O God, make speed to save us.
AllO Lord, make haste to help us.
You laid the foundation of the earth
Alland the heavens are
the work of your hands. Alleluia.
One or more of the following is said or sung:
this or another prayer of thanksgiving
Blessed are you, Sovereign God,
our light and our salvation,
to you be glory and praise for ever.
To dispel the darkness of our night
you sent forth your Son, the firstborn of all creation,
to be the Christ, the light of the world.
Rejoicing in the mystery of the Word made flesh,
we acclaim him Emmanuel, as all creation sings to you:
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
AllBlessed be God for ever.
A Song of God’s Descending (page 552), the following or another suitable hymn
Of the Father’s heart begotten,
ere the world from chaos rose,
he is Alpha: from that fountain
all that is and has been flows;
he is Omega, of all things
yet to come the mystic close,
evermore and evermore.
O how blest that wondrous birthday,
when the Maid the curse retrieved,
brought to birth mankind’s salvation,
by the Holy Ghost conceived;
and the Babe, the world’s redeemer,
in her loving arms received,
evermore and evermore.
Sing, ye heights of heaven, his praises;
angels and archangels, sing!
Wheresoe’er ye be, ye faithful,
let your joyous anthems ring,
every tongue his name confessing,
countless voices answering,
evermore and evermore.
Prudentius, tr: R F Davis
(Tune: 87 87 87 7)
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: Be joyful in God, all the earth.
1 Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion; ♦
to you that answer prayer shall vows be paid.
2 To you shall all flesh come to confess their sins; ♦
when our misdeeds prevail against us,
you will purge them away.
3 Happy are they whom you choose
and draw to your courts to dwell there. ♦
We shall be satisfied with the blessings of your house,
even of your holy temple. R
4 With wonders you will answer us in your righteousness,
O God of our salvation, ♦
O hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas.
5 In your strength you set fast the mountains ♦
and are girded about with might.
6 You still the raging of the seas, ♦
the roaring of their waves
and the clamour of the peoples.
7 Those who dwell at the ends of the earth
tremble at your marvels; ♦
the gates of the morning and evening sing your praise. R
8 You visit the earth and water it; ♦
you make it very plenteous.
9 The river of God is full of water; ♦
you prepare grain for your people,
for so you provide for the earth.
10 You drench the furrows and smooth out the ridges; ♦
you soften the ground with showers and bless its increase.
11 You crown the year with your goodness, ♦
and your paths overflow with plenty.
12 May the pastures of the wilderness flow with goodness ♦
and the hills be girded with joy.
13 May the meadows be clothed with flocks of sheep ♦
and the valleys stand so thick with corn
that they shall laugh and sing.
Refrain: Be joyful in God, all the earth.
May the richness of your creation, Lord,
and the mystery of your providence
lead us to that heavenly city
where all peoples will bring their wealth,
forsake their sins and find their true joy,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Refrain: Blessed are they who dwell in your house.
1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! ♦
My soul has a desire and longing to enter the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.
2 The sparrow has found her a house
and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young: ♦
at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.
3 Blessed are they who dwell in your house: ♦
they will always be praising you. R
4 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, ♦
in whose heart are the highways to Zion,
5 Who going through the barren valley find there a spring, ♦
and the early rains will clothe it with blessing.
6 They will go from strength to strength ♦
and appear before God in Zion. R
7 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; ♦
listen, O God of Jacob.
8 Behold our defender, O God, ♦
and look upon the face of your anointed.
9 For one day in your courts ♦
is better than a thousand. R
10 I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God ♦
than dwell in the tents of ungodliness.
11 For the Lord God is both sun and shield;
he will give grace and glory; ♦
no good thing shall the Lord withhold
from those who walk with integrity.
12 O Lord God of hosts, ♦
blessed are those who put their trust in you.
Refrain: Blessed are they who dwell in your house.
Lord God,
sustain us in this vale of tears
with the vision of your grace and glory,
that, strengthened by the bread of life,
we may come to your eternal dwelling place;
in the power 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.
See, the Lord’s hand is not too short to save,
nor his ear too dull to hear.
