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EVENING PRAYER Vespers
on the eve of St Michael and All Angels
(Lutheran Book of Worship, page 142)
As All Saints’ Day (together with All Souls’) is a reminder of the size of the one church in heaven and on earth, so this feast of Michael and the angels is a reminder of the breathtaking size of creation, seen and unseen. The feast teaches an understanding that there are aspects of reality beyond what can be grasped with the senses. Angels, like mortals, are children of the infinite imagination of God. They are a higher order of beings, whose service of God is nonetheless joined with ours (see 2 Kings 6:15-17), and the function of the Preface in the Eucharist is to join mortal songs with the perpetual praise offered by the angelic choirs of heaven.
Following Judaism, Christianity (followed in turn by Islam) speaks of an order of heavenly messengers, the angels, created by God to do his bidding and differing from humans by having a fully spiritual nature and no physical body. They are mentioned by Jesus as watching over children (Matt. 18:10) and rejoicing over penitent sinners (Luke 15:10), and there are numerous references to them throughout Scripture. Michael the archangel is mentioned in the books of Daniel, Jude, and Revelation, as well as in apocryphal literature. Philip Pfatteicher
Jesus Christ is the light of the world,
the light no darkness can overcome.
Stay with us, Lord, for it is evening,
and the day is almost over.
Let your light scatter the darkness,
and illumine your church.
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
The psalmody begins with this prayer for forgiveness and protection:
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. Ps. 141:1-7
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 103
1 Bless the Lord, | O my soul,*
and all that is within me, bless his | holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, | O my soul,*
and forget not | all his benefits.
3 He forgives
| all your sins*
and heals all | your infirmities;
4 he redeems
your life | from the grave*
and crowns you with mercy and | lovingkindness;
5 he
satisfies you | with good things,*
and your youth is renewed | like an eagle's.
6 The Lord ex- | ecutes righteousness*
and judgment for all who | are oppressed.
7 He made his
ways | known to Moses*
and his works to the chil- | dren of Israel.
8 The Lord is full of compas- | sion and
mercy,*
slow to anger and | of great kindness.
9 He will not
al- | ways accuse us,*
nor will he keep his an- | ger forever.
10 He has not
dealt with us according | to our sins,*
nor rewarded us according | to our wickedness.
11 For as the
heavens are high | above the earth,*
so is his mercy great upon | those who fear him.
12 As far as
the east is | from the west,*
so far has he removed our | sins from us.
13 As a
father cares | for his children,*
so does the Lord
care for | those who fear him.
14 For he
himself knows whereof | we are made;*
he remembers that we | are but dust.
15 Our days
are | like the grass;*
we flourish like a flower | of the field;
16 when the
wind goes over it, | it is gone,*
and its place shall know | it no more.
17 But the
merciful goodness of the Lord
endures forever on | those who fear him,*
and his righteousness on | children's children;
18 on those
who | keep his covenant*
and remember his command- | ments and do them.
19 The Lord has set his | throne in heaven,*
and his kingship has dominion | over all.
20 Bless the Lord, you angels of his, you mighty ones
who | do his bidding,*
and hearken to the voice | of his word.
21 Bless the Lord, all | you his hosts,*
you ministers of his who | do his will.
22 Bless the Lord, all you works of his, in all
places of | his dominion;*
bless the Lord,
| O my soul.
Lord, you have compassion for the sinner, as a father has compassion for his children. Heal the weakness of your people and save us from everlasting death, that with the saints and angels we may praise and glorify you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever.
Hymn Praise the Lord! O heavens adore him LBW 540
praise him, angels, in the height;
sun and moon, rejoice before him;
praise him, gleaming stars and light.
Praise the Lord, for he has spoken;
worlds his mighty voice obeyed;
laws which never shall be broken
for their guidance he has made.
2 Praise the Lord, for he is gracious;
never shall his promise fail.
God has made his saints victorious;
sin and death shall not prevail.
Praise the God of our salvation;
hosts on high, his pow'r proclaim;
heav'n and earth, and all creation,
laud and magnify his name!
Text:
Foundling Hospital Collection, London, 1796
READINGS
Genesis 28:10-17
Revelation 12:7-12
John 1:47-51
After each scriptural reading:
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
From a sermon by John Donne
Silence for reflection.
Response
In many and various ways
God spoke to his 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
L Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal,
C have mercy and hear us.
C 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
C I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen
L Show us your mercy, O Lord,
C and grant us your salvation.
L Clothe your ministers with righteousness.
C Let your people sing with joy.
L Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
C for only in you can we live in safety.
L Lord, keep this nation under your care,
C and guide us in the way of justice and truth.
L Let your way be known upon earth;
C your saving health among all nations.
L Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten,
C nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
L Create in us clean hearts, O God,
C and sustain us with your Holy Spirit.
L The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
L Let us pray. . . .
C Amen
6. The final prayer is that appropriate to the time of day:
EVENING
L We give thanks to you, heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ your dear Son, that you have this day so graciously protected us. We beg you to forgive us all our sins and the wrong which we have done. By your great mercy defend us from all the perils and dangers of this night. Into your hands we commend our bodies and souls, and all that is ours. Let your holy angels have charge of us, that the wicked one have no power over us.
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
L The Lord bless us, defend us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.
C Amen
