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Vespers (Evening Prayer)

INTRODUCTION

Deus, in adiutórium meum inténde.

Dómine, ad adiuvándum me festína.

Glória Patri et Fílio*

et Spirítui Sancto.

Sicut erat in princípio et nunc et semper*

et in sǽcula sæculórum.

Amen. Allelúia.

INTRODUCTION

O God, come to our aid.

O Lord, make haste to help us.

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.

Hymnus

Ut queant laxis resonáre fibris

mira gestórum fámuli tuórum,

solve pollúti lábii reátum,

sancte Ioánnes.

Núntius cælo véniens suprémo,

te patri magnum fore nascitúrum,

nomen et vitæ sériem geréndæ

órdine promit.

Ille promíssi dúbius supérni

pérdidit promptæ módulos loquélæ;

sed reformásti génitus perémptæ

órgana vocis.

Ventris obstrúso pósitus cubíli

sénseras regem thálamo manéntem;

hinc parens nati méritis utérque

ábdita pandit.

Láudibus cives célebrant supérni

te, Deus simplex paritérque trine;

súpplices ac nos véniam precámur:

parce redémptis. Amen.

Hymn

As John the Baptist leapt for joy

within his mother’s womb,

so Joy Himself at Eastertide

danced from the empty tomb.

The burning and the shining light

which all rejoiced to see

was but a pointer to the Son,

glad in his shade to be.

The friend who heard the Bridegroom’s voice

with water cleansed the bride

whom Christ espoused with blood that poured

red from his wounded side.

The fearless voice that preached the truth

resounded from the grave:

soon Truth Himself, as Word made flesh,

our sinful world would save.

Let all creation sing with joy

to God the Holy One,

in whom we pass from death to life,

joy ever new-begun.

Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal

Ps 112:1-9
Laudabile nomen Domini

“Deposuit potentes de sede et exaltavit humiles” (Lc 1, 52).

Elísabeth Zacharíæ magnum virum génuit: Ioánnem Baptístam, præcursórem Dómini.

1Laudáte, púeri Dómini,*

laudáte nomen Dómini.

2Sit nomen Dómini benedíctum*

ex hoc nunc et usque in sǽculum.

3A solis ortu usque ad occásum*

laudábile nomen Dómini.

4Excélsus super omnes gentes Dóminus,*

super cælos glória eius.

5Quis sicut Dóminus Deus noster, qui in altis hábitat*

6et se inclínat, ut respíciat in cælum et in terram?

7Súscitans de terra ínopem,*

de stércore érigens páuperem,

8ut cóllocet eum cum princípibus,*

cum princípibus pópuli sui.

9Qui habitáre facit stérilem in domo,*

matrem filiórum lætántem.

Glória Patri et Fílio*

et Spirítui Sancto.

Sicut erat in princípio et nunc et semper*

et in sǽcula sæculórum.

Amen.

Elísabeth Zacharíæ magnum virum génuit: Ioánnem Baptístam, præcursórem Dómini.

Psalm 112 (113)
Praise of the Lord's name

Elizabeth, the wife of Zachary, gave birth to a great man, John the Baptist, the man who went before the Lord.

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.

Elizabeth, the wife of Zachary, gave birth to a great man, John the Baptist, the man who went before the Lord.

How to listen

Ps 145:1-10
Sperantium in Dominum beatitudo

“Laudamus Dominum in vita nostra, id est in moribus nostris” (Arnobius).

Ex útero senectútis et stérili Ioánnes natus est, præcúrsor Dómini.

1Lauda, ánima mea, Dóminum;†

2laudábo Dóminum in vita mea,*

psallam Deo meo, quámdiu fúero.

3Nolíte confídere in princípibus,*

in fíliis hóminum, in quibus non est salus.

4Exíbit spíritus eius et revertétur in terram suam;*

in illa die períbunt cogitatiónes eórum.

