Evening Prayer: Thursday of Proper 7 – 23 May, 2013

Week A

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

Glory 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.

PSALMODY

Antiphon: O Lord my God, how excellent is your greatness!*
you are clothed with majesty and splendour

Opening (from Psalm 104)
You appointed the moon to mark the seasons,*
and the sun knows the time of its setting.
You make darkness that it may be night,*
in which all the beasts of the forest prowl.
May the glory of the Lord endure for ever;*
may the Lord rejoice in all his works.
May these words of mine please him;*
I will rejoice in the Lord.
Glory to the Father…

Psalm 105:23-45
Israel came into Egypt,*
and Jacob became a sojourner in the land of Ham.
The Lord made his people exceedingly fruitful;*
he made them stronger than their enemies;
Whose heart he turned, so that they hated his people,*
and dealt unjustly with his servants.
He sent Moses his servant,*
and Aaron whom he had chosen.
They worked his signs among them,*
and portents in the land of Ham.
He sent darkness, and it grew dark;*
but the Egyptians rebelled against his words.
He turned their waters into blood*
and caused their fish to die.
Their land was overrun by frogs,*
in the very chambers of their kings.
He spoke, and there came swarms of insects*
and gnats within all their borders.
He gave them hailstones instead of rain,*
and flames of fire throughout their land.
He blasted their vines and their fig trees*
and shattered every tree in their country.
He spoke, and the locusts came,*
and young locusts without number,
Which ate up all the green plants in their land*
and devoured the fruit of their soil.
He struck down the firstborn of their land,*
the firstfruits of all their strength.
He led out his people with silver and gold;*
in all their tribes there was not one that stumbled.
Egypt was glad of their going,*
because they were afraid of them.
He spread out a cloud for a covering*
and a fire to give light in the night season.
They asked, and quails appeared,*
and he satisfied them with bread from heaven.
He opened the rock, and water flowed,*
so the river ran in the dry places.
For God remembered his holy word*
and Abraham his servant.
So he led forth his people with gladness,*
his chosen with shouts of joy.
He gave his people the lands of the nations,*
and they took the fruit of others’ toil,
That they might keep his statutes*
and observe his laws.
Hallelujah!
Glory to the Father . . .

God of our salvation, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, you have fulfilled your promise to our ancestors in the faith to redeem the world from slavery and to lead us into the promised land. Grant us living water from the rock and bread from heaven, that we may survive our desert pilgrimage and praise you for ever, through Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen

Conclusion (from 1 John 4)
Beloved let us love one another,*
for love is of God;
And those who love are born of God*
and know God.
Those who do not love do not know God,*
for God is love.
In this the love of God was made manifest among us,*
that God sent his only Son into the world
so that we might live through him.
In this is love: not that we loved God,*
but that God loved us and sent his Son
to be the expiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us,*
we also ought to love one another.
Glory to the Father…

Antiphon:  O Lord my God, how excellent is your greatness!*
you are clothed with majesty and splendour

READING

Readings of the day for Morning and Evening Prayer. Select one or more for each office.

Ruth 3.1-18
Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, ‘My daughter, I need to seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you. Now here is our kinsman Boaz, with whose young women you have been working. See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing-floor. Now wash and anoint yourself, and put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing-floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, observe the place where he lies; then, go and uncover his feet and lie down; and he will tell you what to do.’ She said to her, ‘All that you tell me I will do.’

So she went down to the threshing-floor and did just as her mother-in-law had instructed her. When Boaz had eaten and drunk, and he was in a contented mood, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came quietly and uncovered his feet, and lay down. At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and there, lying at his feet, was a woman! He said, ‘Who are you?’ And she answered, ‘I am Ruth, your servant; spread your cloak over your servant, for you are next-of-kin.’ He said, ‘May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter; this last instance of your loyalty is better than the first; you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, do not be afraid; I will do for you all that you ask, for all the assembly of my people know that you are a worthy woman. But now, though it is true that I am a near kinsman, there is another kinsman more closely related than I. Remain this night, and in the morning, if he will act as next-of-kin for you, good; let him do so. If he is not willing to act as next-of-kin for you, then, as the Lord lives, I will act as next-of-kin for you. Lie down until the morning.’

So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before one person could recognize another; for he said, ‘It must not be known that the woman came to the threshing-floor.’ Then he said, ‘Bring the cloak you are wearing and hold it out.’ So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley, and put it on her back; then he went into the city.She came to her mother-in-law, who said, ‘How did things go with you,my daughter?’ Then she told her all that the man had done for her,saying, ‘He gave me these six measures of barley, for he said, “Do not go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.” ’ She replied, ‘Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest, but will settle the matter today.’

1 Timothy 4.1-16
Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will renounce the faith by paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,through the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared with a hot iron. They forbid marriage and demand abstinence from foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by God’s word and by prayer.

If you put these instructions before the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound teaching that you have followed. Have nothing to do with profane myths and old wives’ tales. Train yourself in godliness, for, while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and struggle, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Saviour of all people, especially of those who believe.

