The Officiant begins the service with one or more of the following sentences of Scripture, or with the Service of Light, and continuing with the appointed Psalmody; or with the versicle 'O God, make speed to save us' Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Psalm 141:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from theLord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:2 Worship the Lord in the beauty of his holiness; let the whole earthtremble before him.
Psalm 96:9 Yours is the day, O God, yours also the night; you established the moon and the sun. You fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.
Psalm 74:15,16 I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel; my heart teaches me, night after night. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not fall.
Psalm 16:7,8 Seek him who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning, and darkens the day into night; who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the surface of the earth: The Lord is his name.
Amos 5:8 If I say, 'Surely the darkness will cover me, and the light around me turn to night,' darkness is not dark to you, O Lord; the night is as bright as the day; darkness and light to you are both alike.
Psalm 139:10,11 Jesus said, 'I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'
John 8:12 Confession of Sin Dearly beloved, we have come together in the presence of Almighty God our heavenly Father, to set forth his praise, to hear his holy Word, and to ask, for ourselves and on behalf of others, those things that are necessary for our life and our salvation. And so that we may prepare ourselves in heart and mind to worship him, let us kneel in silence, and with penitent and obedient hearts confess our sins, that we may obtain forgiveness by his infinite goodness and mercy.
or thisLet us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.
*A deacon or lay person using the preceding form remains kneeling, and substitutes 'us' for 'you' and 'our' for 'your.' Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen
The Invitatory and Psalter Officiant: Lord, open our lips.
People: And our mouth shall proclaim your praise
Officiant and People: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen Alleluia
Then follows one of the Invitatory Psalm, Venite, or Jubilate
Venite Psalm 95:1-7 Come, let us sing to the Lord; *
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *
and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God, *
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *
and the heights of the hills are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it, *
and his hands have molded the dry land.
Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *
Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!
The following Antiphon may be sung or said with the Invitatory PsalmEaster Season, including Ascension Day and the Day of Pentecost On this day the Lord has acted; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24 The Lessons
*At the end of the Psalms is sung or said Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: * as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
*After each Lesson the Reader may say Officiant : The Word of the Lord.
Response : Thanks be to God.
Psalm
111
(1) Praise the LORD! I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.
(2) The works of the LORD are great, Studied by all who have pleasure in them.
(3) His work is honorable and glorious, And His righteousness endures forever.
(4) He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; The LORD is gracious and full of compassion.
(5) He has given food to those who fear Him; He will ever be mindful of His covenant. (6) He has declared to His people the power of His works, In giving them the heritage of the nations. (7) The works of His hands are verity and justice; All His precepts are sure. (8) They stand fast forever and ever, And are done in truth and uprightness.
(9) He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever: Holy and awesome is His name. (10) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.
Psalm
114
(1) When Israel went out of Egypt, The house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
(2) Judah became His sanctuary, And Israel His dominion.
(3) The sea saw it and fled; Jordan turned back.
(4) The mountains skipped like rams, The little hills like lambs.
(5) What ails you, O sea, that you fled? O Jordan, that you turned back? (6) O mountains, that you skipped like rams? O little hills, like lambs? (7) Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, At the presence of the God of Jacob, (8) Who turned the rock into a pool of water, The flint into a fountain of waters.
Isaiah
30
(18) Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him.
(19) For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem; You shall weep no more. He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; When He hears it, He will answer you.
(20) And though the Lord gives you The bread of adversity and the water of affliction, Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, But your eyes shall see your teachers.
(21) Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.
Acts
2
(26) Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope.
(27) For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
(28) You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.'
(29) "Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
(30) "Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, (31) "he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. (32) "This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. (33) "Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
(34) "For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: 'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, (35) Till I make Your enemies Your footstool." ' (36) "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." (37) Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"
(38) Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (39) "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." (40) And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation." (41) Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
John
14
(15) " If you love Me, keep My commandments.
(16) "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever --
(17) "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
(18) "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
(19) " A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. (20) "At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. (21) "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." (22) Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?"
(23) Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. (24) "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me. (25) " These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. (26) "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
(27) "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (28) "You have heard Me say to you, 'I am going away and coming back to you.' If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, 'I am going to the Father,' for My Father is greater than I. (29) "And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. (30) "I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.
(31) "But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.CanticlesCanticles can be prayed or sung after each reading or after all readings.After the Old Testament a Canticle may be read or Silence may be kept after each Reading. One of the following Canticles can be sung or said after each reading.
10 The Second Song of Isaiah Quaerite Dominum Isaiah 55:6-11
Can be read after the Old Testament Reading
Seek the Lord while he wills to be found; *
call upon him when he draws near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways *
and the evil ones their thoughts;
And let them turn to the Lord, and he will have compassion, *
and to our God, for he will richly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, *
nor your ways my ways, says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, *
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
For as rain and snow fall from the heavens *
and return not again, but water the earth,
Bringing forth life and giving growth, *
seed for sowing and bread for eating,
So is my word that goes forth from my mouth; *
it will not return to me empty;
But it will accomplish that which I have purposed, *
and prosper in that for which I sent it.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
15 The Song of Mary Magnificat Luke 1:46-55
Can be read after the New Testament Reading
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 for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
The Apostles' Creed *Officiant and People together, all standing
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 Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
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.
The Prayers *The People stand or kneel Officiant : The Lord be with you.
People : And with your Spirit.
Officiant : Let us pray.
The Lord's Prayer
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.
Then follows one of these sets of Suffrages
A
Show us your mercy, O Lord;
And grant us your salvation.
Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
Let your people sing with joy.
Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
For only in you can we live in safety.
Lord, keep this nation under your care;
And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
Let your way be known upon earth;
Your saving health among all nations.
Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
. Create in us clean hearts, O God;
And sustain us by your Holy Spirit.
B
That this evening may be holy, good, and peaceful,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That your holy angels may lead us in paths of peace and goodwill,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That we may be pardoned and forgiven for our sins and offenses,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That there may be peace to your Church and to the whole world,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That we may depart this life in your faith and fear, and not be condemned before the great judgment seat of Christ,
We entreat you, O Lord.
That we may be bound together by your Holy Spirit in the communion of [________ and] all your saints, entrusting one another and all our life to Christ,
We entreat you, O Lord. The Collect of the Week:
Tuesday in Easter Week
O God, who by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus
Christ destroyed death and brought life and immortality to
light: Grant that we, who have been raised with him, may
abide in his presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the
Holy Spirit, be dominion and praise for ever and ever. Amen.
The Collect of the Day: A Collect for Peace(Tuesday)
O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know
you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend
us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that
we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of
any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Then, unless the Eucharist or a form of general intercession is to follow,one of these prayer for mission is addedO God and Father of all, whom the whole heavens adore: Let the whole earth also worship you, all nations obey you, all tongues confess and bless you, and men and women everywhere love you and serve you in peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
or this
Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love's sake.
Amen.
or the following
O God, you manifest in your servants the signs of your presence: Send forth upon us the spirit of love, that in companionship with one another your abounding grace may increase among us; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Here may be sung a hymn or anthem.
Authorized intercessions and thanksgivings may follow.
Before the close of the Office one or both of the following may be used
The General Thanksgiving
Officiant and People
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.
A Prayer of St. Chrysostom
Officiant
Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.
Then may be said
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God
The Officiant may then conclude with one of the following
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.
2 Corinthians 13:14 ---or---
May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Romans 15:13---or---
Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him from
generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:20,21This concludes the Evening Prayer, Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord