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 26 (27)
Keeping faith in time of peril
The Lord is my light and my help: whom should I fear? The Lord protects my life: what could terrify me? When they come to do me harm, to consume my flesh, my enemies and my persecutors, it is they who stumble and fall. If their armies encamp against me, my heart will not fear; if battle flares up against me, even then will I hope. One thing I beg of the Lord, one thing will I ask: that I may live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, so that I may behold the joys of the Lord and always see his temple. For he will shelter me in his tent in the time of evils. He will hide me in the hidden parts of the tabernacle; then raise me up on a rock, lift me high up above the enemies who surround me. In his tabernacle I will offer him a sacrifice of shouts, of songs, of psalms to the Lord. 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 26 (27)

Keeping faith in time of peril

The Lord is my light and my help: whom should I fear?
The Lord protects my life: what could terrify me?
When they come to do me harm, to consume my flesh,
my enemies and my persecutors, it is they who stumble and fall.

If their armies encamp against me, my heart will not fear;
if battle flares up against me, even then will I hope.

One thing I beg of the Lord, one thing will I ask: that I may live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
so that I may behold the joys of the Lord and always see his temple.

For he will shelter me in his tent in the time of evils.
He will hide me in the hidden parts of the tabernacle; then raise me up on a rock,
lift me high up above the enemies who surround me.

In his tabernacle I will offer him a sacrifice of shouts, of songs, of psalms to the Lord.

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 26 (27)
Listen, Lord, to my voice as I cry: have mercy and listen to me. “Seek his face,” my heart has said, and so I will seek your face, O Lord. Do not turn your face away from me, do not turn from your servant in anger. You are my helper, do not reject me; do not abandon me, God, my help. For when my father and mother have abandoned me, the Lord will take me up. Show me your ways, Lord, and guide me along the right path, out of the reach of my enemies. Do not hand me over to the whim of those who would persecute me, when lying witnesses have risen up against me, with those who plan to do me violence. I trust I shall see the joys of the Lord in the land of the living. Hope in the Lord, be brave, let your heart take comfort and trust in the Lord. 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 26 (27)

Listen, Lord, to my voice as I cry: have mercy and listen to me.
“Seek his face,” my heart has said, and so I will seek your face, O Lord.

Do not turn your face away from me, do not turn from your servant in anger.
You are my helper, do not reject me; do not abandon me, God, my help.
For when my father and mother have abandoned me, the Lord will take me up.

Show me your ways, Lord, and guide me along the right path, out of the reach of my enemies.

Do not hand me over to the whim of those who would persecute me, when lying witnesses have risen up against me, with those who plan to do me violence.

I trust I shall see the joys of the Lord in the land of the living.
Hope in the Lord, be brave, let your heart take comfort and trust in the Lord.

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	(Colossians 1)
Christ, firstborn of all creatures and firstborn from the dead
Let us give thanks to God the Father, who has made us worthy to share in the light that is the saints’ inheritance. He has rescued us from the power of the shadows and brought us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption and the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation, for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, thrones and dominations, principalities and powers. All things were created through him and for him: he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the Church. He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, and so he is pre-eminent above all. For it was the Father’s will that the fullness of God should dwell in him, and that through him all things should be reconciled to himself. Through the blood of the Cross he brought peace to all things, both on Earth and in the heavens. 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

(Colossians 1)

Christ, firstborn of all creatures and firstborn from the dead

Let us give thanks to God the Father, who has made us worthy to share in the light that is the saints’ inheritance.
He has rescued us from the power of the shadows and brought us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption and the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation,
for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,
thrones and dominations, principalities and powers.

All things were created through him and for him: he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

And he is the head of the body, the Church. He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, and so he is pre-eminent above all.
For it was the Father’s will that the fullness of God should dwell in him, and that through him all things should be reconciled to himself.
Through the blood of the Cross he brought peace to all things, both on Earth and in the heavens.

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	1 Corinthians 4:5 ©
There must be no passing of premature judgement. Leave that until the Lord comes; he will light up all that is hidden in the dark and reveal the secret intentions of men’s hearts. Then will be the time for each one to have whatever praise he deserves, from God.

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 sent his Son to bring us peace without end. Let us beg him: - Lord, let your kingdom come.
Holy Father, look down on your church: come and tend the vine that your right hand has planted.
Faithful God, remember all the children of Abraham: and fulfil the promise you made to their ancestors.
Merciful God, look down on all people: so they may venerate you for your kindness.
Eternal Shepherd, tend the sheep of your flock: and bring them together in your pasture.
Remember also all who left this world in your peace: and bring them to glory with your Son.

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.

Lord our God, we ask you to make our hearts ready by the power of your grace,
so that we may be judged worthy to join the feast of eternal life when Christ your Son comes;
so that we may deserve to receive the food of heaven from his hands.

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

December 2008
Tue 2	Tuesday of the 1st week of Advent
Wed 3	Saint Francis Xavier, Priest
Thu 4	Thursday of the 1st week of Advent or Saint John Damascene, Priest, Doctor
Fri 5
Sat 6	Saturday of the 1st week of Advent or Saint Nicholas, Bishop
Sun 7	2nd Sunday of Advent
Mon 8	The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Solemnity
Tue 9	Tuesday of the 2nd week of Advent or Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin

Calendar used:

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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