These are the things you must insist on and teach. Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I arrive, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhorting, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders. Put these things into practice, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Luke 13.31-35
At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, ‘Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.’ He said to them, ‘Go and tell that fox for me, “Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed away from Jerusalem.” Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” ’

 Silence

Response (Psalm 119:105)
V. Your word is a lantern to my feet.
R. Your word is a lantern to my feet.
V. A light upon my path.
R. A lantern to my feet.
V. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
R. Your word is a lantern to my feet.

MAGNIFICAT

Magnificat Antiphon: Show, O Lord, the strength of your arm;*
scatter the proud and exalt the lowly.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,*
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
for he has looked with favour 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 forebears,*
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father

Magnificat Antiphon: Show, O Lord, the strength of your arm;*
scatter the proud and exalt the lowly.

PRAYERS

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

Our 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.
Do not bring us to the time of trial,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.

Collects
Almighty God, without you we are not able to please you.  Mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

Lord God almighty, come and dispel the darkness from our hearts, that in the radiance of your brightness we may know  you, the only unfading light, glorious in all eternity. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord:
Thanks be to God!

The God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing:
through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Evening Prayer: Wednesday of Proper 7 – 22 May, 2013

Week A

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

Glory 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.

PSALMODY

Antiphon: O Lord my God, how excellent is your greatness!*
you are clothed with majesty and splendour

Opening (from Psalm 104)
You appointed the moon to mark the seasons,*
and the sun knows the time of its setting.
You make darkness that it may be night,*
in which all the beasts of the forest prowl.
May the glory of the Lord endure for ever;*
may the Lord rejoice in all his works.
May these words of mine please him;*
I will rejoice in the Lord.
Glory to the Father…

Psalm 80
Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock;*
shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim.
In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh,*
stir up your strength and come to help us.
Restore us, O God of hosts;*
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
O Lord God of hosts,*
how long will you be angered
despite the prayers of your people?
You have fed them with the bread of tears;*
you have given them bowls of tears to drink.
You have made us the derision of our neighbours,*
and our enemies laugh us to scorn.
Restore us, O God of hosts;*
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
You have brought a vine out of Egypt;*
you cast out the nations and planted it.
You prepared the ground for it;*
it took root and filled the land.
The mountains were covered by its shadow*
and the towering cedar trees by its boughs.
You stretched out its tendrils to the Sea*
and its branches to the River.
Why have you broken down its wall,*
so that all who pass by pluck off its grapes?
The wild boar of the forest has ravaged it,*
and the beasts of the field have grazed upon it.
Turn now, O God of hosts, look down from heaven;
behold and tend this vine;*
preserve what your right hand has planted.
They burn it with fire like rubbish;*
at the rebuke of your countenance let them perish.
Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand,*
the son of man you have made so strong for yourself.
And so will we never turn away from you;*
give us life, that we may call upon your name.
Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;*
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
Glory to the Father . . .

Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ, our good shepherd; you have led us to the kingdom of your Father’s love. Forgive our careless indifference to your loving care for all your creatures, and remake us in the likeness of your new and risen life. We ask this in your name. Amen

Conclusion (from 1 John 4)
Beloved let us love one another,*
for love is of God;
And those who love are born of God*
and know God.
Those who do not love do not know God,*
for God is love.
In this the love of God was made manifest among us,*
that God sent his only Son into the world
so that we might live through him.
In this is love: not that we loved God,*
but that God loved us and sent his Son
to be the expiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us,*
we also ought to love one another.
Glory to the Father…

Antiphon:  O Lord my God, how excellent is your greatness!*
you are clothed with majesty and splendour

READING

Readings of the day for Morning and Evening Prayer. Select one or more for each office.

Ruth 2.14-23
At mealtime Boaz said to her, ‘Come here, and eat some of this bread, and dip your morsel in the sour wine.’ So she sat beside the reapers, and he heaped up for her some parched grain. She ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over. When she got up to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, ‘Let her glean even among the standing sheaves, and do not reproach her. You must also pull out some handfuls for her from the bundles, and leave them for her to glean, and do not rebuke her.’

So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. She picked it up and came into the town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gleaned. Then she took out and gave her what was left over after she herself had been satisfied. Her mother-in-law said to her, ‘Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you.’ So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, ‘The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz.’ Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, ‘Blessed be he by theLord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!’ Naomi also said to her, ‘The man is a relative of ours, one of our nearest kin.’Then Ruth the Moabite said, ‘He even said to me, “Stay close by my servants, until they have finished all my harvest.” ’ Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, ‘It is better, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, otherwise you might be bothered in another field.’ So she stayed close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests; and she lived with her mother-in-law.

1 Timothy 3.1-16
The saying is sure: whoever aspires to the office of bishop desires a noble task. Now a bishop must be above reproach, married only once,temperate, sensible, respectable, hospitable, an apt teacher, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, keeping his children submissive and respectful in every way— for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may be puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace and the snare of the devil.

Deacons likewise must be serious, not double-tongued, not indulging in much wine, not greedy for money; they must hold fast to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let them first be tested; then, if they prove themselves blameless, let them serve as deacons. Womenlikewise must be serious, not slanderers, but temperate, faithful in all things. Let deacons be married only once, and let them manage their children and their households well; for those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you so that, if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth. Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great:
He was revealed in flesh,
vindicated in spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed among Gentiles,
believed in throughout the world,
taken up in glory.