5Beátus, cuius Deus Iacob est adiútor,*

cuius spes in Dómino Deo suo,

6qui fecit cælum et terram,*

mare et ómnia, quæ in eis sunt;

qui custódit veritátem in sǽculum,†

7facit iudícium oppréssis,*

dat escam esuriéntibus.

Dóminus solvit compedítos,*

8Dóminus illúminat cæcos,

Dóminus érigit depréssos,*

Dóminus díligit iustos,

9Dóminus custódit ádvenas,†

pupíllum et víduam susténtat*

et viam peccatórum dispérdit.

10Regnábit Dóminus in sǽcula,*

Deus tuus, Sion, in generatiónem et generatiónem.

Glória Patri et Fílio*

et Spirítui Sancto.

Sicut erat in princípio et nunc et semper*

et in sǽcula sæculórum.

Amen.

Ex útero senectútis et stérili Ioánnes natus est, præcúrsor Dómini.

Psalm 145 (146)
The blessedness of those who hope in the Lord

John, who went before the Lord, was born when his mother was old and considered incapable of bearing a child.

Praise the Lord, my soul.

I will praise the Lord all my life,

make music to my God as long as I exist.

Do not trust in princes to save you,

they are only sons of men.

One day their breath will leave them, they will return to the ground;

on that day perish all their plans.

Happy the one whose help is the God of Jacob,

whose hope is in the Lord his God,

who made heaven and earth and all that is in them,

who keeps faith for ever,

who gives justice to the oppressed,

who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord frees prisoners,

he gives light to the blind,

he raises the fallen.

The Lord loves the upright, cares for strangers,

sustains orphans and widows;

but the wicked he sends astray.

The Lord will reign for all ages,

your God, O Zion, from generation to generation.

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.

John, who went before the Lord, was born when his mother was old and considered incapable of bearing a child.

Canticum	cf. Eph 1:3-10

De Deo salvatore

Inter natos mulíerum non surréxit maior Ioánne Baptísta.

3Benedíctus Deus et Pater Dómini nostri Iesu Christi,*

qui benedíxit nos in omni benedictióne spiritáli in cæléstibus in Christo,

4sicut elégit nos in ipso ante mundi constitutiónem,†

ut essémus sancti et immaculáti*

in conspéctu eius in caritáte,

5qui prædestinávit nos in adoptiónem filiórum†

per Iesum Christum in ipsum,*

secúndum beneplácitum voluntátis suæ,

6in laudem glóriæ grátiæ suæ,*

in qua gratificávit nos in Dilécto,

7in quo habémus redemptiónem per sánguinem eius,*

remissiónem peccatórum,

secúndum divítias grátiæ eius,†

8quae superabundávit in nobis*

in omni sapiéntia et prudéntia,

9notum fáciens nobis mystérium voluntátis suæ,*

secúndum beneplácitum eius,

quod propósuit in eo,*

10in dispensatiónem plenitúdinis témporum:

recapituláre ómnia in Christo,*

quæ in cælis et quæ in terra.

Glória Patri et Fílio*

et Spirítui Sancto.

Sicut erat in princípio et nunc et semper*

et in sǽcula sæculórum.

Amen.

Inter natos mulíerum non surréxit maior Ioánne Baptísta.

Canticle	Ephesians 1

God the Saviour

Among those born of women there was no man greater than John the Baptist.

Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who has blessed us, in Christ,

with every spiritual blessing in heaven.

In love, he chose us before the creation of the world,

to be holy and spotless in his sight.

He predestined us to be his adopted children through Jesus Christ,

simply because it pleased him to do so.

This he did for the praise of the glory of his grace,

of his free gift to us in his Beloved,

in whose blood we have gained redemption,

and the forgiveness of our sins.

This he did according to the riches of his grace,

which he gave us in abundance,

with all wisdom and discernment,

revealing to us the mysteries of his will,

because it pleased him to do so.

