EVENING PRAYER

THE WORDS OF GOD

I WILL rise and go to my father and say, "Father, I have sinned against God and against you. I am no longer fit to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired workers." S. Luke 15. 18, 19

    If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us, but if we confess our sins he is true to his promise, and just, to forgive us our sins and to make us clean from all sin. 1. S. John 1. 8, 9.

    Mercy and forgiveness belong to the Lord our God though we have turned against him, nor have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God to follow the rules he gave us. Dan. 9. 9, 10.

    Do not judge your servant, O Lord, for in your eyes shall no man living be counted innocent. Ps. 143. 2.

    God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth." S. John 4. 24.

    Bow down to the Lord, in the beauty of holiness: tremble before Him all the world.

Advent
    "Turn away from your sins," he said, "for the Kingdom of heaven is near!" S. Matt. 3. 2.

    The night is nearly over, day is almost here. Let us stop doing the things that belong to the dark. Let us take up the weapons for fighting in the light. Rom. 13. 12.

Christmas.
    The angel said to them: "Don’t be afraid! For I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all the people. This very night in David’s town your Saviour was born—Christ the Lord! S. Luke 2. 10, 11.

Epiphany.
    From where the sun rises to where it goes down my Name is great among the heathen, and in every place men offer incense to my Name and a pure sacrifice, for my Name is great among the heathen. says the Lord.   Mal. 1. 11.

Lent.
The sacrifice that pleases God is a broken spirit; you will not turn away from a heart that is broken and crushed.  Ps. 51. 17.

Holy Week.
    Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow. Lam. 1. 12.

Easter.
    Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because of his great mercy, he gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from the dead. This fills us with a living hope. I Peter 1. 3.

Ascension.
    We have a great high priest who has gone into the very presence of God—Jesus, the Son of God.  Heb. 4. 14.

Pentecost or Whit Sunday.
    God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who is God’s gift to us. Rom. 5. 5

Trinity.
God is love, and whoever lives in love lives in God and God lives in him. 1 John 4. 16b

Saints' Days
    We have this large crowd of witnesses around us. Let us rid ourselves, then, of everything that gets in the way, and the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. Heb. 12. 1, 2
 

MY dear friends, we have come together before the face of Almighty God and of the whole company of heaven, to offer to him, through our Lord Jesus Christ, our worship and praise and thanks, to confess our sins and to pray for others as well as for ourselves that we may know more truly the greatness of God’s love and show in our lives what his grace has done in us; and to ask for all men those things they need for a good life. So let us kneel in silence and remember God is with us now.

LET us humbly confess our sins to Almighty God.

THE CONFESSION.

GOD, our Father, we have sinned against you in what we have thought and said and done. We have not loved you with all our heart, we have not loved other people as ourselves. Have mercy on us, we pray you, make us clean from our sins, and help us to get the better of our faults, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE ABSOLUTION or THE SETTING FREE

Priest —

MAY the merciful Lord forgive you, put away all your sins, give you time to mend your lives, and the grace and help of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

GOD, you rule over all, have mercy on us, forgive us our sins and save us from all evil, make us strong to do good and bring us to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER.

OUR FATHER in heaven, holy be your Name, your rule come, your will be done, in the world as it is in heaven. Give us this day our food for today. Forgive us what we do wrong as we forgive those who do wrong to us. Bring us not into trouble to try us, but save us from evil. For yours is the rule and the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

O Lord, open our lips;
    And our mouth shall tell of your praise.

O God make speed to save us;
    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 always shall be: for ever and ever. Amen.

Praise the Lord;
Praise the Name of the Lord.

PSALM or PSALMS ,which may be read sitting or standing.
If two lessons are read a lesson from the Old Testament is read here.
 

MAGNIFICAT.

S Luke 1. 46

MY heart is full of praise to my Lord: and my spirit is full of joy in God my Saviour.
    2. For he has looked down on his servant in her low place,
    3. And see from this day people of all times shall call me blessed.
    4. For he who is strong has made me great: and holy is his Name.
    5. And he is merciful to those who fear him: to those of all times.
    6. He has shown the strength of his arm: he has scattered those who are proud in heart.
    7. He has put down the great from their seats: and lifted up all those who are low.
    8. He has filled the hungry with good things: and the rich he has sent empty away.
    9. He remembering his mercy: has helped Israel his child.
    10. As he promised to our fathers before us: to Abraham and his sons 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 always shall be: for ever and ever. Amen.

Or PSALM 98.

LESSON FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

NUNC DIMITTIS.
S. Luke 2. 29.

LORD now let your servant go in peace: as you have promised him,
    2. For my eyes have seen your saving power: which you have prepared before the face of all people.
    3. A light to shine on the heathen: and to be the glory of your people Israel.
    Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Spirit;
    As it was in the beginning, is now, and always shall be: for ever and ever. Amen.

Or PSALM 67.

THE APOSTLES’ CREED.

I BELIEVE in God, the Father who rules over all, maker of heaven and earth,
    And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, he was conceived by the Holy Spirit and was born of the Virgin Mary, he suffered in the time of Pontius Pilate, was nailed to a cross, died and was buried. He went down to the world of the dead. On the third day he rose again from the dead, he went up to Heaven and sits on the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; From there he will come to Judge the living and the dead.
    I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church; the fellowship of the Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the rising again of the body and the life everlasting. Amen.
 

Reader—

The Lord be with you;
    And with you.

Let us pray.

Lord, have mercy on us.
    Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.

OUR FATHER in heaven, holy be your Name, your rule come, your will be done, in the world as it is in heaven. Give us this day our food for today. Forgive us what we do wrong as we forgive those who do wrong to us. Bring us not into trouble to try us, but save us from evil. Amen.

O Lord, have mercy on us; 
    And give us your saving power.

O Lord, save the Queen;
    And be merciful and hear us when we call to you.

Let your priests lead a holy life;
    And let your saints sing with joy.

O Lord, save your people;
    And bless those who belong to you.

Give peace in our time, O Lord,
    For there is none who rules the world, but only you, O God.

O God make clean our hearts;
    And do not take your Holy Spirit from us.

THE COLLECT FOR THE DAY.

SECOND COLLECT FOR PEACE.

GOD from you come all holy desires, all good thoughts and all just work, give to your servants that peace which the world cannot give, tha1 our hearts may be set to obey your commandments, and also that we may be de fended by you from the fear of our enemies and pass our time in rest and quiet, through the goodness of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

THE THIRD COLLECT FOR HELP AGAINST ALL DANGERS.

SHINE on our darkness, we pray you, Lord, and by your great mercy keep us from all troubles and dangers of this night, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A PRAYER OF S. CHRYSOSTOM.

ALMIGHTY God, you have given us grace at this time to ask with one mind for those things needed by us all, and promised that when two or three are gathered together in your Name you will give what they ask. Give us now, Lord, what your servants long for and ask, as may be best for us, that in this world we may know your truth and in the world to come have everlasting life. Amen.

THE GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship with the Holy Spirit, be with us all for ever. Amen.