Luke 13.18-30
He said therefore, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.’

And again he said, ‘To what should I compare the kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.’

Jesus went through one town and village after another, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, ‘Lord, will only a few be saved?’ He said to them, ‘Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. When once the owner of the house has got up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, “Lord, open to us”, then in reply he will say to you, “I do not know where you come from.” Then you will begin to say, “We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.” But he will say, “I do not know where you come from; go away from me, all you evildoers!” There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrown out. Then people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God. Indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.’

 Silence

Response (Psalm 119:105)
V. Your word is a lantern to my feet.
R. Your word is a lantern to my feet.
V. A light upon my path.
R. A lantern to my feet.
V. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
R. Your word is a lantern to my feet.

MAGNIFICAT

Magnificat Antiphon: God looks with favour* on his lowly servant

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,*
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
for he has looked with favour 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 forebears,*
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father

Magnificat Antiphon: God looks with favour* on his lowly servant

PRAYERS

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

Our 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.
Do not bring us to the time of trial,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.

Collects
Almighty God, without you we are not able to please you.  Mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

Lord God almighty, come and dispel the darkness from our hearts, that in the radiance of your brightness we may know  you, the only unfading light, glorious in all eternity. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord:
Thanks be to God!

The God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing:
through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Evening Prayer: Tuesday of Proper 7 – 21 May, 2013

Week A

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

Glory 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.

PSALMODY

Antiphon: O Lord my God, how excellent is your greatness!*
you are clothed with majesty and splendour

Opening (from Psalm 104)
You appointed the moon to mark the seasons,*
and the sun knows the time of its setting.
You make darkness that it may be night,*
in which all the beasts of the forest prowl.
May the glory of the Lord endure for ever;*
may the Lord rejoice in all his works.
May these words of mine please him;*
I will rejoice in the Lord.
Glory to the Father…

Psalm 36
There is a voice of rebellion deep in the heart of the wicked;*
there is no fear of God before his eyes.
He flatters himself in his own eyes*
that his hateful sin will not be found out.
The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful;*
he has left off acting wisely and doing good.
He thinks up wickedness upon his bed
and has set himself in no good way;*
he does not abhor that which is evil.
Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens,*
and your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the strong mountains,
your justice like the great deep;*
you save both man and beast, O Lord.
How priceless is your love, O God!*
your people take refuge under the shadow of your wings.
They feast upon the abundance of your house;*
you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the well of life,*
and in your light we see light.
Continue your loving-kindness to those who know you,*
and your favour to those who are true of heart.
Let not the foot of the proud come near me.*
nor the hand of the wicked push me aside.
See how they are fallen, those who work wickedness!*
they are cast down and shall not be able to rise.
Glory to the Father . . .

God of justice and of mercy, open the eyes of sinners that they may see the light of your truth, know the power of your love, and share in the bounty of your heavenly table; through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen

Conclusion (from 1 John 4)
Beloved let us love one another,*
for love is of God;
And those who love are born of God*
and know God.
Those who do not love do not know God,*
for God is love.
In this the love of God was made manifest among us,*
that God sent his only Son into the world
so that we might live through him.
In this is love: not that we loved God,*
but that God loved us and sent his Son
to be the expiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us,*
we also ought to love one another.
Glory to the Father…

Antiphon:  O Lord my God, how excellent is your greatness!*
you are clothed with majesty and splendour

READING

Readings of the day for Morning and Evening Prayer. Select one or more for each office.

Ruth 1.19-2.13

So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them; and the women said, ‘Is this Naomi?’ She said to them,
‘Call me no longer Naomi,
call me Mara,
for the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me.
I went away full,
but the Lord has brought me back empty;
why call me Naomi
when the Lord has dealt harshly with me,
and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?’

So Naomi returned together with Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, who came back with her from the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.

Now Naomi had a kinsman on her husband’s side, a prominent rich man, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, ‘Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain, behind someone in whose sight I may find favour.’ She said to her, ‘Go, my daughter.’ So she went. She came and gleaned in the field behind the reapers. As it happened, she came to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. Just then Boaz came from Bethlehem. He said to the reapers, ‘The Lord be with you.’ They answered, ‘The Lord bless you.’ Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, ‘To whom does this young woman belong?’ The servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, ‘She is the Moabite who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. She said, “Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the reapers.” So she came, and she has been on her feet from early this morning until now, without resting even for a moment.’

Then Boaz said to Ruth, ‘Now listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women.Keep your eyes on the field that is being reaped, and follow behind them. I have ordered the young men not to bother you. If you get thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.’ Then she fell prostrate, with her face to the ground, and said to him, ‘Why have I found favour in your sight, that you should take notice of me, when I am a foreigner?’ But Boaz answered her, ‘All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. May theLord reward you for your deeds, and may you have a full reward from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge!’ Then she said, ‘May I continue to find favour in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, even though I am not one of your servants.’

1 Timothy 1.18-2.8
I am giving you these instructions, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies made earlier about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, having faith and a good conscience. By rejecting conscience, certain persons have suffered shipwreck in the faith; among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have turned over to Satan, so that they may learn not to blaspheme.