In this action he has planned, in the fulfilment of time,

to bring all things together in Christ,

from the heavens and from the earth.

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.

Among those born of women there was no man greater than John the Baptist.

Lectio brevis	Act 13:23-25

Deus ex sémine David secúndum promissiónem edúxit Israel salvatórem Iesum, prædicánte Ioánne ante advéntum eius baptísmum pæniténtiæ omni pópulo Israel. Cum impléret autem Ioánnes cursum suum, dicébat: Quid me arbitrámini esse? Non sum ego; sed ecce venit post me, cuius non sum dignus calceaménta pedum sólvere.

Scripture 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.’

Responsorium breve

℣. Paráte vias Dómini,* Rectas fácite sémitas eius. Paráte.

℟. Post me venit vir, qui ante me factus est.* Rectas fácite sémitas eius. Glória Patri. Paráte.

Short Responsory

Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.

– Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.

There is one coming after me who existed before me.

– Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

– Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.

Canticum

Exsultatio animæ in Domino

Ingrésso Zacharía templum Dómini, appáruit ei Gábriel ángelus, stans a dextris altáris incénsi.

Magníficat*

ánima mea Dóminum,

et exsultávit spíritus meus*

in Deo salvatóre meo,

quia respéxit humilitátem ancíllæ suæ.*

Ecce enim ex hoc beátam me dicent omnes generatiónes,

quia fecit mihi magna, qui potens est,*

et sanctum nomen eius,

et misericórdia eius in progénies et progénies*

timéntibus eum.

Fecit poténtiam in bráchio suo,*

dispérsit supérbos mente cordis sui;

depósuit poténtes de sede*

et exaltávit húmiles;

esuriéntes implévit bonis*

et dívites dimísit inánes.

Suscépit Israel púerum suum,*

recordátus misericórdiæ,

sicut locútus est ad patres nostros,*

Abraham et sémini eius in sǽcula.

Glória Patri et Fílio*

et Spirítui Sancto.

Sicut erat in princípio et nunc et semper*

et in sǽcula sæculórum.

Amen.

Ingrésso Zacharía templum Dómini, appáruit ei Gábriel ángelus, stans a dextris altáris incénsi.

Canticle	Magnificat

My soul rejoices in the Lord

When Zechariah had entered the temple of the Lord, the angel Gabriel appeared to him, standing on the right of the altar of incense.

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.

When Zechariah had entered the temple of the Lord, the angel Gabriel appeared to him, standing on the right of the altar of incense.

Preces

Deum, qui elégit Ioánnem Baptístam ut regnum Christi ventúrum homínibus annuntiáret, lætánter deprecémur:

– Dírige, Dómine, pedes nostros in viam pacis.

Tu, qui Ioánnem a ventre matris eius vocásti ad præparándas vias Fílii tui,

voca nos ad Dóminum ita sequéndum, sicut eum ipse præcéssit.

– Dírige, Dómine, pedes nostros in viam pacis.

Sicut dedísti Baptístæ Agnum Dei agnóscere, fac ut ipsum Ecclésia tua demónstret,

et hómines huius témporis agnóscant.

– Dírige, Dómine, pedes nostros in viam pacis.

Tu, qui disposuísti prophétam tuum mínui et Christum créscere,

doce nos áliis cédere, ut manifestéris.

– Dírige, Dómine, pedes nostros in viam pacis.

Tu, qui per martýrium Ioánnis iustítiam vindicáre voluísti,

fac nos veritátem tuam indeficiénter testificári.

– Dírige, Dómine, pedes nostros in viam pacis.

Meménto ómnium, qui ex hoc sǽculo transiérunt,

illos constítue in regióne lucis et pacis.

– Dírige, Dómine, pedes nostros in viam pacis.

Prayers and intercessions

God our Father, you chose John the Baptist to announce the kingdom of Christ to all men. Joyfully we pray, therefore: