Vespers (Evening Prayer)

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 115 (116B)
Thanksgiving in the Temple
Still I trusted, even when I said “I am greatly afflicted”, when I said in my terror, “all men are liars”. How shall I repay the Lord for all he has done for me? I will take up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfil my vows to the Lord before all his people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful. O Lord, I am your servant, your maidservant’s son. You have torn apart my chains: I will make you a sacrifice of praise, I will call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfil my vows to the Lord before all his people, in the courts of the house of the Lord, within your walls, Jerusalem. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 115 (116B)

Thanksgiving in the Temple

Still I trusted, even when I said “I am greatly afflicted”,
when I said in my terror, “all men are liars”.

How shall I repay the Lord for all he has done for me?
I will take up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.

I will fulfil my vows to the Lord before all his people.
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful.

O Lord, I am your servant, your maidservant’s son.
You have torn apart my chains: I will make you a sacrifice of praise, I will call on the name of the Lord.

I will fulfil my vows to the Lord before all his people,
in the courts of the house of the Lord, within your walls, Jerusalem.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Psalm 125 (126)
Gladness and hope in the Lord
When the Lord gave Sion back her captives, we became like dreamers. Our mouths were filled with gladness and our voices cried in exultation. Among the Gentiles they were saying, “By his deeds the Lord has shown himself great”. The Lord’s deeds showed forth his greatness, and filled us with rejoicing. Give us back our captives, O Lord, as you renew the dry streams in the desolate South. Those who sow in tears will rejoice at the harvest. They wept as they went, went with seed for the sowing; but with joy they will come, come bearing the sheaves. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 125 (126)

Gladness and hope in the Lord

When the Lord gave Sion back her captives, we became like dreamers.
Our mouths were filled with gladness and our voices cried in exultation.
Among the Gentiles they were saying,
“By his deeds the Lord has shown himself great”.
The Lord’s deeds showed forth his greatness,
and filled us with rejoicing.

Give us back our captives, O Lord,
as you renew the dry streams in the desolate South.
Those who sow in tears will rejoice at the harvest.

They wept as they went, went with seed for the sowing;
but with joy they will come, come bearing the sheaves.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Canticle	Ephesians 1
God the Saviour
Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us, in Christ, with every spiritual blessing in heaven. In love, he chose us before the creation of the world, to be holy and spotless in his sight. He predestined us to be his adopted children through Jesus Christ, simply because it pleased him to do so. This he did for the praise of the glory of his grace, of his free gift of us in his Beloved, in whose blood we have gained redemption, and the forgiveness of our sins. This he did according to the riches of his grace, which he gave us in abundance, with all wisdom and discernment, revealing to us the mysteries of his will, because it pleased him to do so. In this action he has planned, in the fulfilment of time, to bring all things together in Christ, from the heavens and from the earth. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Canticle

Ephesians 1

God the Saviour

Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us, in Christ, with every spiritual blessing in heaven.

In love, he chose us before the creation of the world,
to be holy and spotless in his sight.

He predestined us to be his adopted children through Jesus Christ,
simply because it pleased him to do so.

This he did for the praise of the glory of his grace,
of his free gift of us in his Beloved,

in whose blood we have gained redemption,
and the forgiveness of our sins.

This he did according to the riches of his grace,
which he gave us in abundance,

with all wisdom and discernment,
revealing to us the mysteries of his will,
because it pleased him to do so.

In this action he has planned, in the fulfilment of time,
to bring all things together in Christ,
from the heavens and from the earth.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Short reading	Ephesians 4:11 - 13 ©
To some, his gift was that they should be apostles; to some, prophets; to some, evangelists; to some, pastors and teachers; so that the saints together make a unity in the work of service, building up the body of Christ. In this way we are all to come to unity in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God, until we become the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself.

Canticle	Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation. For he has shown me such favour – me, his lowly handmaiden. Now all generations will call me blessed, because the mighty one has done great things for me. His name is holy, his mercy lasts for generation after generation for those who revere him. He has put forth his strength: he has scattered the proud and conceited, torn princes from their thrones; but lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel, he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Canticle

Magnificat

My soul rejoices in the Lord

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation.
For he has shown me such favour –
me, his lowly handmaiden.
Now all generations will call me blessed,
because the mighty one has done great things for me.
His name is holy,
his mercy lasts for generation after generation
for those who revere him.

He has put forth his strength:
he has scattered the proud and conceited,
torn princes from their thrones;
but lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Prayers and Intercessions

The Apostles are the foundation and we are built on them. Let us pray to the almighty Father for his holy people: - Lord, remember your Church.
Father, by your will the Apostles were the first to see your resurrected Son:: may we be his witnesses, to the very ends of the earth.
Father, you sent your Son into the world to bring the Good News to the poor:: may the Gospel be preached to every created thing.
Father, you sent your Son to sow the seed of the word:: as we sow the Word with great labour, so may we reap its fruits with joy.
Father, you sent your Son to reconcile the world to you with his blood:: grant that we may all work together for reconciliation.
Father, you have seated your Son at your right hand in heaven:: receive the dead into your blessed kingdom.

Our Father, who art in Heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Almighty and ever-living God,
with the blood of Saint James
you consecrated the offering of the first-fruits of the Apostles.
Grant that your Church may draw strength from his martyrdom
and thrive by his intercession.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen.

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

A M E N

July 2008
Thu 24	Thursday of week 16 of the year or Saint Charbel Makhlouf, Priest
Fri 25	Saint James, Apostle Feast
Sat 26	Saint Joachim and Saint Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sun 27	17th Sunday of the year
Mon 28	Monday of week 17 of the year
Tue 29	Saint Martha
Wed 30	Wednesday of week 17 of the year or Saint Peter Chrysologus, Bishop, Doctor
Thu 31	Saint Ignatius Loyola, priest

Calendar used: General Calendar

Scripture readings taken from the Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc, and used by permission of the publishers. For on-line information about other Random House, Inc. books and authors, see the Internet web site at http://www.randomhouse.com.

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