¶ Evening Prayer on Saturday
Saturday, 10 August 2024
Laurence, Deacon at Rome, Martyr, 258 [Lesser Festival]

Preparation

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 Light

1The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom then shall I fear? ♦
The Lord is the strength of my life;
of whom then shall I be afraid?

2Though a host encamp against me,
my heart shall not be afraid, ♦
and though there rise up war against me,
yet will I put my trust in him.

3One thing have I asked of the Lord
and that alone I seek: ♦
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,

4To behold the fair beauty of the Lord ♦
and to seek his will in his temple.

5For in the day of trouble
he shall hide me in his shelter; ♦
in the secret place of his dwelling shall he hide me
and set me high upon a rock.

6Therefore will I offer in his dwelling an oblation
with great gladness; ♦
I will sing and make music to the Lord.

Psalm 27.1, 3-6, 8

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 Word of God

Psalmody

The appointed psalmody is said.

Psalm 81

Refrain: O come, let us sing to the Lord.

1 Sing merrily to God our strength, ♦
shout for joy to the God of Jacob.

2 Take up the song and sound the timbrel, ♦
the tuneful lyre with the harp.

3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon, ♦
as at the full moon, upon our solemn feast day.

4 For this is a statute for Israel, ♦
a law of the God of Jacob,

5 The charge he laid on the people of Joseph, ♦
when they came out of the land of Egypt. R

6 I heard a voice I did not know, that said: ♦
‘I eased their shoulder from the burden;
their hands were set free from bearing the load.

7 ‘You called upon me in trouble and I delivered you; ♦
I answered you from the secret place of thunder
and proved you at the waters of Meribah.

8 ‘Hear, O my people, and I will admonish you: ♦
O Israel, if you would but listen to me!

9 ‘There shall be no strange god among you; ♦
you shall not worship a foreign god.

10 ‘I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up from the land of Egypt; ♦
open your mouth wide and I shall fill it.’ R

11 But my people would not hear my voice ♦
and Israel would not obey me.

12 So I sent them away in the stubbornness of their hearts, ♦
and let them walk after their own counsels.

13 O that my people would listen to me, ♦
that Israel would walk in my ways!

14 Then I should soon put down their enemies ♦
and turn my hand against their adversaries.

15 Those who hate the Lord would be humbled before him, ♦
and their punishment would last for ever.

16 But Israel would I feed with the finest wheat ♦
and with honey from the rock would I satisfy them.

Refrain: O come, let us sing to the Lord.

Father of mercy,
keep us joyful in your salvation
and faithful to your covenant;
and, as we journey to your kingdom,
ever feed us with the bread of life,
your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Psalm 84

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.

Proverbs 6.1-19

My child, if you have given your pledge to your neighbour,
   if you have bound yourself to another,
you are snared by the utterance of your lips,
   caught by the words of your mouth.
So do this, my child, and save yourself,
   for you have come into your neighbour’s power:
   go, hurry, and plead with your neighbour.
Give your eyes no sleep
   and your eyelids no slumber;
save yourself like a gazelle from the hunter,
   like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

Go to the ant, you lazybones;
   consider its ways, and be wise.
Without having any chief
   or officer or ruler,
it prepares its food in summer,
   and gathers its sustenance in harvest.
How long will you lie there, O lazybones?
   When will you rise from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber,
   a little folding of the hands to rest,
and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
   and want, like an armed warrior.

A scoundrel and a villain
   goes around with crooked speech,
winking the eyes, shuffling the feet,
   pointing the fingers,
with perverted mind devising evil,
   continually sowing discord;
on such a one calamity will descend suddenly;
   in a moment, damage beyond repair.

There are six things that the Lord hates,
   seven that are an abomination to him:
haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
   and hands that shed innocent blood,
a heart that devises wicked plans,
   feet that hurry to run to evil,
a lying witness who testifies falsely,
   and one who sows discord in a family.

Canticle

A Song of God’s Love, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 53 (page 606), may be said

Refrain:

AllGod’s love was revealed among us
so that we might live through Jesus. Alleluia.

1Beloved, let us love one another,
for love is of God; ♦
everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

2Whoever does not love does not know God, ♦
for God is love.

3In this the love of God was revealed among us, ♦
that God sent his only Son into the world,
so that we might live through him.

4In this is love,
not that we loved God but that he loved us, ♦
and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins.

5Beloved, since God loved us so much, ♦
we ought also to love one another.

6For if we love one another, God abides in us, ♦
and God’s love will be perfected in us.

1 John 4.7-11, 12b

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’s love was revealed among us
so that we might live through Jesus. Alleluia.

Scripture Reading

One or more readings appointed for the day are read.

The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.

Mark 4.35-end

When evening had come, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great gale arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?’ And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’

A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow

Your salvation is near to those who fear you;
that glory may dwell in our land.
AllYour salvation is near to those who fear you;
that glory may dwell in our land.
Mercy and truth have met together;
righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
AllThat glory may dwell in our land.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
AllYour salvation is near to those who fear you;
that glory may dwell in our land.

from Psalm 85

Gospel Canticle

The Magnificat (The Song of Mary) is normally said,
or A Song of Praise (page 627) 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.

Prayers

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

¶ Our homes, families, friends and all whom we love
¶ Those whose time is spent caring for others
¶ Those who are close to death
¶ Those who have lost hope
¶ The worship of the Church

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

O God, you declare your almighty power
most chiefly in showing mercy and pity:
mercifully grant to us such a measure of your grace,
that we, running the way of your commandments,
may receive your gracious promises,
and be made partakers of your heavenly treasure;
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

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.

The Conclusion

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.

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