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings should be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For
there is one God;
there is also one mediator between God and humankind,
Christ Jesus, himself human,
who gave himself a ransom for all
—this was attested at the right time. For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

I desire, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument;

 Silence

Response (Psalm 119:105)
V. Your word is a lantern to my feet.
R. Your word is a lantern to my feet.
V. A light upon my path.
R. A lantern to my feet.
V. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
R. Your word is a lantern to my feet.

MAGNIFICAT

Magnificat Antiphon: Our spirits rejoice* in God our saviour.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,*
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
for he has looked with favour 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 forebears,*
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father

Magnificat Antiphon: Our spirits rejoice* in God our saviour.

PRAYERS

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

Our 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.
Do not bring us to the time of trial,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.

Collects
Almighty God, without you we are not able to please you.  Mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

Lord God almighty, come and dispel the darkness from our hearts, that in the radiance of your brightness we may know  you, the only unfading light, glorious in all eternity. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord:
Thanks be to God!

The God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing:
through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Evening Prayer: Monday of Proper 7 – 20 May, 2013

Week A

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

Glory 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.

PSALMODY

Antiphon: O Lord my God, how excellent is your greatness!*
you are clothed with majesty and splendour

Opening (from Psalm 104)
You appointed the moon to mark the seasons,*
and the sun knows the time of its setting.
You make darkness that it may be night,*
in which all the beasts of the forest prowl.
May the glory of the Lord endure for ever;*
may the Lord rejoice in all his works.
May these words of mine please him;*
I will rejoice in the Lord.
Glory to the Father…

Psalm 8
O Lord our governor,*
how exalted is your name in all the world!
Out of the mouths of infants and children*
your majesty is praised above the heavens.
You have set up a stronghold against your adversaries,*
to quell the enemy and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,*
the moon and the stars you have set in their courses,
What is man that you should be mindful of him?*
the son of man that you should seek him out?
You have made him but little lower than the angels;*
you adorn him with glory and honour;
You give him mastery over the works of your hands;*
you put all things under his feet;
All sheep and oxen,*
even the wild beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fish of the sea,*
and whatsoever walks in the paths of the sea.
O Lord our governor,*
how exalted is your name in all the world!
Glory to the Father . . .

Blessed are you, creator of heaven and earth; amid the immensity of the universe, you are mindful of us and seek us out. Blessed are you for the gift of your Son, who humbled himself to share our life that we might be raised with him to glory and splendour.  Blessed be your holy name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen

Conclusion (from 1 John 4)
Beloved let us love one another,*
for love is of God;
And those who love are born of God*
and know God.
Those who do not love do not know God,*
for God is love.
In this the love of God was made manifest among us,*
that God sent his only Son into the world
so that we might live through him.
In this is love: not that we loved God,*
but that God loved us and sent his Son
to be the expiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us,*
we also ought to love one another.
Glory to the Father…

Antiphon:  O Lord my God, how excellent is your greatness!*
you are clothed with majesty and splendour

READING

Readings of the day for Morning and Evening Prayer. Select one or more for each office.

Ruth 1.1-18

 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there for about ten years, both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons or her husband.

Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had had consideration for his people and given them food. So she set out from the place where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah. But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, ‘Go back each of you to your mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband.’ Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud. They said to her, ‘No, we will return with you to your people.’ But Naomi said, ‘Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons, would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the Lordhas turned against me.’ Then they wept aloud again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

So she said, ‘See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.’ But Ruth said,
‘Do not press me to leave you
or to turn back from following you!
Where you go, I will go;
where you lodge, I will lodge;
your people shall be my people,
and your God my God.
Where you die, I will die—
there will I be buried.
May the Lord do thus and so to me,
and more as well,
if even death parts me from you!’
When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.

1 Timothy 1.1-17

 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Saviour and of Christ Jesus our hope,

To Timothy, my loyal child in the faith:

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

I urge you, as I did when I was on my way to Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach any different doctrine, and not to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies that promote speculations rather than the divine trainingthat is known by faith. But the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. Some people have deviated from these and turned to meaningless talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make assertions.

Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it legitimately. This means understanding that the law is laid down not for the innocent but for the lawless and disobedient, for the godless and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their father or mother, for murderers,fornicators, sodomites, slave-traders, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost. But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Luke 13.1-9

 At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, ‘Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.’

Then he told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, “See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?” He replied, “Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig round it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.” ’

 Silence

Response (Psalm 119:105)
V. Your word is a lantern to my feet.
R. Your word is a lantern to my feet.
V. A light upon my path.
R. A lantern to my feet.
V. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
R. Your word is a lantern to my feet.

MAGNIFICAT

Magnificat Antiphon: My soul proclaims* the greatness of the Lord.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,*
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
for he has looked with favour 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 forebears,*
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father

Magnificat Antiphon: My soul proclaims* the greatness of the Lord.

PRAYERS

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

Our 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.
Do not bring us to the time of trial,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.

Collects
Almighty God, without you we are not able to please you.  Mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

Lord God almighty, come and dispel the darkness from our hearts, that in the radiance of your brightness we may know you, the only unfading light, glorious in all eternity. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord:
Thanks be to God!

