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 here.
Psalm 45 (46)
God, our refuge and our strength |
|---|
The Lord has sanctified his dwelling-place. God is within it and it cannot be shaken.
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.
The Lord has sanctified his dwelling-place. God is within it and it cannot be shaken.
Psalm 121 (122)
Jerusalem, the holy city |
|---|
We shall go rejoicing into the house of the Lord.
They filled me with joy when they said,
“We will go to the house of the Lord.”
Now our feet are standing
within your gates, Jerusalem.
Jerusalem, built as a city,
whole and self-contained:
there the tribes have gone up,
the tribes of the Lord –
the witness of Israel,
to praise the Lord’s name.
For there are the thrones of justice,
the thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“Safety for those who care for you,
peace inside your walls,
security within your ramparts!”
For my brethren and those near to me I will say
“Peace be upon you.”
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will call blessings upon you.
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.
We shall go rejoicing into the house of the Lord.
Sing praise to the Lord our God, all his saints.
Alleluia.
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
because his judgements are true and just.
Alleluia.
Alleluia.
Praise our God, all his servants,
and you who fear him, small and great.
Alleluia.
Alleluia.
For the Lord reigns, our God, the Almighty:
let us rejoice and exult and give him glory.
Alleluia.
Alleluia.
The marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his spouse has made herself ready.
Alleluia.
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.
Sing praise to the Lord our God, all his saints.
| Short reading | Apocalypse 21:1,2-3,22,27 © |
|---|
I saw a new heaven and a new earth; I saw the holy city, and the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, as beautiful as a bride all dressed for her husband. Then I heard a loud voice call from the throne, ’You see this city? Here God lives among men. He will make his home among them; they shall be his people, and he will be their God.’ I saw that there was no temple in the city since the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb were themselves the temple. Nothing unclean may come into it: no one who does what is loathsome or false, but only those who are listed in the Lamb’s book of life.
Happy are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.
– Happy are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.
They will praise you for ever and ever.
– Happy are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– Happy are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.
| My soul rejoices in the Lord |
|---|
The Lord has sanctified his dwelling-place. This is the house of the Lord, this is the place where his name is invoked, as it is written: ‘My name shall be there, says 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.
The Lord has sanctified his dwelling-place. This is the house of the Lord, this is the place where his name is invoked, as it is written: ‘My name shall be there, says the Lord.’
| Prayers and Intercessions | |
|---|
Let us pray humbly to Jesus, who does not abandon those who hope in him:
– Jesus our God, hear us.
Christ our Lord, fill your Church with your light:
make her preach you to the nations, the deep mystery of our religion made visible in the flesh.
– Jesus our God, hear us.
Help the priests and ministers of the Church:
as they have preached to others, so may they themselves be faithful in your service.
– Jesus our God, hear us.
By shedding your blood you brought peace to the world:
keep us free from the sin of discord and the scourge of war.
– Jesus our God, hear us.
Give married couples an abundance of your grace
to make them a more perfect symbol of your marriage with your Church.
– Jesus our God, hear us.
Grant all the dead forgiveness of their sins:
in your mercy bring them to new life with the saints.
– Jesus our God, hear us.
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.
Stay with us, Lord Jesus, for dusk is falling.
Accompany us on our road, revive our hearts, take pity on us and fill us with hope,
so that with our brethren we may recognise you in the Scriptures and in the breaking of bread.
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
