Evening Prayer (Evensong) in Contemporary Language

¶ Evening Prayer
from the day after Ascension Day
until the Day of Pentecost
Saturday, 18 May 2024

Preparation

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

Send your Holy Spirit upon us,
Alland clothe us with power from on high. Alleluia.

One or more of the following is said or sung:

this or another prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,
to you be glory and praise for ever.
Raised to your right hand on high
the ascended Christ shows the prints of love
and bestows on us the gifts of grace.
As your Spirit renews the face of the earth,
may we bring forth the fruit of the Spirit
and reveal your glory in all the world.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
AllBlessed be God for ever.

A Song of God’s Greatness (page 565), the following or another suitable hymn

Creator Spirit, Lord of grace,
come, make in us your dwelling place;
O purest Light, in darkness shine;
fill loveless hearts, O Love Divine.

Consoler, hear your people’s cry;
come down, O Gift of God, Most High.
Descend in peace, O heav’nly Dove;
come Fount of Life; come Flame of Love.

As once on Christ the Servant’s head
the oil of sevenfold grace you shed,
so now anoint from love’s deep springs
your chosen prophets, priests and kings.

Of ev’ry gift the living source,
of mighty deeds the unseen force,
the Father sends his promised One
to speak for all who serve his Son.

Keep far all those who wish us ill,
O Dove of Peace, be with us still,
in ev’ry danger at our side
O Friend, befriend us; be our guide.

Reveal to us the Father’s love,
reveal his Son, who reigns above.
To truth, O Truth, make us all true;
in love, O Love, make all things new.

James Quinn S J, based on Veni, Creator Spiritus
(Tune: LM)

This opening prayer may be said

That this evening may be holy, good and peaceful,
let us pray with one heart and mind.

Silence is kept.

As our evening prayer rises before you, O God,
so may your mercy come down upon us
to cleanse our hearts
and set us free to sing your praise
now and for ever.
AllAmen.

The Word of God

Psalmody

The appointed psalmody is said.

Psalm 48

Refrain: We have waited on your loving-kindness, O God.

1 Great is the Lord and highly to be praised, ♦
in the city of our God.

2 His holy mountain is fair and lifted high, ♦
the joy of all the earth.

3 On Mount Zion, the divine dwelling place, ♦
stands the city of the great king.

4 In her palaces God has shown himself ♦
to be a sure refuge. R

5 For behold, the kings of the earth assembled ♦
and swept forward together.

6 They saw, and were dumbfounded; ♦
dismayed, they fled in terror.

7 Trembling seized them there;
they writhed like a woman in labour, ♦
as when the east wind shatters the ships of Tarshish.

8 As we had heard, so have we seen
in the city of the Lord of hosts, the city of our God: ♦
God has established her for ever. R

9 We have waited on your loving-kindness, O God, ♦
in the midst of your temple.

10 As with your name, O God,
so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; ♦
your right hand is full of justice.

11 Let Mount Zion rejoice and the daughters of Judah be glad, ♦
because of your judgements, O Lord.

12 Walk about Zion and go round about her;
count all her towers; ♦
consider well her bulwarks; pass through her citadels,

13 That you may tell those who come after
that such is our God for ever and ever. ♦
It is he that shall be our guide for evermore.

Refrain: We have waited on your loving-kindness, O God.

Father of lights,
raise us with Christ to your eternal city,
that, with kings and nations,
we may wait in the midst of your temple
and see your glory for ever and ever.

Each psalm or group of psalms may end with

AllGlory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.

If there are two Scripture readings, the first may be read here, or both may be read after the canticle.

Deuteronomy 16.9-15

You shall count seven weeks; begin to count the seven weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain. Then you shall keep the festival of weeks to the Lord your God, contributing a freewill-offering in proportion to the blessing that you have received from the Lord your God. Rejoice before the Lord your God—you and your sons and your daughters, your male and female slaves, the Levites resident in your towns, as well as the strangers, the orphans, and the widows who are among you—at the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. Remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and diligently observe these statutes.

You shall keep the festival of booths for seven days, when you have gathered in the produce from your threshing-floor and your wine press. Rejoice during your festival, you and your sons and your daughters, your male and female slaves, as well as the Levites, the strangers, the orphans, and the widows resident in your towns. For seven days you shall keep the festival to the Lord your God at the place that the Lord will choose; for the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all your undertakings, and you shall surely celebrate.

Canticle

A Song of God’s Children, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 60 or number 63, may be said

Refrain:

AllThe Spirit of the Father,
who raised Christ Jesus from the dead,
gives life to the people of God. Alleluia.

1The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus ♦
has set us free from the law of sin and death.

2All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God; ♦
for we have received the Spirit that enables us to cry, ‘Abba, Father’.

3The Spirit himself bears witness that we are children of God ♦
and if God’s children, then heirs of God;

4If heirs of God, then fellow-heirs with Christ; ♦
since we suffer with him now, that we may be glorified with him.

5These sufferings that we now endure ♦
are not worth comparing to the glory that shall be revealed.

6For the creation waits with eager longing ♦
for the revealing of the children of God.

Romans 8.2, 14, 15b-19

AllGlory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.

AllThe Spirit of the Father,
who raised Christ Jesus from the dead,
gives life to the people of God. Alleluia.

Scripture Reading

One or more readings appointed for the day are read.

The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.

John 7.37-39

On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.” ’ Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

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

When you send forth your Spirit, we are created;
you renew the face of the earth.
AllWhen you send forth your Spirit, we are created;
you renew the face of the earth.
O Lord, how manifold are your works;
in wisdom you have made them all.
AllYou renew the face of the earth.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
AllWhen you send forth your Spirit, we are created;
you renew the face of the earth.
from Psalm 104

Gospel Canticle

The Magnificat (The Song of Mary) is normally said, or Great and Wonderful may be said

Refrain:

AllHow excellent is your name in all the world,
you have set your glory above the heavens. Alleluia.

1My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour; ♦
he has looked with favour on his lowly servant.

2From this day all generations will call me blessed; ♦
the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his name.

3He has mercy on those who fear him, ♦
from generation to generation.

4He has shown strength with his arm ♦
and has scattered the proud in their conceit,

5Casting down the mighty from their thrones ♦
and lifting up the lowly.

6He has filled the hungry with good things ♦
and sent the rich away empty.

7He has come to the aid of his servant Israel, ♦
to remember his promise of mercy,

8The promise made to our ancestors, ♦
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Luke 1.46-55

AllGlory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.

Refrain:

AllHow excellent is your name in all the world,
you have set your glory above the heavens. Alleluia.

Prayers

Thanksgiving may be made for the day.

Intercessions are offered
¶ for peace
¶ for individuals and their needs

Prayers may include the following concerns from the cycle on pages 364–365

¶ God’s royal priesthood, for empowerment by the Spirit
¶ Those who wait on God, that they may find renewal
¶ All people, that they may acknowledge the kingdom of the ascended Christ
¶ The earth, for productivity and for fruitful harvests
¶ All who are struggling with broken relationships

A form of prayer found on page 383 may be used.

These responses may be used

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer

(or)

Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

Silence may be kept.

The Collect of the day is said

God, who as at this time
taught the hearts of your faithful people
by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit:
grant us by the same Spirit
to have a right judgement in all things
and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort;
through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
AllAmen.

The Lord’s Prayer is said

Being made one by the power of the Spirit,
as our Saviour taught us, so we pray

AllOur Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.

(or)

Being made one by the power of the Spirit,
let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us

AllOur Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

The Conclusion

May the Spirit kindle in us the fire of God’s love.
AllAmen.

Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.
AllThanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.