Vespers (Evening Prayer)
O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.
Sing we triumphant hymns of praise,
New hymns to heaven exulting raise:
Christ, by a road before untrod,
Ascendeth to the throne of God.
The holy Apostolic band
Upon the Mount of Olives stand,
And with the Virgin Mother see
Jesu’s resplendent majesty.
O grant us thitherward to tend,
And with unwearied hearts ascend
Toward thy kingdom’s throne, where thou
(As is our faith) art seated now.
All glory, Lord, to thee we pay,
Ascending o’er the stars to-day;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father and to Paraclete.
Psalm 124 (125)
The Lord guards his people |
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The Lord surrounds his people.
Those who trust in the Lord are like the mountain of Zion:
it cannot be shaken, it will stand firm for ever.
Jerusalem – the mountains stand guard over it,
and the Lord stands guard over his people,
both now and for ever.
The sceptre of the wicked shall not rest
upon the inheritance of the just;
lest the just themselves stretch out their hands
and turn to wickedness.
Be good, O Lord, to the good
and the upright of heart.
As for those who turn away to crooked paths,
the Lord shall treat them like the doers of evil.
Peace be on Israel!
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
The Lord surrounds his people.
Psalm 130 (131)
Childlike trust in God |
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Unless you become like little children you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Lord, I do not puff myself up or stare about,
or walk among the great or seek wonders beyond me.
Truly calm and quiet I have made my spirit:
quiet as a weaned child in its mother’s arms –
like an infant is my soul.
Let Israel hope in the Lord, now and for all time.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
Unless you become like little children you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
May your whole creation serve you, for you spoke and they came into being. Alleluia.
You are worthy, our Lord and our God,
to receive glory and honour and power;
for you made all things,
and it is by your will that they exist and were created.
You are worthy, Lord,
to receive the book and open its seals,
for you were killed,
and with your blood you have ransomed people
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and made them rulers and priests for God;
and they will rule over the earth.
The Lamb is worthy, who was killed,
to receive power and riches and wisdom,
strength and honour, glory and blessing.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
May your whole creation serve you, for you spoke and they came into being. Alleluia.
| Short reading | 1 Peter 2:4-5 © |
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The Lord is the living stone, rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him; set yourselves close to him so that you too, the holy priesthood that offers the spiritual sacrifices which Jesus Christ has made acceptable to God, may be living stones making a spiritual house.
The Holy Spirit is the Advocate. Alleluia, alleluia.
– The Holy Spirit is the Advocate. Alleluia, alleluia.
He will teach you everything.
– The Holy Spirit is the Advocate. Alleluia, alleluia.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– The Holy Spirit is the Advocate. Alleluia, alleluia.
| My soul rejoices in the Lord |
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You will receive the power of the Holy Spirit in you, and you will bear witness to me to the ends of the earth. Alleluia.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation.
For he has shown me such favour –
me, his lowly handmaiden.
Now all generations will call me blessed,
because the mighty one has done great things for me.
His name is holy,
his mercy lasts for generation after generation
for those who revere him.
He has put forth his strength:
he has scattered the proud and conceited,
torn princes from their thrones;
but lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
You will receive the power of the Holy Spirit in you, and you will bear witness to me to the ends of the earth. Alleluia.
| Prayers and Intercessions | |
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Honour and glory to Christ, who has made those who are faithful to him sharers of the Holy Spirit. Let us cry out to him:
– Christ, hear us.
Pour out the Holy Spirit, whom the Father has sent, onto the Church,
to purify and strengthen her and spread her presence across the world.
– Christ, hear us.
By your Spirit, lead those who rule over us:
may they serve you and work for what is good.
– Christ, hear us.
Send your Spirit, the father of the destitute
to give help to the poor and assist them to rise.
– Christ, hear us.
We pray for all the ministers of your sacraments:
may they always be faithful to their calling.
– Christ, hear us.
Give the dead, body and soul, the fullness of your redemption,
the result of your passion, resurrection, and ascension.
– Christ, hear us.
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.
God of power and mercy,
grant that when the Holy Spirit comes
he may dwell in us
and make us a temple filled with his glory.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.
AMEN
The psalms and canticles here are our own translation. The Grail translation of the psalms, which is used liturgically in most of the English-speaking world, cannot be displayed on the Web for copyright reasons. The Universalis downloads do contain the Grail translation of the psalms.