The God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing:
through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Evening Prayer: The Day of Pentecost (Proper 7) – 19 May, 2013

NEW LIFE – THE SPIRIT

 

V. O God, make speed to save us;
R. O Lord, make haste to help us.

Glory 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.

PSALMODY

Antiphon: Give me the joy of your saving help again*
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.

Opening (from Psalm 51)
You look for truth deep within me,*
and will make me understand wisdom secretly.
Purge me from my sin, and I shall be pure;*
wash me, and I shall be clean indeed.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,*
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence*
and take not your holy Spirit from me.

Glory to the Father…

Psalm 68.1-20
Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered;*
let those who hate him flee before him.
Let them vanish like smoke when the wind drives it away;*
as the wax melts at the fire, so let the wicked perish at
the presence of God.
But let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God;*
let them also be merry and joyful.
Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
exalt him who rides upon the heavens;*
Yahweh is his name, rejoice before him!
Father of orphans, defender of widows,*
God in his holy habitation!
God gives the solitary a home and brings forth prisoners
into freedom;*
but the rebels shall live in dry places.
O God, when you went forth before your people,*
when you marched through the wilderness,
The earth shook, and the skies poured down rain,
at the presence of God, the God of Sinai,*
at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
You sent a gracious rain, O God, upon your inheritance;*
you refreshed the land when it was weary.
Your people found their home in it;*
in your goodness, O God, you have made provision
for the poor.
The Lord gave the word;*
great was the company of women who bore the tidings:
‘Kings with their armies are fleeing away;*
the women at home are dividing the spoils.’
Though you lingered among the sheepfolds,*
you shall be like a dove whose wings are covered with silver,
whose feathers are like green gold.
When the Almighty scattered kings,*
it was like snow falling in Zalmon.
O mighty mountain, O hill of Bashan!*
O rugged mountain, O hill of Bashan!
Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountain,
at the hill which God chose for his resting place?*
truly, the Lord will dwell there for ever.
The chariots of God are twenty thousand,
even thousands of thousands;*
the Lord comes in holiness from Sinai.
You have gone up on high and led captivity captive;
you have received gifts even from your enemies,*
that the Lord God might dwell among them.
Blessed be the Lord day by day,*
the God of our salvation, who bears our burdens.
He is our God, the God of our salvation;*
God is the Lord, by whom we escape death.

Conclusion (from Romans 8)
If God is for us, who is against us?*
The God who did not spare his own Son,
will he not give us all things with him?
It is God who justifies; who is to condemn?*
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Neither death nor life,*
nor angels nor principalities;
Nor things present, nor things to come,*
nor depth, nor height;
Nor powers, nor anything in all creation*
shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus
our Lord.

Glory to the Father…

Antiphon: Give me the joy of your saving help again
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.

READING

Luke 24: 44-53
Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.’

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

 Silence

Response (Psalm 147.5)
V. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; alleluia, alleluia.
R. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; alleluia, alleluia.
V. There is no limit to his wisdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
V. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
R Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; alleluia, alleluia.

MAGNIFICAT

Magnificat Antiphon: : In the Spirit,* we have access to the Father;
alleluia!

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,*
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
for he has looked with favour 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 forebears,*
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father

Magnificat Antiphon: In the Spirit,* we have access to the Father;
alleluia!

 

PRAYERS

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

Our 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.
Do not bring us to the time of trial,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.

 

Collects
Almighty and everliving God, who fulfilled the promises of Easter by sending us your Holy Spirit and opening to every race and nation the way of life eternal: keep us in the unity of your Spirit, that every tongue may tell of your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

Lord God almighty, come and dispel the darkness from our hearts, that in the radiance of your brightness we may know you, the only unfading light, glorious in all eternity. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord:
Thanks be to God!

The God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing:
through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Read Full Post »

Evening Prayer: Wednesday of Easter 7 – 15 May, 2013

NEW LIFE – THE SPIRIT

 

V. O God, make speed to save us;
R. O Lord, make haste to help us.

Glory 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.

PSALMODY

Antiphon: Give me the joy of your saving help again*
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.

Opening (from Psalm 51)
You look for truth deep within me,*
and will make me understand wisdom secretly.
Purge me from my sin, and I shall be pure;*
wash me, and I shall be clean indeed.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,*
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence*
and take not your holy Spirit from me.

Glory to the Father…

Psalm 66
Be joyful in God, all you lands;*
sing the glory of his name; sing the glory of his praise.
Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds!*
because of your great strength your enemies
cringe before you.
All the earth bows down before you,*
sings to you, sings out your name.’
Come now and see the works of God,*
how wonderful he is in his doing toward all people.
He turned the sea into dry land,
so that they went through the water on foot,*
and there we rejoiced in him.
In his might he rules for ever;
his eyes keep watch over the nations;*
let no rebel rise up against him.
Bless our God, you peoples;*
make the voice of his praise to be heard;
Who holds our souls in life,*
and will not allow our feet to slip.
For you, O God, have proved us;*
you have tried us just as silver is tried.
You brought us into the snare;*
you laid heavy burdens upon our backs.
You let enemies ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water;*
but you brought us out into a place of refreshment.
I will enter your house with burnt-offerings
and will pay you my vows,*
which I promised with my lips
and spoke with my mouth when I was in trouble.
I will offer you sacrifices of fat beasts
with the smoke of rams;*
I will give you oxen and goats.
Come and listen, all you who fear God,*
and I will tell you what he has done for me.
I called out to him with my mouth,*
and his praise was on my tongue.
If I had found evil in my heart,*
the Lord would not have heard me;
But in truth God has heard me;*
he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God, who has not rejected my prayer,*
nor withheld his love from me.
Glory to the Father . . .

