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EVENING PRAYER (Vespers)
Macrina, Basil, Gregory of Naziansus, Gregory of Nyssa
(Lutheran Book of Worship, page 142)
L Jesus Christ is the light of the world.
C The light no darkness can overcome.
L Stay with us, Lord, for it is evening,
C
L Let your light scatter the darkness,
C
Joyous light of glory:
of the immortal Father;
heavenly, holy, blessed Jesus Christ.
We have come to the setting of the sun,
and we look to the evening light.
We sing to God, the Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit:
You are worthy of being praised
with pure voices forever.
O Son of God, O Giver of life:
The universe proclaims your glory.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give him thanks and praise.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, king of the universe, who led your people Israel by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night: Enlighten our darkness by the light of your Christ; may his Word be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path; for you are merciful, and you love your whole creation, and we, your creatures, glorify you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen
Let my prayer rise before you as incense;
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
O Lord, I call to you; come to me quickly;
hear my voice when I cry to you.
Let my prayer rise before you as incense;
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Set a watch before my mouth, O Lord,
and guard the door of my lips.
Let not my heart incline to any evil thing;
let me not be occupied in wickedness with evildoers.
But my eyes are turned to you, Lord God;
in you I take refuge. Strip me not of my life.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Let my prayer rise before you as incense;
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Silence for meditation.
Let the incense of our repentant prayer ascend before you, O Lord, and let your lovingkindness descend upon us, that with purified minds we may sing your praises with the Church on earth and the whole heavenly host, and may glorify you forever and ever.
Amen
Psalm 119:97-104
97 Oh, how I
| love your law!*
All the day long it is | in my mind.
98 Your
commandment has made me wiser | than my enemies,*
and it is | always with me.
99 I have
more understanding than | all my teachers,*
for your decrees | are my study.
100 I am
wiser | than the elders,*
because I observe | your commandments.
101 I
restrain my feet from every | evil way,*
that I may | keep your word.
102 I do not
shrink | from your judgments,*
because you your- | self have taught me.
103 How sweet
are your words | to my taste!*
They are sweeter than honey | to my mouth.
104 Through
your commandments I gain | understanding;*
therefore I hate every | lying way.
Lord, you are just and your commandments are eternal. Teach us to love you with all our hearts and to love our neighbor as ourselves, for the sake of Jesus our Lord.
R. Amen
Hymn LBW 472 Come, Holy Ghost, our Souls Inspire
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READINGS
From a catechetical address of Gregory of Nyssa
Response
In many and various ways
God spoke to this people of old by the prophets.
But now in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.
The GOSPEL CANTICLE is sung.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed.
The Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm;
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen
LITANY OF THE HOLY TRINITY
God the
Father in heaven,
Have
mercy on us.
God the
Son, Redeemer of the world:
Have
mercy upon us.
God the
Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of men's souls:
Have
mercy upon us.
God the
Father, Creator and Preserver:
Sustain
our life in Thee.
God the
Son, born in the flesh,
who didst
come down from heaven for us men and our salvation:
Cleanse
us by Thy blood.
God the
Holy Ghost, promised Paraclete;
Dwell in
our lives with Thy holy fruits.
Lord God
Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
We
praise Thee for Thy revelation to us of love and mercy.
Three
Persons, equal in power, majesty, and glory:
One God,
which wert and art and evermore shalt be.
Blessed be
the Holy Trinity and the undivided Unity:
Let us
give glory to Him because He hath shown us His mercy.
Thou who
art perfect in love and power and unity:
Keep us
in fellowship with Thee eternally.
Holy, Holy,
Holy, of whom and through whom and to whom are all things:
Bless us
with thankful hearts;
Fill us
with joyful hearts;
Save us
with faithful hearts.
COLLECTS
For the week of Trinity
For the commemoration of Macrina, Basil, Gregory of Nyssa, and Gregory Nazianzus
For peace among the nations
For the teachers of the Church
For our own needs and for the needs of others
For peace at the end of the day (Church of Sweden, 1614):
Watch over us, O Lord, our heavenly Father,
preserve us from all evil, and grant that we may this night rest secure beneath your care; bless your Church and our government; remember the sick and those who are in need or peril; have mercy on all your people; and when our last evening shall come, grant that we may fall asleep in your peace and wake in your glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
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 who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The almighty and merciful Lord, the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless and preserve us. Amen
