Thursday 4 December 2008
Thursday of the 1st week of Advent
or Saint John Damascene, Priest, Doctor

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Tomorrow: Friday of the 1st week of Advent
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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 29 (30)
Thanksgiving for rescue from death
Lord, I will give you all praise, for you have rescued me and not let my foes triumph over me. My Lord God, I cried to you and you healed me. Lord, you led my soul out from the underworld, gave me life so that I would not sink into the abyss. Sing to the Lord, his holy ones, and proclaim the truth of his holiness. His anger lasts a moment, but his favour for a lifetime. At night there are tears, but in the morning, joy. Once I was secure. I said, “I will never be shaken.” Lord, by your favour you had given me strength, set me high; but then you turned your face from me and I was shaken. I cried to you, Lord, and prayed to my God. “What use is my life, when I sink into decay? Will dust proclaim you, or make known your faithfulness?” The Lord heard and took pity on me. The Lord became my helper. You have turned my weeping into dancing, torn off my sackcloth and clothed me in joy, It is my glory to sing to you and never cease: Lord, my God, I will proclaim your goodness 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 29 (30)

Thanksgiving for rescue from death

Lord, I will give you all praise, for you have rescued me and not let my foes triumph over me.
My Lord God, I cried to you and you healed me.
Lord, you led my soul out from the underworld, gave me life so that I would not sink into the abyss.

Sing to the Lord, his holy ones, and proclaim the truth of his holiness.
His anger lasts a moment, but his favour for a lifetime.
At night there are tears, but in the morning, joy.

Once I was secure. I said, “I will never be shaken.”
Lord, by your favour you had given me strength, set me high;
but then you turned your face from me and I was shaken.
I cried to you, Lord, and prayed to my God.

“What use is my life, when I sink into decay?
Will dust proclaim you, or make known your faithfulness?”

The Lord heard and took pity on me. The Lord became my helper.

You have turned my weeping into dancing, torn off my sackcloth and clothed me in joy,
It is my glory to sing to you and never cease: Lord, my God, I will proclaim your goodness 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 31 (32)
The joy of the forgiven
Blessed is he whose sins are forgiven, whose transgressions are hidden away. Happy the man to whom the Lord imputes no blame, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. While I kept silent, my bones grew old as I groaned all day long. While your hand lay heavy on me, by day and by night, my strength was dried up as if by summer heat. I made my sin known to you, and I did not hide my faults. I said “I will bear witness against myself before the Lord,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin. This is why every saint will pray to you in due time, and even in the great flood he will not be touched. You are my refuge, you will preserve me from trouble, you will surround me with cries of deliverance. I will give you understanding and teach you the path you are to follow; I will keep watch over you. Do not be like the horse and the mule, without understanding: if you approach them with bit or bridle, they will not come near. Many are the sufferings of the wicked, but the Lord’s mercy will protect those who trust in him. Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you just. Shout for joy, you upright of heart. 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 31 (32)

The joy of the forgiven

Blessed is he whose sins are forgiven, whose transgressions are hidden away.
Happy the man to whom the Lord imputes no blame, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

While I kept silent, my bones grew old as I groaned all day long.
While your hand lay heavy on me, by day and by night, my strength was dried up as if by summer heat.

I made my sin known to you, and I did not hide my faults.
I said “I will bear witness against myself before the Lord,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

This is why every saint will pray to you in due time,
and even in the great flood he will not be touched.
You are my refuge, you will preserve me from trouble, you will surround me with cries of deliverance.

I will give you understanding and teach you the path you are to follow; I will keep watch over you.
Do not be like the horse and the mule, without understanding:
if you approach them with bit or bridle, they will not come near.

Many are the sufferings of the wicked, but the Lord’s mercy will protect those who trust in him.
Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you just. Shout for joy, you upright of heart.

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 11
The Judgement
We thank you, Lord God Almighty, who are and who were, that you have taken up your great power and begun to reign. The nations were angered, but your anger came, the time for the dead to be judged, the time to reward the prophets and saints, your servants, and those who feared your name, both great and small. Now have come the salvation and might and kingdom of our God, and the power of his Anointed, for the accuser of our brethren has been brought down, who accused them day and night in the sight of God. But they vanquished him through the blood of the Lamb and through their own witness. They did not cling to life, even in the face of death. Therefore rejoice, heavens, and you who dwell in them. 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 11

The Judgement

We thank you, Lord God Almighty, who are and who were,
that you have taken up your great power and begun to reign.

The nations were angered, but your anger came, the time for the dead to be judged,
the time to reward the prophets and saints, your servants, and those who feared your name, both great and small.

Now have come the salvation and might and kingdom of our God, and the power of his Anointed,
for the accuser of our brethren has been brought down, who accused them day and night in the sight of God.

But they vanquished him through the blood of the Lamb and through their own witness.
They did not cling to life, even in the face of death.
Therefore rejoice, heavens, and you who dwell in them.

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	James 5:7-8,9 ©
Be patient, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. Think of a farmer: how patiently he waits for the precious fruit of the ground until it has had the autumn rains and the spring rains! You too have to be patient; do not lose heart, because the Lord’s coming will be soon. The Judge is already to be seen waiting at the gates.

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

Beloved brethren, let us pray to Christ, the great light, the one whom the prophets promised to those who dwell in the shadow of death. Let us cry out to him: - Come, Lord Jesus.
Word of God, you created all things at the beginning of time. Now in these last days you have taken on our nature.: Come and save us from death.
True light that lights all mankind,: come and dispel the shadows of our ignorance.
Only-begotten Son, closest to the Father,: come to us and tell us the kindness of God.
Jesus, Anointed One, who came to us as the Son of men,: make those who receive you into the sons of God.
You open the gates of all prisons: Admit to your wedding feast those who beg at your doors.

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.

Show forth your power, O Lord, and bring your great strength to our aid.
Although our sins impede our steps,
let your grace help us to go forward.

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
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	Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin
Wed 10	Wednesday of the 2nd week of Advent

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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