God of power and might, you bring your people out of darkness and slavery into light and freedom through the waters of salvation. Receive our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, and keep us always in your steadfast love, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Antiphon: Give me the joy of your saving help again
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.

READING

Luke 10: 17-24
The seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!’ He said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’

At that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’

Then turning to the disciples, Jesus said to them privately, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.’

 Silence

Response (Psalm 147.5)
V. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; alleluia, alleluia.
R. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; alleluia, alleluia.
V. There is no limit to his wisdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
V. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
R Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; alleluia, alleluia.

MAGNIFICAT

Magnificat Antiphon: I will not leave you desolate, says the Lord;*
I will come to you.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,*
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
for he has looked with favour 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 forebears,*
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father

Magnificat Antiphon: I will not leave you desolate, says the Lord;*
I will come to you.

 

PRAYERS

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

Our 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.
Do not bring us to the time of trial,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.

 

Collects
Almighty God, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven.  Mercifully give us faith to know that, as he promised, he abides with us on earth to the end of time;  who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Lord God almighty, come and dispel the darkness from our hearts, that in the radiance of your brightness we may know you, the only unfading light, glorious in all eternity. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord:
Thanks be to God!

The God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing:
through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Read Full Post »

Evening Prayer: Tuesday of Easter 7 – 14 May, 2013

NEW LIFE – THE SPIRIT

 

V. O God, make speed to save us;
R. O Lord, make haste to help us.

Glory 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.

PSALMODY

Antiphon: Give me the joy of your saving help again*
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.

Opening (from Psalm 51)
You look for truth deep within me,*
and will make me understand wisdom secretly.
Purge me from my sin, and I shall be pure;*
wash me, and I shall be clean indeed.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,*
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence*
and take not your holy Spirit from me.

Glory to the Father…

Psalm 113
Hallelujah!
Give praise, you servants of the Lord;*
praise the name of the Lord.
Let the name of the Lord be blessed,*
from this time forth for evermore.
From the rising of the sun to its going down*
let the name of the Lord be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations,*
and his glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God, who sits enthroned on high,*
but stoops to behold the heavens and the earth?
He takes up the weak out of the dust*
and lifts up the poor from the ashes.
He sets them with the princes,*
with the princes of his people.
He makes the woman of a childless house*
to be a joyful mother of children.
Glory to the Father . . .

We magnify your name, O Lord, in all times and places. You subdue the arrogant and raise the humble; you feed the hungry and reveal the poverty of wealth. We give thanks for your salvation, made known in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Psalm 117
Praise the Lord, all you nations;*
laud him, all you peoples.
For his loving-kindness toward us is great,*
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.
Hallelujah!
Glory to the Father . . .

Faithful God, your loving kindness for all people is revealed in Jesus Christ. Let your kingdom come now in peace and justice in all the world. We ask this in his name. Amen

Antiphon: Give me the joy of your saving help again
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.

READING

Luke 10: 1-17
After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace to this house!”And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the labourer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, “Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.” I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.

‘Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But at the judgement it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum,
will you be exalted to heaven?
No, you will be brought down to Hades.

‘Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.’

The seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!’

 Silence

Response (Psalm 147.5)
V. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; alleluia, alleluia.
R. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; alleluia, alleluia.
V. There is no limit to his wisdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
V. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
R Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; alleluia, alleluia.

MAGNIFICAT

Magnificat Antiphon: I will not leave you desolate, says the Lord;*
I will come to you.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,*
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
for he has looked with favour 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 forebears,*
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father

Magnificat Antiphon: I will not leave you desolate, says the Lord;*
I will come to you.

 

PRAYERS

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

Our 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.
Do not bring us to the time of trial,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.

 

Collects
Almighty God, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven.  Mercifully give us faith to know that, as he promised, he abides with us on earth to the end of time;  who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Lord God almighty, come and dispel the darkness from our hearts, that in the radiance of your brightness we may know you, the only unfading light, glorious in all eternity. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord:
Thanks be to God!

The God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing:
through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Evening Prayer: Monday of Easter 7 – 13 May, 2013

NEW LIFE – THE SPIRIT

 

V. O God, make speed to save us;
R. O Lord, make haste to help us.

Glory 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.

PSALMODY

Antiphon: Give me the joy of your saving help again*
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.

Opening (from Psalm 51)
You look for truth deep within me,*
and will make me understand wisdom secretly.
Purge me from my sin, and I shall be pure;*
wash me, and I shall be clean indeed.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,*
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence*
and take not your holy Spirit from me.