Rather, your iniquities have been barriers
between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you
so that he does not hear.
For your hands are defiled with blood,
and your fingers with iniquity;
your lips have spoken lies,
your tongue mutters wickedness.
No one brings suit justly,
no one goes to law honestly;
they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies,
conceiving mischief and begetting iniquity.
They hatch adders’ eggs,
and weave the spider’s web;
whoever eats their eggs dies,
and the crushed egg hatches out a viper.
Their webs cannot serve as clothing;
they cannot cover themselves with what they make.
Their works are works of iniquity,
and deeds of violence are in their hands.
Their feet run to evil,
and they rush to shed innocent blood;
their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity,
desolation and destruction are in their highways.
The way of peace they do not know,
and there is no justice in their paths.
Their roads they have made crooked;
no one who walks in them knows peace.
Therefore justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not reach us;
we wait for light, and lo! there is darkness;
and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.
We grope like the blind along a wall,
groping like those who have no eyes;
we stumble at noon as in the twilight,
among the vigorous as though we were dead.
We all growl like bears;
like doves we moan mournfully.
We wait for justice, but there is none;
for salvation, but it is far from us.
For our transgressions before you are many,
and our sins testify against us.
Our transgressions indeed are with us,
and we know our iniquities:
transgressing, and denying the Lord,
and turning away from following our God,
talking oppression and revolt,
conceiving lying words and uttering them from the heart.
Justice is turned back,
and righteousness stands at a distance;
for truth stumbles in the public square,
and uprightness cannot enter.
Truth is lacking,
and whoever turns from evil is despoiled.
A Song of Redemption, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 68 (page 626) or number 73 (page 631), may be said.
Refrain:
AllChrist is the image of the
invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation. Alleluia.
1The Father has delivered
us from the dominion of darkness, ♦
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son;
2In whom we have redemption,
♦
the forgiveness of our sins.
3He is the image of the
invisible God, ♦
the firstborn of all creation.
4For in him all things
were created, ♦
in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.
5All things were created
through him and for him, ♦
he is before all things and in him all things hold together.
6He is the head of the
body, the Church, ♦
he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.
7In him all the fullness
of God was pleased to dwell; ♦
and through him God was pleased to reconcile all things.
Colossians 1.13-18a, 19, 20a
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.
AllChrist is the image of the
invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation. Alleluia.
One or more readings appointed for the day are read.
The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.
This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’
He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, ‘I am not the Messiah.’
And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’
Then they said to him, ‘Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?’
He said,
‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
“Make straight the way of the Lord” ’,
as the prophet Isaiah said.
Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, ‘Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?’ John answered them, ‘I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.’ This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.
A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
full of grace and truth.
AllThe Word became flesh
and dwelt among us,
full of grace and truth.
And we have seen his glory,
the glory as of a father’s only son,
Allfull of grace and truth.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
AllThe Word became flesh
and dwelt among us,
full of grace and truth.
from John 1
The Magnificat (The Song of Mary) is normally said, or the Nunc dimittis (The Song of Simeon) (page 613) may be said
Refrain:
AllWhen peaceful silence lay
over all,
and night was in the midst of her swift course:
from your royal throne, O God, down from the heavens,
leapt your almighty Word.
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:
AllWhen peaceful silence lay
over all,
and night was in the midst of her swift course:
from your royal throne, O God, down from the heavens,
leapt your almighty Word.
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 364–365
¶ The Church, especially in places of conflict
¶ The Holy Land, for peace with justice, and
reconciliation
¶ Refugees and asylum seekers
¶ Homeless people
¶ Families with young children
A form of prayer found on page 378 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
Almighty God,
who wonderfully created us in your own image
and yet more wonderfully restored us
through your Son Jesus Christ:
grant that, as he came to share in our humanity,
so we may share the life of his divinity;
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
Rejoicing in the presence of God here among us,
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)
Rejoicing in the presence of God here among us,
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.
May God, who has called us out of darkness
into his marvellous light,
bless us and fill us with peace.
AllAmen.
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.