O God, make speed to save us.
AllO Lord, make haste to help us.
The Blessing of Light (page 110) may replace the Preparation at Evening Prayer on any occasion.
One or more of the following is said or sung:
A prayer of thanksgiving (page 110),
Blessed are you, Lord God, creator of day and night:
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As darkness falls you renew your promise
to reveal among us the light of your presence.
By the light of Christ, your living Word,
dispel the darkness of our hearts
that we may walk as children of light
and sing your praise throughout the world.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
AllBlessed be God for ever.
or a suitable hymn,
or A Song of God’s Chosen One
1There shall come forth
a shoot from the stock of Jesse, ♦
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
2And the Spirit of the
Lord shall rest upon him, ♦
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
3The spirit of counsel
and might, ♦
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
4He shall not judge by
what his eyes see, ♦
or decide by what his ears hear,
5But with righteousness
he shall judge the poor, ♦
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth.
6The wolf shall dwell
with the lamb, ♦
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid.
7The calf, the lion and
the fatling together, ♦
with a little child to lead them.
8They shall not hurt
or destroy in all my holy mountain, ♦
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
Isaiah 11.1,2,3b-4a,6,9
AllGlory to the Father and
to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
This opening prayer may be said
That this evening may be holy, good and peaceful,
let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As our evening prayer rises before you, O God,
so may your mercy come down upon us
to cleanse our hearts
and set us free to sing your praise
now and for ever.
AllAmen.
The appointed psalmody is said.
Refrain: Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord.
1 When Israel came out of Egypt, ♦
the house of Jacob from a people of a strange tongue,
2 Judah became his sanctuary, ♦
Israel his dominion.
3 The sea saw that, and fled; ♦
Jordan was driven back.
4 The mountains skipped like rams, ♦
the little hills like young sheep. R
5 What ailed you, O sea, that you fled? ♦
O Jordan, that you were driven back?
6 You mountains, that you skipped like rams, ♦
you little hills like young sheep?
7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, ♦
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
8 Who turns the hard rock into a pool of water, ♦
the flint-stone into a springing well.
Refrain: Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord.
Strike the rock of our hard hearts, O God,
and let our tears of joy and sorrow
mould us to bear the imprint of your love,
given in Christ our risen Lord.
Refrain: Gracious is the Lord and righteous.
1 I love the Lord,
for he has heard the voice of my supplication; ♦
because he inclined his ear to me
on the day I called to him.
2 The snares of death encompassed me;
the pains of hell took hold of me; ♦
by grief and sorrow was I held.
3 Then I called upon the name of the Lord: ♦
‘O Lord, I beg you, deliver my soul.’
4 Gracious is the Lord and righteous; ♦
our God is full of compassion. R
5 The Lord watches over the simple; ♦
I was brought very low and he saved me.
6 Turn again to your rest, O my soul, ♦
for the Lord has been gracious to you.
7 For you have delivered my soul from death, ♦
my eyes from tears and my feet from falling.
8 I will walk before the Lord ♦
in the land of the living. R
9 I believed that I should perish
for I was sorely troubled; ♦
and I said in my alarm,
‘Everyone is a liar.’
10 How shall I repay the Lord ♦
for all the benefits he has given to me?
11 I will lift up the cup of salvation ♦
and call upon the name of the Lord.
12 I will fulfil my vows to the Lord ♦
in the presence of all his people. R
13 Precious in the sight of the Lord ♦
is the death of his faithful servants.
14 O Lord, I am your servant, ♦
your servant, the child of your handmaid;
you have freed me from my bonds.
15 I will offer to you a sacrifice of thanksgiving ♦
and call upon the name of the Lord.
16 I will fulfil my vows to the Lord ♦
in the presence of all his people,
17 In the courts of the house of the Lord, ♦
in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
Alleluia.
Refrain: Gracious is the Lord and righteous.
As we walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
may we call upon your name,
raise the cup of salvation,
and so proclaim your death, O Lord,
until you come in glory.
Refrain: Alleluia.
1 O praise the Lord, all you nations; ♦
praise him, all you peoples.
2 For great is his steadfast love towards us, ♦
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.
Alleluia.
Refrain: Alleluia.
Gracious God,
we praise you for your faithfulness
and pray that every nation may find your blessing
in the face of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Each psalm or group of psalms may end with
AllGlory to the Father and
to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
If there are two Scripture readings, the first may be read here, or both may be read after the canticle.
Are you not from of old,
O Lord my God, my Holy One?
You shall not die.
