¶ Evening Prayer
Advent
Friday, 13 December 2024
Lucy, Martyr at Syracuse, 304 [Lesser Festival]
Samuel Johnson, Moralist, 1784 [Commemoration]
Ember Day

Preparation

O God, make speed to save us.
AllO Lord, make haste to help us.

Reveal among us the light of your presence
Allthat we may behold your power and glory.

One or more of the following is said or sung:

this or another prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Sovereign God,
creator of light and darkness,
to you be glory and praise for ever.
As evening falls, you renew your promise
to reveal among us the light of your presence.
May your word be a lantern to our feet
and a light upon our path
that we may behold your coming among us.
Strengthen us in our stumbling weakness
and free our tongues to sing your praise.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
AllBlessed be God for ever.

A Song of Mercy and Truth (page 559), the following or another suitable hymn

Creator of the stars of night,
thy people’s everlasting light,
O Jesu, Saviour of us all,
regard thy servants when they call.

Thou, grieving at the bitter cry
of all creation doomed to die,
didst come to save a ruined race
with healing gifts of heavenly grace.

Thou camest, Bridegroom of the bride,
as drew the world to evening-tide,
proceeding from a virgin shrine,
the Son of Man, yet Lord divine.

At thy great name, exalted now,
all knees must bend, all hearts must bow,
and things in heaven and earth shall own
that thou art Lord and King alone.

To thee, O holy One, we pray
our judge in that tremendous day,
preserve us, while we dwell below,
from every onslaught of the foe.

All praise, eternal Son, to thee,
whose advent sets thy people free,
whom with the Father we adore,
and Spirit blest, for evermore.

Latin, tr: J M Neale
(Tune: LM)

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 82

Refrain: Arise, O God, and judge the earth.

1 God has taken his stand in the council of heaven; ♦
in the midst of the gods he gives judgement:

2 ‘How long will you judge unjustly ♦
and show such favour to the wicked?

3 ‘You were to judge the weak and the orphan; ♦
defend the right of the humble and needy;

4 ‘Rescue the weak and the poor; ♦
deliver them from the hand of the wicked. R

5 ‘They have no knowledge or wisdom;
they walk on still in darkness: ♦
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

6 ‘Therefore I say that though you are gods ♦
and all of you children of the Most High,

7 ‘Nevertheless, you shall die like mortals ♦
and fall like one of their princes.’

8 Arise, O God and judge the earth, ♦
for it is you that shall take all nations for your possession.

Refrain: Arise, O God, and judge the earth.

God our deliverer,
when the foundations are shaken
and justice has departed,
defend the poor and needy
and give your people strength to fight all wrong
in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 90

Refrain: O Lord my God, in you I take refuge.

1 Lord, you have been our refuge ♦
from one generation to another.

2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
or the earth and the world were formed, ♦
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

3 You turn us back to dust and say: ♦
‘Turn back, O children of earth.’

4 For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday, ♦
which passes like a watch in the night.

5 You sweep them away like a dream; ♦
they fade away suddenly like the grass.

6 In the morning it is green and flourishes; ♦
in the evening it is dried up and withered. R

7 For we consume away in your displeasure; ♦
we are afraid at your wrathful indignation.

8 You have set our misdeeds before you ♦
and our secret sins in the light of your countenance.

9 When you are angry, all our days are gone; ♦
our years come to an end like a sigh.

10 The days of our life are three score years and ten,
or if our strength endures, even four score; ♦
yet the sum of them is but labour and sorrow,
for they soon pass away and we are gone.

11 Who regards the power of your wrath ♦
and your indignation like those who fear you?

12 So teach us to number our days ♦
that we may apply our hearts to wisdom. R

13 Turn again, O Lord; how long will you delay? ♦
Have compassion on your servants.

14 Satisfy us with your loving-kindness in the morning; ♦
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

15 Give us gladness for the days you have afflicted us, ♦
and for the years in which we have seen adversity.

16 Show your servants your works, ♦
and let your glory be over their children.

17 May the gracious favour of the Lord our God be upon us; ♦
prosper our handiwork; O prosper the work of our hands.

Refrain: O Lord my God, in you I take refuge.

Almighty God,
our eternal refuge,
teach us to live with the knowledge of our death
and to rejoice in the promise of your glory,
revealed to us in 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.

Isaiah 33.1-22

Ah, you destroyer,
   who yourself have not been destroyed;
you treacherous one,
   with whom no one has dealt treacherously!
When you have ceased to destroy,
   you will be destroyed;
and when you have stopped dealing treacherously,
   you will be dealt with treacherously.

