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 114 (116A)
Thanksgiving
I rejoiced when the Lord listened to the voice of my pleading; I rejoiced for he turned his ear to me, as I called to him day after day. The ropes of death were around me, the agonies of the underworld were upon me. I came upon trouble and anguish, and I called on the name of the Lord: “Lord, free my soul.” The Lord is kind and just, our God takes pity on us. The Lord guards the weak; I am cast down, but he will save me. Turn, my soul, to your rest, for the Lord is kind to you. He has torn my soul away from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from falling. I shall walk before the Lord in the land of the living. 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 114 (116A)

Thanksgiving

I rejoiced when the Lord listened
to the voice of my pleading;
I rejoiced for he turned his ear to me,
as I called to him day after day.

The ropes of death were around me,
the agonies of the underworld were upon me.
I came upon trouble and anguish,
and I called on the name of the Lord:
“Lord, free my soul.”

The Lord is kind and just,
our God takes pity on us.
The Lord guards the weak;
I am cast down, but he will save me.

Turn, my soul, to your rest,
for the Lord is kind to you.
He has torn my soul away from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from falling.

I shall walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

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 120 (121)
The guardian of the people
I shall lift my eyes to the hills: where is my help to come from? My help will come from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip: he will not doze, your guardian. Behold, he will not doze or sleep, the guardian of Israel. The Lord is your guardian, the Lord is your shade; he is at your right hand. By day the sun will not strike you; nor the moon by night. The Lord will guard you from all harm; the Lord will guard your life. The Lord will guard your coming and your going both now and 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.

Psalm 120 (121)

The guardian of the people

I shall lift my eyes to the hills:
where is my help to come from?
My help will come from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip:
he will not doze, your guardian.
Behold, he will not doze or sleep,
the guardian of Israel.

The Lord is your guardian, the Lord is your shade;
he is at your right hand.
By day the sun will not strike you;
nor the moon by night.

The Lord will guard you from all harm;
the Lord will guard your life.
The Lord will guard your coming and your going
both now and 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	Apocalypse 15
A hymn of adoration
Great and wonderful are your works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are your ways, King of all nations! Who, Lord, will not revere and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship in your presence, for your judgements have been seen by all. 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

Apocalypse 15

A hymn of adoration

Great and wonderful are your works, Lord God Almighty;
just and true are your ways, King of all nations!

Who, Lord, will not revere and glorify your name? For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship in your presence, for your judgements have been seen by all.

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	Romans 8:3-4 ©
God dealt with sin by sending his own Son in a body as physical as any sinful body, and in that body God condemned sin. He did this in order that the Law’s just demands might be satisfied in us, who behave not as our unspiritual nature but as the spirit dictates.

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

God the Father made Christ the light of the nations. Let us pray to him: - Our Father, hear us.
Spread your Church ever wider,: to reveal your Son’s glory.
Eternal Father, you sent the wisest of the pagans to see your Son:: show him to all who seek truth.
Call the nations together into your marvellous light: so that at the name of Jesus every knee may bend.
Send labourers to your harvest: so that the poor may hear the good news and the time of grace may be proclaimed.
Give the fullness of redemption to the dead: and let them rejoice in the victory your Son has gained.

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 who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Almighty God, a star showed forth the nativity of the Saviour of the world.
Open our minds to perceive his birth
and let its effects grow always within us.

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

January 2009
Thu 8	Thursday after Epiphany Sunday
Fri 9
Sat 10
Sun 11	The Baptism of the Lord Feast
Mon 12	Monday of week 1 of the year
Tue 13	Tuesday of week 1 of the year or Saint Hilary, Bishop, Doctor
Wed 14
Thu 15

Calendar used: Europe - Wales

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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