the vision of your eternal kingdom, made known to us in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Conclusion


Matthew 5

1 Blessed are the poor in spirit,*
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
2 Blessed are those who mourn,*
for they shall be comforted.
3 Blessed are the meek,*
for they shall inherit the earth.
4 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,*
for they shall be satisfied.
5 Blessed are the merciful,*
for they shall obtain mercy.
6 Blessed are the pure in heart,*
for they shall see God.
7 Blessed are the peacemakers,*
for they shall be called the children of God.
8 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,*
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Glory to the Father…

Antiphon: Show me your ways, O Lord, and teach me your paths.

READING(S)

Mark 4.1-20

Again he began to teach beside the lake. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the lake on the land. He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’ And he said, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’ When he was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, ‘To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables; in order that “they may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but not understand; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.” ’ And he said to them, ‘Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’

Silence

Response Psalm 86.15

You, Lord, are gracious and full of compassion.
You, Lord, are gracious and full of compassion.
Slow to anger, full of kindness and truth.
Full of compassion.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
You, Lord, are gracious and full of compassion.

MAGNIFICAT

Magnificat Antiphon: If you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Psalm 95.7

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: If you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Psalm 95.7

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 see that we lack the strength to help ourselves:
protect us both inwardly and outwardly;
that our bodies may be guarded from adversity,
and our minds may be defended
from such thoughts as assault and harm the soul;
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.