O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for you.
   Be our arm every morning,
   our salvation in the time of trouble.
At the sound of tumult, peoples fled;
   before your majesty, nations scattered.
Spoil was gathered as the caterpillar gathers;
   as locusts leap, they leapt upon it.
The Lord is exalted, he dwells on high;
   he filled Zion with justice and righteousness;
he will be the stability of your times,
   abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge;
   the fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure.

Listen! the valiant cry in the streets;
   the envoys of peace weep bitterly.
The highways are deserted,
   travellers have left the road.
The treaty is broken,
   its oaths are despised,
   its obligation is disregarded.
The land mourns and languishes;
   Lebanon is confounded and withers away;
Sharon is like a desert;
   and Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.

‘Now I will arise,’ says the Lord,
   ‘now I will lift myself up;
   now I will be exalted.
You conceive chaff, you bring forth stubble;
   your breath is a fire that will consume you.
And the peoples will be as if burned to lime,
   like thorns cut down, that are burned in the fire.’

Hear, you who are far away, what I have done;
   and you who are near, acknowledge my might.
The sinners in Zion are afraid;
   trembling has seized the godless:
‘Who among us can live with the devouring fire?
   Who among us can live with everlasting flames?’
Those who walk righteously and speak uprightly,
   who despise the gain of oppression,
who wave away a bribe instead of accepting it,
   who stop their ears from hearing of bloodshed
   and shut their eyes from looking on evil,
they will live on the heights;
   their refuge will be the fortresses of rocks;
   their food will be supplied, their water assured.

Your eyes will see the king in his beauty;
   they will behold a land that stretches far away.
Your mind will muse on the terror:
   ‘Where is the one who counted?
   Where is the one who weighed the tribute?
   Where is the one who counted the towers?’
No longer will you see the insolent people,
   the people of an obscure speech that you cannot comprehend,
   stammering in a language that you cannot understand.
Look on Zion, the city of our appointed festivals!
   Your eyes will see Jerusalem,
   a quiet habitation, an immovable tent,
whose stakes will never be pulled up,
   and none of whose ropes will be broken.
But there the Lord in majesty will be for us
   a place of broad rivers and streams,
where no galley with oars can go,
   nor stately ship can pass.
For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our ruler,
   the Lord is our king; he will save us.

Canticle

A Song of the Spirit, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 57 (page 614) or number 72 (page 630), may be said

Refrain:

AllSurely I am coming soon.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! Alleluia.

1‘Behold, I am coming soon’, says the Lord,
‘and bringing my reward with me, ♦
to give to everyone according to their deeds.

2‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, ♦
the beginning and the end.’

3Blessed are those who do God’s commandments,
that they may have the right to the tree of life, ♦
and may enter into the city through the gates.

4‘I, Jesus, have sent my angel to you, ♦
with this testimony for all the churches.

5‘I am the root and the offspring of David, ♦
I am the bright morning star.’

6‘Come!’ say the Spirit and the Bride; ♦
‘Come!’ let each hearer reply.

7Come forward, you who are thirsty, ♦
let those who desire take the water of life as a gift.

Revelation 22.12-14, 16, 17

AllTo the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb ♦
be blessing and honour and glory and might,
for ever and ever. Amen.

AllSurely I am coming soon.
Amen. Come, Lord 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.

Matthew 15.29-end

After Jesus had left that place, he passed along the Sea of Galilee, and he went up the mountain, where he sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the mute, and many others. They put them at his feet, and he cured them, so that the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.

Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.’ The disciples said to him, ‘Where are we to get enough bread in the desert to feed so great a crowd?’ Jesus asked them, ‘How many loaves have you?’ They said, ‘Seven, and a few small fish.’ Then ordering the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish; and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all of them ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. Those who had eaten were four thousand men, besides women and children. After sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.

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

My soul is waiting for you, O Lord:
in your word is my hope.
AllMy soul is waiting for you, O Lord:
in your word is my hope.
There is forgiveness with you,
so that you shall be feared.
AllIn your word is my hope.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
AllMy soul is waiting for you, O Lord:
in your word is my hope.

from Psalm 130

 

Gospel Canticle

The Magnificat (The Song of Mary) is normally said, or The Song of Christ's Glory (page 619) 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 364–365

¶ The Church, that she may be ready for the coming of Christ
¶ The leaders of the Church
¶ The nations, that they may be subject to the rule of God
¶ Those who are working for justice in the world
¶ The broken, that they may find God’s healing

A form of prayer found on page 377 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

God our redeemer,
who gave light to the world that was in darkness
by the healing power of the Saviour's cross:
shed that light on us, we pray,
that with your martyr Lucy
we may, by the purity of our lives,
      reflect the light of Christ
and, by the merits of his passion,
      come to the light of everlasting life;
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

Awaiting his coming in glory,
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)

Awaiting his coming in glory,
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

May the Lord, when he comes,
find us watching and waiting.
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.