Evening Prayer: Wednesday 25 January 2023

Wednesday 25 January 2023

The Conversion of Paul, Apostle
Festivals

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: Sing to the Lord a new song; sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful.

Opening (from Psalm 149)

1 Let Israel rejoice in his maker;*
let the children of Zion be joyful in their king.
2 For the Lord takes pleasure in his people*
and adorns the poor with victory.
3 Let the faithful rejoice in triumph;*
let them be joyful on their beds.
4 Let the praises of God be in their throat*
and a two-edged sword in their hand.

Glory to the Father
or a suitable Hymn

Psalm 34
1 I will bless the Lord at all times;*
his praise shall ever be in my mouth.

2 I will glory in the Lord;*
let the humble hear and rejoice.

3 Proclaim with me the greatness of the Lord;*
let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me*
and delivered me out of all my terror.

5 Look upon him and be radiant,*
and let not your faces be ashamed.

6 I called in my affliction and the Lord heard me*
and saved me from all my troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encompasses those who fear him,*
and he will deliver them.

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;*
happy are they who trust in him!

9 Fear the Lord, you that are his saints,*
for those who fear him lack nothing.

10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger,*
but those who seek the Lord lack nothing that is good.

11 Come, children, and listen to me;*
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

12 Who among you loves life*
and desires long life to enjoy prosperity?

13 Keep your tongue from evil-speaking*
and your lips from lying words.

14 Turn from evil and do good;*
seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,*
and his ears are open to their cry.

16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,*
to root out the remembrance of them from the earth.

17 The righteous cry, and the Lord hears them*
and delivers them from all their troubles.

18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted*
and will save those whose spirits are crushed.

19 Many are the troubles of the righteous,*
but the Lord will deliver him out of them all.

20 He will keep safe all his bones;*
not one of them shall be broken.

21 Evil shall slay the wicked,*
and those who hate the righteous will be punished.

22 The Lord ransoms the life of his servants,*
and none will be punished who trust in him.

Glory to the Father…

Hear us, Lord, when we cry to you. Calm our bodies and minds with the peace which passes understanding, and make us radiant with the knowledge of your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Conclusion


Revelation 4 and 5

1 Glory and honour and power*
are yours by right, O Lord our God;
2 For you created all things*
and by your will they have their being.
3 Glory and honour and power*
are yours by right, O Lamb who was slain;
4 For by your blood you ransomed us for God,*
from every race and language,
from every people and nation.
5 To make us a kingdom of priests*
to stand and serve before our God.
6 To God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb*
be praise and honour, glory and might,
for ever and ever. Amen.

Glory to the Father…

Antiphon: Sing to the Lord a new song; sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful.

READING(S)

Ecclesiasticus 39.1-10

He seeks out the wisdom of all the ancients, and is concerned with prophecies; he preserves the sayings of the famous and penetrates the subtleties of parables; he seeks out the hidden meanings of proverbs and is at home with the obscurities of parables. He serves among the great and appears before rulers; he travels in foreign lands and learns what is good and evil in the human lot. He sets his heart on rising early to seek the Lord who made him, and to petition the Most High; he opens his mouth in prayer and asks pardon for his sins. If the great Lord is willing, he will be filled with the spirit of understanding; he will pour forth words of wisdom of his own and give thanks to the Lord in prayer. The Lord will direct his counsel and knowledge, as he meditates on his mysteries. He will show the wisdom of what he has learned, and will glory in the law of the Lord’s covenant. Many will praise his understanding; it will never be blotted out. His memory will not disappear, and his name will live through all generations. Nations will speak of his wisdom, and the congregation will proclaim his praise.

Acts 9.1-22

Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ He asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.’ The men who were travelling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ He answered, ‘Here I am, Lord.’ The Lord said to him, ‘Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.’ But Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.’ But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.’ So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘He is the Son of God.’ All who heard him were amazed and said, ‘Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem among those who invoked this name? And has he not come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?’ Saul became increasingly more powerful and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Messiah.

Silence

Response Psalm 132.15

Zion shall be your resting place for ever.
Zion shall be your resting place for ever.
Here will you dwell for you delight in her.
Your resting place for ever.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Zion shall be your resting place for ever.

MAGNIFICAT

Magnificat Antiphon: Those that sow in tears shall reap with songs of joy.

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: Those that sow in tears shall reap with songs of joy.

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 God,
who by the preaching of your blessed apostle Paul
caused the light of the gospel to shine among the nations:
grant that we, who celebrate his wonderful conversion,
may be united with him in bearing witness to your truth;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
?

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.