Glory to the Father…

Psalm 139
Lord, you have searched me out and known me;*
you know my sitting down and my rising up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
You trace my journeys and my resting-places*
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Indeed, there is not a word on my lips,*
but you, O Lord, know it altogether.
You press upon me behind and before*
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;*
it is so high that I cannot attain to it.
Where can I go then from your Spirit?*
where can I flee from your presence?
If I climb up to heaven, you are there;*
if I make the grave my bed, you are there also.
If I take the wings of the morning*
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Even there your hand will lead me*
and your right hand hold me fast.
If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will cover me,*
and the light around me turn to night,’
Darkness is not dark to you;
the night is as bright as the day;*
darkness and light to you are both alike.
For you yourself created my inmost parts;*
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I will thank you because I am marvellously made;*
your works are wonderful, and I know it well.
My body was not hidden from you,*
while I was being made in secret
and woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes beheld my limbs, yet unfinished in the womb;
all of them were written in your book;*
they were fashioned day by day,
when as yet there was none of them.
How deep I find your thoughts, O God!*
how great is the sum of them!
If I were to count them, they would be more in number
than the sand;*
to count them all, my life span would need to
be like yours.
Oh, that you would slay the wicked, O God!*
You that thirst for blood, depart from me.
They speak despitefully against you;*
your enemies take your name in vain.
Do I not hate those, O Lord, who hate you?*
and do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
I hate them with a perfect hatred;*
they have become my own enemies.
Search me out, O God, and know my heart;*
try me and know my restless thoughts.
Look well whether there be any wickedness in me*
and lead me in the way that is everlasting.
God of mystery and power, even our minds and hearts are the veils and signs of your presence. We come in silent wonder to learn the way of simplicity, the eternal road that leads to love for you and for your whole creation. We come as your Son Jesus Christ taught us, and in his name.

Antiphon: Give me the joy of your saving help again
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.

READING

Luke 9: 51-62
When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set towards Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, ‘Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?’ But he turned and rebuked them. Then they went on to another village.

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’

 Silence

Response (Psalm 147.5)
V. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; alleluia, alleluia.
R. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; alleluia, alleluia.
V. There is no limit to his wisdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
V. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
R Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; alleluia, alleluia.

MAGNIFICAT

Magnificat Antiphon: I will not leave you desolate, says the Lord;*
I will come to you.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,*
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
for he has looked with favour 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 forebears,*
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father

Magnificat Antiphon: I will not leave you desolate, says the Lord;*
I will come to you.

 

PRAYERS

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

Our 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.
Do not bring us to the time of trial,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.

 

Collects
Almighty God, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven.  Mercifully give us faith to know that, as he promised, he abides with us on earth to the end of time;  who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Lord God almighty, come and dispel the darkness from our hearts, that in the radiance of your brightness we may know you, the only unfading light, glorious in all eternity. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord:
Thanks be to God!

The God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing:
through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Evening Prayer: Seventh Sunday of Easter – 12 May, 2013

NEW LIFE – THE SPIRIT

 

V. O God, make speed to save us;
R. O Lord, make haste to help us.

Glory 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.

PSALMODY

Antiphon: Give me the joy of your saving help again*
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.

Opening (from Psalm 51)
You look for truth deep within me,*
and will make me understand wisdom secretly.
Purge me from my sin, and I shall be pure;*
wash me, and I shall be clean indeed.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,*
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence*
and take not your holy Spirit from me.

Glory to the Father…

Psalm 68.1-20
Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered;*
let those who hate him flee before him.
Let them vanish like smoke when the wind drives it away;*
as the wax melts at the fire, so let the wicked perish at
the presence of God.
But let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God;*
let them also be merry and joyful.
Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
exalt him who rides upon the heavens;*
Yahweh is his name, rejoice before him!
Father of orphans, defender of widows,*
God in his holy habitation!
God gives the solitary a home and brings forth prisoners
into freedom;*
but the rebels shall live in dry places.
O God, when you went forth before your people,*
when you marched through the wilderness,
The earth shook, and the skies poured down rain,
at the presence of God, the God of Sinai,*
at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
You sent a gracious rain, O God, upon your inheritance;*
you refreshed the land when it was weary.
Your people found their home in it;*
in your goodness, O God, you have made provision
for the poor.
The Lord gave the word;*
great was the company of women who bore the tidings:
‘Kings with their armies are fleeing away;*
the women at home are dividing the spoils.’
Though you lingered among the sheepfolds,*
you shall be like a dove whose wings are covered with silver,
whose feathers are like green gold.
When the Almighty scattered kings,*
it was like snow falling in Zalmon.
O mighty mountain, O hill of Bashan!*
O rugged mountain, O hill of Bashan!
Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountain,
at the hill which God chose for his resting place?*
truly, the Lord will dwell there for ever.
The chariots of God are twenty thousand,
even thousands of thousands;*
the Lord comes in holiness from Sinai.
You have gone up on high and led captivity captive;
you have received gifts even from your enemies,*
that the Lord God might dwell among them.
Blessed be the Lord day by day,*
the God of our salvation, who bears our burdens.
He is our God, the God of our salvation;*
God is the Lord, by whom we escape death.

Conclusion (from Romans 8)
If God is for us, who is against us?*
The God who did not spare his own Son,
will he not give us all things with him?
It is God who justifies; who is to condemn?*
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Neither death nor life,*
nor angels nor principalities;
Nor things present, nor things to come,*
nor depth, nor height;
Nor powers, nor anything in all creation*
shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus
our Lord.

