O God, make speed to save us.
AllO Lord, make haste to help us.
In your resurrection, O Christ,
Alllet heaven and earth
rejoice. Alleluia.
One or more of the following is said or sung:
this or another prayer of thanksgiving
Blessed are you, Sovereign Lord,
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
to you be glory and praise for ever.
From the deep waters of death
you brought your people to new birth
by raising your Son to life in triumph.
Through him dark death has been destroyed
and radiant life is everywhere restored.
As you call us out of darkness into his marvellous light
may our lives reflect his glory
and our lips repeat the endless song.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
AllBlessed be God for ever.
A Song of David (page 573), the following or another suitable hymn
Ye choirs of new Jerusalem,
your sweetest notes employ,
the Paschal victory to hymn
in strains of holy joy.
How Judah’s lion burst his chains
and crushed the serpent’s head;
and brought with him, from death’s domains,
the long-imprisoned dead.
Triumphant in his glory now
his sceptre ruleth all,
earth, heaven, and hell before him bow,
and at his footstool fall.
While joyful thus his praise we sing,
his mercy we implore,
into his palace bright to bring
and keep us evermore.
All glory to the Father be,
all glory to the Son,
all glory, Holy Ghost, to thee,
while endless ages run. Alleluia, Amen.
Fulbert of Chartres, tr: Robert Campbell
(Tune: CM)
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: In the day of my trouble I have sought the Lord.
1 I cry aloud to God; ♦
I cry aloud to God and he will hear me.
2 In the day of my trouble I have sought the Lord; ♦
by night my hand is stretched out and does not tire;
my soul refuses comfort.
3 I think upon God and I groan; ♦
I ponder, and my spirit faints.
4 You will not let my eyelids close; ♦
I am so troubled that I cannot speak. R
5 I consider the days of old; ♦
I remember the years long past;
6 I commune with my heart in the night; ♦
my spirit searches for understanding.
7 Will the Lord cast us off for ever? ♦
Will he no more show us his favour?
8 Has his loving mercy clean gone for ever? ♦
Has his promise come to an end for evermore?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? ♦
Has he shut up his compassion in displeasure?
10 And I said, ‘My grief is this: ♦
that the right hand of the Most High has lost its strength.’ R
11 I will remember the works of the Lord ♦
and call to mind your wonders of old time.
12 I will meditate on all your works ♦
and ponder your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy; ♦
who is so great a god as our God?
14 You are the God who worked wonders ♦
and declared your power among the peoples.
15 With a mighty arm you redeemed your people, ♦
the children of Jacob and Joseph. R
16 The waters saw you, O God;
the waters saw you and were afraid; ♦
the depths also were troubled.
17 The clouds poured out water; the skies thundered; ♦
your arrows flashed on every side;
18 The voice of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
your lightnings lit up the ground; ♦
the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was in the sea, and your paths in the great waters, ♦
but your footsteps were not known.
20 You led your people like sheep ♦
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Refrain: In the day of my trouble I have sought the Lord.
God our shepherd,
you led us and saved us in times of old;
do not forget your people in their troubles,
but raise up your power
to sustain the poor and helpless;
for the honour 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.
If you heed these ordinances, by diligently observing them, the Lord your God will maintain with you the covenant loyalty that he swore to your ancestors; he will love you, bless you, and multiply you; he will bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the issue of your flock, in the land that he swore to your ancestors to give you. You shall be the most blessed of peoples, with neither sterility nor barrenness among you or your livestock. The Lord will turn away from you every illness; all the dread diseases of Egypt that you experienced, he will not inflict on you, but he will lay them on all who hate you. You shall devour all the peoples that the Lord your God is giving over to you, showing them no pity; you shall not serve their gods, for that would be a snare to you.
If you say to yourself, ‘These nations are more numerous than I; how can I dispossess them?’ do not be afraid of them. Just remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt, the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs and wonders, the mighty hand and the outstretched arm by which the Lord your God brought you out. The Lord your God will do the same to all the peoples of whom you are afraid. Moreover, the Lord your God will send the pestilence against them, until even the survivors and the fugitives are destroyed. Have no dread of them, for the Lord your God, who is present with you, is a great and awesome God. The Lord your God will clear away these nations before you little by little; you will not be able to make a quick end of them, otherwise the wild animals would become too numerous for you. But the Lord your God will give them over to you, and throw them into great panic, until they are destroyed. He will hand their kings over to you and you shall blot out their name from under heaven; no one will be able to stand against you, until you have destroyed them. The images of their gods you shall burn with fire. Do not covet the silver or the gold that is on them and take it for yourself, because you could be ensnared by it; for it is abhorrent to the Lord your God. Do not bring an abhorrent thing into your house, or you will be set apart for destruction like it. You must utterly detest and abhor it, for it is set apart for destruction.
A Song of Faith, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 60 (page 618) or number 74 (page 632), may be said
Refrain:
AllGod raised Christ from the
dead,
the Lamb without spot or stain. Alleluia.
1Blessed be the God and
Father ♦
of our Lord Jesus Christ!
2By his great mercy we
have been born anew to a living hope ♦
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
3Into an inheritance
that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading, ♦
kept in heaven for you,
4Who are being protected
by the power of God through faith, ♦
for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
5You were ransomed from
the futile ways of your ancestors ♦
not with perishable things like silver or gold
6But with the precious
blood of Christ ♦
like that of a lamb without spot or stain.
7Through him you have
confidence in God,
who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, ♦
so that your faith and hope are set on God.
1 Peter 1.3-5, 18, 19, 21
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.
AllGod raised Christ from the
dead,
the Lamb without spot or stain. 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 reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given to me for you, and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow-heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him. I pray therefore that you may not lose heart over my sufferings for you; they are your glory.
A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow
The Lord is my strength and my song:
he has become my salvation.
AllThe Lord is my strength
and my song:
he has become my salvation.
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the Lord.
AllHe has become my salvation.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
AllThe Lord is my strength
and my song:
he has become my salvation.
from Psalm 118
The Magnificat (The Song of Mary) is normally said,
or Great and Wonderful (page 629)
may be said
Refrain:
All
Those who gave up their lives for Christ and followed in the Way
rejoice with God now and for 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:
All
Those who gave up their lives for Christ and followed in the Way
rejoice with God now and for 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 364–365
¶ The people of God, that they may proclaim
the risen Lord
¶ God’s creation, that the peoples of
the earth may meet their responsibility to care
¶ Those in despair and darkness, that they may
find the hope and light of Christ
¶ Those in fear of death, that they may find
faith through the resurrection
¶ Prisoners and captives
A form of prayer found on page 382 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
Merciful God,
who raised up your servant Alphege
to be a pastor of your people
and gave him grace to suffer for justice and true religion:
grant that we who celebrate his martyrdom
may know the power of the risen Christ in our hearts
and share his peace in lives offered to your service;
through Jesus Christ your Son 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
Rejoicing in God’s new creation,
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 God’s new creation,
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 the risen Christ grant us the joys of eternal life.
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.