Vespers (Evening Prayer)

(These are the First Vespers of tomorrow, Pentecost)

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 112 (113)
Praise of the Lord's name
Praise, servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. Let the Lord’s name be blessed, now and for ever. From the sun’s rising to its setting, the Lord’s name is to be praised. The Lord is high over all peoples, his glory is above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, who lives on high, who bends down to watch over heaven and earth? He raises the weak from the ground, the poor from the dunghill, raises them among the princes, the princes of his people. He gives the barren woman a household, makes her the happy mother of children. 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 112 (113)

Praise of the Lord's name

Praise, servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.
Let the Lord’s name be blessed, now and for ever.
From the sun’s rising to its setting, the Lord’s name is to be praised.

The Lord is high over all peoples, his glory is above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God, who lives on high,
who bends down to watch over heaven and earth?

He raises the weak from the ground, the poor from the dunghill,
raises them among the princes, the princes of his people.

He gives the barren woman a household,
makes her the happy mother of children.

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 146 (147A)
The Lord's goodness and power
Praise the Lord! It is good to sing praise to our God; it is a joy to sing his praises. The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem: he will call back Israel from exile. He heals broken hearts and binds up their wounds. He counts all the stars; he calls each of them by name. Our God is great and great is his strength, his wisdom is not to be measured. The Lord supports the needy, but crushes the wicked to the ground. Sing out to the Lord in thanksgiving, sing praise to our God on the harp. He covers the sky with his clouds, he makes rain to refresh the earth. He makes grass grow on the hills, and plants for the service of man. He gives food to grazing animals, and feeds the young ravens that call on him. He takes no delight in the strength of the horse, no pleasure in the strength of a man. The Lord is pleased by those who honour him, by those who trust in his kindness. 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 146 (147A)

The Lord's goodness and power

Praise the Lord!
It is good to sing praise to our God;
it is a joy to sing his praises.

The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem:
he will call back Israel from exile.
He heals broken hearts
and binds up their wounds.
He counts all the stars;
he calls each of them by name.
Our God is great and great is his strength,
his wisdom is not to be measured.
The Lord supports the needy,
but crushes the wicked to the ground.

Sing out to the Lord in thanksgiving,
sing praise to our God on the harp.
He covers the sky with his clouds,
he makes rain to refresh the earth.
He makes grass grow on the hills,
and plants for the service of man.
He gives food to grazing animals,
and feeds the young ravens that call on him.
He takes no delight in the strength of the horse,
no pleasure in the strength of a man.
The Lord is pleased by those who honour him,
by those who trust in his kindness.

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 8:11 ©
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your own mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you.

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 sing the praises of the Lord. When the Fifty Days were completed he filled the Apostles with the Holy Spirit from heaven. And so with joy and devotion let us pray: - Send forth your Spirit and renew the world.
In the beginning you created heaven and earth, and in the fulness of time you restored all things in Christ:: through your Holy Spirit, forever renew the face of the earth and lead it to salvation.
You breathed the breath of life into Adam:: send your Spirit into the Church and make her alive, young, and ready to give life to the world.
Enlighten all men with the light of your Spirit and dispel the murk of the present time:: turn hatred into love, grief into rejoicing, war into longed-for peace.
Refresh the human race with the water of your Spirit, which flows from Christ’s side:: may it free our earth from the cruel thorns of evil.
Through the Holy Spirit you bring men to life and glory:: through the same Spirit, may the dead enter their home in heaven and rejoice in your love forever.

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,
by your will the celebration of Easter
is summed up in the mystery of Pentecost.
Grant that the peoples you have scattered across the earth,
speaking many tongues,
may unite in proclaiming your greatness
and be gathered back together
by the gift of your holy name.

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

May 2008
Mon 12	Monday of week 6 of the year or Saints Nereus and Achilleus, Martyrs or Saint Pancras, Martyr
Tue 13	Tuesday of week 6 of the year or Our Lady of Fátima
Wed 14	Saint Matthias, Apostle Feast
Thu 15	Thursday of week 6 of the year or Saint Isidore the Farmer
Fri 16
Sat 17
Sun 18	The Most Holy Trinity Solemnity
Mon 19	Monday of week 7 of the year
Tue 20	Tuesday of week 7 of the year or Saint Bernardine of Siena, priest

Calendar used: United States

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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