Vespers (Evening Prayer)
O God, come to our aid.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
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.
All hail the power of Jesus’ name;
Let Angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem
To crown him Lord of all.
Crown him, ye Martyrs of your God,
Who from his altar call;
Praise him whose way of pain ye trod,
And crown him Lord of all.
Hail him, ye heirs of David’s line,
Whom David Lord did call;
The God Incarnate, Man Divine,
And crown him Lord of all.
Let every tribe and every tongue
To him their hearts enthral,
Lift high the universal song,
And crown him Lord of all.
Psalm 131 (132)
God's promise to the house of David
The Lord God gave him the throne of David, his father. Alleluia.
Lord, remember David
and how he served you.
He swore to the Lord,
vowed a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
“I will not go into my tent, my home,
nor go up to my bed of rest;
I will not let my eyes sleep
or my eyelids grow heavy
until I have found a place for the Lord,
a dwelling-place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
We heard that it was in Ephratha,
we found it in the plains of Jaar.
So let us go into his dwelling-place
and let us worship before his footstool.
Rise up, Lord, and come to your place of rest.
Come with the Ark of your power.
Let your priests be robed in your justice,
and let your chosen ones rejoice.
Remember what David did for you,
and do not turn your face from your Anointed.
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 God gave him the throne of David, his father. Alleluia.
Psalm 131 (132)
Jesus Christ is the only Ruler over all, the King of kings and Lord of lords. Alleluia.
The Lord swore David a true oath,
he will not go back on his word:
“The fruit of your body
I will place on your throne.
If your children keep my covenant and the commands I teach them,
their children’s children will occupy your throne for ever.”
For the Lord has chosen Zion,
taken it for his dwelling-place:
“Here will I take my rest for all time:
here will I live, such is my desire.
I will bless its crops with my blessing,
I will fill its poor with bread.
I will clothe its priests with righteousness.
Its chosen ones will exult with joy.
There will I plant the sign of David,
and prepare a lamp for my anointed one.
I will wrap his enemies in confusion,
but over his head my crown will shine.
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.
Jesus Christ is the only Ruler over all, the King of kings and Lord of lords. Alleluia.
The Judgement
Lord, who is your like, majestic in strength and holiness? Alleluia.
We thank you,
Lord God Almighty,
who are and who were,
that you have taken up your great power and begun to reign.
The nations were angered,
but your anger came, the time for the dead to be judged,
the time to reward the prophets and saints, your servants,
and those who feared your name, both great and small.
Now have come the salvation and might and kingdom of our God,
and the power of his Anointed,
for the accuser of our brethren has been brought down,
who accused them day and night in the sight of God.
But they vanquished him through the blood of the Lamb
and through their own witness.
They did not cling to life,
even in the face of death.
Therefore rejoice, heavens,
and you who dwell in them.
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.
Lord, who is your like, majestic in strength and holiness? Alleluia.
| Scripture Reading |
|---|
| 1 Corinthians 7:32,34 © |
|---|
An unmarried man can devote himself to the Lord’s affairs, all he need worry about is pleasing the Lord. In the same way an unmarried woman, like a young girl, can devote herself to the Lord’s affairs; all she need worry about is being holy in body and spirit.
The virgins come before the king. They sing for joy. Alleluia, alleluia.
– The virgins come before the king. They sing for joy. Alleluia, alleluia.
They are led into the temple of the king.
– The virgins come before the king. They sing for joy. Alleluia, alleluia.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– The virgins come before the king. They sing for joy. Alleluia, alleluia.
My soul rejoices in the Lord
Come, bride of Christ, and receive the crown which the Lord has prepared for you. 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.
Come, bride of Christ, and receive the crown which the Lord has prepared for you. Alleluia.
| Prayers and intercessions | |
|---|
Christ the Lord praised those who follow the way of virginity for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let us proclaim his love and pray:
– Jesus, king of virgins, hear us.
Christ our Lord, you presented the Church to yourself, as a chaste virgin to her only husband;
make her pure, holy and faultless.
– Jesus, king of virgins, hear us.
Christ Jesus, the holy virgins went to meet you with lamps burning bright;
keep alive the flame of fidelity in the hearts of religious women.
– Jesus, king of virgins, hear us.
Lord, you have always preserved your Church in purity and soundness of faith;
grant to all Christians a faith that is true and complete.
– Jesus, king of virgins, hear us.
You bring joy to the lives of your faithful as they celebrate the feast of your holy virgin N.;
may they also rejoice in her constant intercession.
– Jesus, king of virgins, hear us.
You have welcomed your holy virgins to the wedding feast of heaven;
invite all the dead to the feast of eternal life.
– Jesus, king of virgins, 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.
To those who love you, Lord, you promise to come with your Son
and make your home with them.
Come then with your purifying grace,
and, at the intercession of Saint N. your virgin,
make our hearts a place where you can dwell.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.
The psalms and canticles here are our own translation from the Latin. 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 apps and programs do contain the Grail translation of the psalms.
You can also view this page in Latin and English.