Glory to the Father…

Antiphon: Give me the joy of your saving help again
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.

READING

Mark 16: 14-20
Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table; and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the good newsto the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.’

So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it. ]]

 Silence

Response (Psalm 147.5)
V. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; alleluia, alleluia.
R. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; alleluia, alleluia.
V. There is no limit to his wisdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
V. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
R Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; alleluia, alleluia.

MAGNIFICAT

Magnificat Antiphon: I will not leave you desolate, says the Lord;*
I will come to you.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,*
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
for he has looked with favour 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 forebears,*
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father

Magnificat Antiphon: I will not leave you desolate, says the Lord;*
I will come to you.

 

PRAYERS

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

Our 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.
Do not bring us to the time of trial,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.

 

Collects
Almighty God, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven.  Mercifully give us faith to know that, as he promised, he abides with us on earth to the end of time;  who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Lord God almighty, come and dispel the darkness from our hearts, that in the radiance of your brightness we may know you, the only unfading light, glorious in all eternity. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord:
Thanks be to God!

The God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing:
through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Evening Prayer: Saturday of Easter 6 – 11 May, 2013

NEW LIFE – THE SPIRIT

 

V. O God, make speed to save us;
R. O Lord, make haste to help us.

Glory 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.

PSALMODY

Antiphon: Give me the joy of your saving help again*
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.

Opening (from Psalm 51)
You look for truth deep within me,*
and will make me understand wisdom secretly.
Purge me from my sin, and I shall be pure;*
wash me, and I shall be clean indeed.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,*
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence*
and take not your holy Spirit from me.

Glory to the Father…

Psalm 136
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,*
for his mercy endures for ever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,*
for his mercy endures for ever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,*
for his mercy endures for ever.
Who only does great wonders,*
for his mercy endures for ever;
Who by his wisdom made the heavens,*
for his mercy endures for ever;
Who spread out the earth upon the waters,*
for his mercy endures for ever;
Who created great lights,*
for his mercy endures for ever;
The sun to rule the day,*
for his mercy endures for ever;
The moon and the stars to govern the night,*
for his mercy endures for ever.
Who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,*
for his mercy endures for ever;
And brought out Israel from among them,*
for his mercy endures for ever;
With a mighty hand and a stretched-out arm,*
for his mercy endures for ever;
Who divided the Red Sea in two,*
for his mercy endures for ever;
And made Israel to pass through the midst of it,*
for his mercy endures for ever;
But swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea,*
for his mercy endures for ever;
Who led his people through the wilderness,*
for his mercy endures for ever.
Who struck down great kings,*
for his mercy endures for ever;
And slew mighty kings,*
for his mercy endures for ever;
Sihon, king of the Amorites,*
for his mercy endures for ever;
And Og, the king of Bashan,*
for his mercy endures for ever;
And gave away their lands for an inheritance,*
for his mercy endures for ever;
An inheritance for Israel his servant,*
for his mercy endures for ever.
Who remembered us in our low estate,*
for his mercy endures for ever;
And delivered us from our enemies,*
for his mercy endures for ever;
Who gives food to all creatures,*
for his mercy endures for ever;
Give thanks to the God of heaven,*
for his mercy endures for ever.
Maker and Sustainer of all things, Source of all life and goodness, help us always to love and serve one another, and to worship you with joy and gladness, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Antiphon: Give me the joy of your saving help again
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.

READING

Luke 9: 37-50
On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. Just then a man from the crowd shouted, ‘Teacher, I beg you to look at my son; he is my only child. Suddenly a spirit seizes him, and all at once he shrieks. It throws him into convulsions until he foams at the mouth; it mauls him and will scarcely leave him. I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.’ Jesus answered, ‘You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.’ While he was coming, the demon dashed him to the ground in convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. And all were astounded at the greatness of God.

While everyone was amazed at all that he was doing, he said to his disciples, ‘Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands.’ But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was concealed from them, so that they could not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

An argument arose among them as to which one of them was the greatest. But Jesus, aware of their inner thoughts, took a little child and put it by his side, and said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest.’

John answered, ‘Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Do not stop him; for whoever is not against you is for you.’

 Silence

Response (Psalm 147.5)
V. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; alleluia, alleluia.
R. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; alleluia, alleluia.
V. There is no limit to his wisdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
V. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
R Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; alleluia, alleluia.

MAGNIFICAT

Magnificat Antiphon: I will not leave you desolate, says the Lord;*
I will come to you.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,*
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
for he has looked with favour 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 forebears,*
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father

Magnificat Antiphon: I will not leave you desolate, says the Lord;*
I will come to you.

PRAYERS

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

Our 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.
Do not bring us to the time of trial,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.

 

Collects
Merciful God, you have prepared for those who love you riches beyond imagination.  Pour into our hearts such love towards you that we, loving you above all things, may obtain your promises which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Lord God almighty, come and dispel the darkness from our hearts, that in the radiance of your brightness we may know you, the only unfading light, glorious in all eternity. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord:
Thanks be to God!

The God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing:
through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Read Full Post »