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 40 (41)
Prayer in time of sickness
Blessed is he who takes thought for the helpless, for the Lord will keep him safe in time of trouble. The Lord will guard him and give him life. He will give him good fortune on the earth, and not betray him into the power of his enemies. The Lord will lend him strength on his bed of pain; you will transform all his sickness into health. I said, “Lord, have mercy, heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.” My enemies spoke against me, saying: “When will he die? When will his name perish?” When one of them came to visit me, he talked of nothing, but stored up wickedness in his heart. He went out, and told tales against me. All my enemies whispered together against me, imagined the worst: “A plague has taken hold of him: he has lain down and will not rise.” Even my dearest friend, in whom I put my trust, who had eaten my bread – even he trampled me down. But you, Lord – have mercy on me, revive me, and I will pay them back. This is how I know that I have your favour, when my enemy cannot triumph over me, when you raise me up because of my innocence, and put me in your presence for all eternity. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, from the beginning to the end of time. Amen! Amen! 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 40 (41)

Prayer in time of sickness

Blessed is he who takes thought for the helpless, for the Lord will keep him safe in time of trouble.
The Lord will guard him and give him life. He will give him good fortune on the earth, and not betray him into the power of his enemies.
The Lord will lend him strength on his bed of pain; you will transform all his sickness into health.

I said, “Lord, have mercy, heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.”
My enemies spoke against me, saying: “When will he die? When will his name perish?”
When one of them came to visit me, he talked of nothing, but stored up wickedness in his heart. He went out, and told tales against me.

All my enemies whispered together against me, imagined the worst:
“A plague has taken hold of him: he has lain down and will not rise.”
Even my dearest friend, in whom I put my trust, who had eaten my bread – even he trampled me down.

But you, Lord – have mercy on me, revive me, and I will pay them back.
This is how I know that I have your favour, when my enemy cannot triumph over me,
when you raise me up because of my innocence, and put me in your presence for all eternity.

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, from the beginning to the end of time. Amen! Amen!

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 45 (46)
God, our refuge and our strength
The Lord is our refuge and our strength, a true help in our troubles. Therefore we do not fear, even when the earth is shaken and mountains fall into the depths of the sea, the waves roar and foam and rise up to shake the mountains. The streams of the river give joy to the city of God, the holy dwelling-place of the Most High. God is within it, it will not be shaken; God will give help as the day dawns. The nations are in turmoil and kingdoms totter: at the sound of his voice, the earth flows like water. The Lord of strength is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge. Come and see the works of the Lord, who has done wonders on the earth. He puts an end to wars over all the world: he tramples the bow, shatters weapons, and burns the shields with fire. Stop and see that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth. The Lord of strength is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge. 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 45 (46)

God, our refuge and our strength

The Lord is our refuge and our strength, a true help in our troubles.
Therefore we do not fear, even when the earth is shaken and mountains fall into the depths of the sea,
the waves roar and foam and rise up to shake the mountains.

The streams of the river give joy to the city of God, the holy dwelling-place of the Most High.
God is within it, it will not be shaken; God will give help as the day dawns.
The nations are in turmoil and kingdoms totter: at the sound of his voice, the earth flows like water.

The Lord of strength is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Come and see the works of the Lord, who has done wonders on the earth.
He puts an end to wars over all the world: he tramples the bow, shatters weapons, and burns the shields with fire.
Stop and see that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.

The Lord of strength is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge.

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	Acts 13:23 - 25 ©
To keep his promise, God has raised up for Israel one of David’s descendants, Jesus, as Saviour, whose coming was heralded by John when he proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the whole people of Israel. Before John ended his career he said, ‘I am not the one you imagine me to be; that one is coming after me and I am not fit to undo his sandal.’

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

We rejoice as we pray to God, for he chose John the Baptist to announce the coming of Christ’s kingdom: - Lord, guide our steps onto the path of peace.
You called John when he was still in his mother’s womb, to prepare the way for your Son:: call us to follow the Lord in the same way that John preceded him.
You granted the Baptist knowledge of the Lamb of God: may your Church show the Lamb to all,: so that all men of this present time may acknowledge him.
You decreed that your prophet should wane as Christ grew:: make us humble ourselves before others, so that all may perceive your presence.
You willed that righteousness should be victorious through John’s martyrdom:: may we never weary of bearing witness to your truth.
Remember all who have left this life: and set them firm in a place of light and peace.

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.

O God, it was your will that John the Baptist should be your Son’s forerunner in both birth and death.
Just as he fell a martyr, witness to truth and righteousness,
so may we fight fiercely to proclaim your teaching.

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

August 2008
Wed 27	Saint Monica
Thu 28	Saint Augustine, Bishop, Doctor
Fri 29	The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist
Sat 30	Saturday of week 21 of the year
Sun 31	22nd Sunday of the year
September 2008
Mon 1	Monday of week 22 of the year
Tue 2
Wed 3	Saint Gregory the Great, Pope, Doctor
Thu 4

Calendar used: United States - Ascension on Sunday

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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