O Lord, you have marked them for judgement;
and you, O Rock, have established them for punishment.
Your eyes are too pure to behold evil,
and you cannot look on wrongdoing;
why do you look on the treacherous,
and are silent when the wicked swallow
those more righteous than they?
You have made people like the fish of the sea,
like crawling things that have no ruler.
The enemy brings all of them up with a hook;
he drags them out with his net,
he gathers them in his seine;
so he rejoices and exults.
Therefore he sacrifices to his net
and makes offerings to his seine;
for by them his portion is lavish,
and his food is rich.
Is he then to keep on emptying his net,
and destroying nations without mercy?
I will stand at my watch-post,
and station myself on the rampart;
I will keep watch to see what he will say to me,
and what he will answer concerning my complaint.
Then the Lord answered me and said:
Write the vision;
make it plain on tablets,
so that a runner may read it.
For there is still a vision for the appointed time;
it speaks of the end, and does not lie.
If it seems to tarry, wait for it;
it will surely come, it will not delay.
Look at the proud!
Their spirit is not right in them,
but the righteous live by their faith.
Moreover, wealth is treacherous;
the arrogant do not endure.
They open their throats wide as Sheol;
like Death they never have enough.
They gather all nations for themselves,
and collect all peoples as their own.
Great and Wonderful, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 63 (page 621), may be said
Refrain:
AllAll nations shall come and
worship you, O Christ,
and share in the feast of your kingdom. Alleluia.
1Great and wonderful
are your deeds, ♦
Lord God the Almighty.
2Just and true are your
ways, ♦
O ruler of the nations.
3Who shall not revere
and praise your name, O Lord? ♦
for you alone are holy.
4All nations shall come
and worship in your presence: ♦
for your just dealings have been revealed.
Revelation 15.3, 4
AllTo the One who sits on the
throne and to the Lamb ♦
be blessing and honour and glory and might,
for ever and ever. Amen.
AllAll nations shall come and
worship you, O Christ,
and share in the feast of your kingdom. Alleluia.
One or more readings appointed for the day are read.
The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.
Jesus set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, ‘Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.’ But she answered him, ‘Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’ Then he said to her, ‘For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.’ So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow
Fear not, for I have redeemed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
AllFear not, for I have
redeemed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.
When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned.
AllI have called you by
name; you are mine.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
AllFear not, for I have
redeemed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
from Isaiah 43
The Magnificat (The Song of Mary) is normally said,
or A Song of Christ’s Appearing
(page 621) may be said
Refrain:
AllIn the heavenly kingdom,
the blessed have their dwelling place and their rest for ever and ever. Alleluia.
1My soul proclaims the
greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour; ♦
he has looked with favour on his lowly servant.
2From this day all generations
will call me blessed; ♦
the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his name.
3He has mercy on those
who fear him, ♦
from generation to generation.
4He has shown strength
with his arm ♦
and has scattered the proud in their conceit,
5Casting down the mighty
from their thrones ♦
and lifting up the lowly.
6He has filled the hungry
with good things ♦
and sent the rich away empty.
7He has come to the aid
of his servant Israel, ♦
to remember his promise of mercy,
8The promise made to our
ancestors, ♦
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Luke 1.46-55
AllGlory to the Father and
to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Refrain:
AllIn the heavenly kingdom,
the blessed have their dwelling place and their rest for ever and ever. Alleluia.
Thanksgiving may be made for the day.
Intercessions are offered
¶ for peace
¶ for individuals and their needs
Prayers may include the following concerns from the cycle on pages 362–363
¶ Local government, community leaders
¶ All who provide local services
¶ Those who work with young or elderly people
¶ Schools, colleges and universities
¶ Emergency and rescue organizations
One of the forms of prayer found on pages 362–371 may be used.
These responses may be used
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer
(or)
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.
Silence may be kept.
The Collect of the day is said
Faithful God,
who strengthened Monica, the mother of Augustine, with wisdom,
and through her patient endurance encouraged him
to seek after you:
give us the will to persist in prayer
that those who stray from you may be brought to faith
in your Son Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
AllAmen.
The Lord’s Prayer is said
As our Saviour taught us, so we pray
AllOur Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
(or)
Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
AllOur 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.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
All The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all evermore.
Amen.
Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.
AllThanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.
©
The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England, 2000–2005
Official Common Worship apps, books and eBooks are available from
Church House Publishing.
The Bible readings (other than the psalms) are from The New Revised Standard Version Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Implemented by Simon Kershaw at
Crucix.
Implementation copyright © Simon Kershaw, 2002–2021.