Monday 25 May 2020
Monday of the 7th week of Eastertide
or Saint Gregory VII, Pope
or Saint Mary Magdalen de’ Pazzi, Virgin
or Saint Bede the Venerable, Priest, Doctor
Vespers (Evening Prayer)
Introduction (without Invitatory)
If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, use the version with the Invitatory Psalm instead.
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.
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Hymn
Come, Holy Ghost, Creator, come
from thy bright heav’nly throne.
Come, take possession of our souls
and make them all thine own.
Thou who art called the Paraclete,
blest gift of God above,
the living spring, the living fire,
sweet unction and true love.
Thou who art sev’nfold in thy grace,
finger of God’s right hand;
his promise, teaching little ones
to speak and understand.
O guide our minds with thy blest light,
with love our hearts in-flame;
and with thy strength, which ne’er decays
confirm our mortal frame.
Far from us drive our deadly foe,
true peace unto us bring;
and through all perils lead us safe
beneath thy sacred wing.
Through thee may we the Father know,
through thee th’eternal Son,
and thee the Spirit of them both,
thrice-blessèd Three in One.
________
Psalm 122 (123)
The Lord guards his people
“The two blind men cried out, ‘Lord, have pity on us, Son of David’” (Mt 20:30).
The Lord will be your everlasting light, your God will be your glory, alleluia.
To you have I lifted up my eyes,
you who dwell in the heavens;
my eyes, like the eyes of slaves
on the hand of their lords.
Like the eyes of a servant
on the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes are on the Lord our God
till he show us his mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
We are filled with contempt.
Indeed all too full is our soul
with the scorn of the rich,
with the proud man’s disdain.
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 will be your everlasting light, your God will be your glory, alleluia.
Psalm-prayer
Father in heaven, we lift our eyes to you and pray: confound the scorn of the proud and graciously show us your mercy.
Or:
Lord Jesus Christ, you will wait on the servants who have kept faithful watch for you. Teach us to keep our eyes fixed on every trace of the work of your hands, so that we may watch for your coming and enter your home, our lamps radiant with light.
________
Psalm 123 (124)
Our help is in the name of the Lord
“The Lord said to Paul, ‘Do not fear; for I am with you’” (Acts 18:9,10).
The snare has been broken and we have escaped, alleluia.
‘If the Lord had not been on our side,’
this is Israel’s song.
‘If the Lord had not been on our side
when men rose up against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive
when their anger was kindled.
‘Then would the waters have engulfed us,
the torrent gone over us;
over our head would have swept
the raging waters.’
Blessed be the Lord who did not give us
a prey to their teeth!
Our life, like a bird, has escaped
from the snare of the fowler.
Indeed the snare has been broken
and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
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 snare has been broken and we have escaped, alleluia.
Psalm-prayer
Lord Jesus, you foretold that your disciples would be despised on account of your name, but that not a hair of their heads is ever forgotten. In times of persecution, defend and revive us by the power and comfort of the Holy Spirit, so that we can be freed from our enemies and praise your saving help.
________
Canticle
Ephesians 1
God the Saviour
When I am lifted up above the earth, I shall draw all men to myself. Alleluia.
Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
He chose us in him
before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy
and blameless before him.
He destined us in love
to be his sons through Jesus Christ,
according to the purpose of his will,
to the praise of his glorious grace
which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
In him we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of his grace
which he lavished upon us.
He has made known to us
in all wisdom and insight
the mystery of his will,
according to his purpose
which he set forth in Christ.
His purpose he set forth in Christ
as a plan for the fullness of time,
to unite all things in him,
things in heaven and things on earth.
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.
When I am lifted up above the earth, I shall draw all men to myself. Alleluia.
________
Short Reading
Romans 8:14-17
Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God. The spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again; it is the spirit of sons, and it makes us cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God. And if we are children we are heirs as well: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, sharing his sufferings so as to share his glory.
________
Short Responsory
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.
________
Canticle
Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
The Holy Spirit, the Advocate, will remain with you and he will dwell within you. Alleluia.
My soul glorifies the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour.
He looks on his servant in her lowliness;
henceforth all ages will call me blessed.
The Almighty works marvels for me.
Holy his name!
His mercy is from age to age,
on those who fear him.
He puts forth his arm in strength
and scatters the proud-hearted.
He casts the mighty from their thrones
and raises the lowly.
He fills the starving with good things,
sends the rich away empty.
He protects Israel, his servant,
remembering his mercy,
the mercy promised to our fathers,
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 ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
The Holy Spirit, the Advocate, will remain with you and he will dwell within you. Alleluia.
________
Prayers and intercessions
Christ filled the apostles and the whole Church with the comfort of the Holy Spirit. In our evening prayer let us give thanks to him.
– Lord, comfort your Church and make us grateful.
Mediator of God and men, you have chosen priests to be your fellow workers;
through their saving ministry bring all men to the Father.
– Lord, comfort your Church and make us grateful.
Be present in the hearts of the rich and the lives of the poor;
inspire men to care for one another, whatever their needs.
– Lord, comfort your Church and make us grateful.
Reveal your gospel to all the nations
and restore the broken unity of the human family.
– Lord, comfort your Church and make us grateful.
Send your Holy Spirit to dry the tears of the world;
may the Comforter turn sorrow into joy.
– Lord, comfort your Church and make us grateful.
Cleanse the dead from sin;
take them up to heaven into the company of the saints.
– Lord, comfort your Church and make us grateful.
________
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.
________
Lord God,
let the grace of the Holy Spirit come upon us,
so that we may hold fast to your will with fidelity
and show it forth in a holy life.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
________
The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.
Copyright © 1996-2020 Universalis Publishing Limited: see www.universalis.com. Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible are published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc, and used by permission of the publishers. Text of the Psalms: Copyright © 1963, The Grail (England). Used with permission of A.P. Watt Ltd. All rights reserved.