Saturday 4 June 2022
Saturday of the 7th week of Eastertide
(First Vespers of tomorrow, Pentecost)
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.
________
Hymn
Come, O Creator Spirit, come,
And make within our hearts thy home;
To us thy grace celestial give,
Who of thy breathing move and live.
O Comforter, that name is thine,
Of God most high the gift divine;
The well of life, the fire of love,
Our souls’ anointing from above.
Our senses with thy light inflame,
Our hearts to heavenly love reclaim;
Our bodies’ poor infirmity
With strength perpetual fortify.
May we by thee the Father learn,
And know the Son, and thee discern,
Who art of both; and thus adore
In perfect faith for evermore.
________
Psalm 112 (113)
Praise of the Lord's name
“He put down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly” (Lk 1:52).
On the day of Pentecost they were all together in one place. Alleluia.
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord!
May the name of the Lord be blessed
both now and for evermore!
From the rising of the sun to its setting
praised be the name of the Lord!
High above all nations is the Lord,
above the heavens his glory.
Who is like the Lord, our God,
who has risen on high to his throne
yet stoops from the heights to look down,
to look down upon heaven and earth?
From the dust he lifts up the lowly,
from his misery he raises the poor
to set him in the company of princes,
yes, with the princes of his people.
To the childless wife he gives a home
and gladdens her heart with children.
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.
On the day of Pentecost they were all together in one place. Alleluia.
Psalm-prayer
Almighty Father, we praise and bless your name and ask you to join us together through your enduring love in the bosom of Mother Church.
Or:
Lord Jesus, Word of God, surrendering the brightness of your glory you became man so that we might be raised from the dust to share your very being. May there be innumerable children of the Church to offer homage to your name from the rising of the sun to its setting.
________
Psalm 146 (147A)
The Lord's goodness and power
“You, O God, we worship; you, O Lord, we adore.”
There appeared to the apostles what seemed like tongues of fire, and the Holy Spirit came upon each of them. Alleluia.
Praise the Lord for he is good;
sing to our God for he is loving:
to him our praise is due.
The Lord builds up Jerusalem
and brings back Israel’s exiles,
he heals the broken-hearted,
he binds up all their wounds.
He fixes the number of the stars;
he calls each one by its name.
Our Lord is great and almighty;
his wisdom can never be measured.
The Lord raises the lowly;
he humbles the wicked to the dust.
O sing to the Lord giving thanks;
sing psalms to our God with the harp.
He covers the heavens with clouds;
he prepares the rain for the earth,
making mountains sprout with grass
and with plants to serve man’s needs.
He provides the beasts with their food
and young ravens that call upon him.
His delight is not in horses
nor his pleasure in warriors’ strength.
The Lord delights in those who revere him,
in those who wait for his love.
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.
There appeared to the apostles what seemed like tongues of fire, and the Holy Spirit came upon each of them. Alleluia.
Psalm-prayer
God our Father, great builder of the heavenly Jerusalem, you know the number of the stars and call each of them by name. Heal hearts that are broken, gather together those who have been scattered, and enrich us all from the plenitude of your eternal wisdom.
Or:
God, all-powerful and ever-living, from the beginning you have founded the holy Jerusalem. Gather the dispersed of Israel into your Church and heal the wounds our sins have caused. You clothe the lily with splendour and feed the birds of the air with your bounty. Grant to all who hope in you health of mind and body until the heights of heavenly Jerusalem rise before us.
________
Canticle
Apocalypse 15
A hymn of adoration
The Holy Spirit, who comes from the Father, will glorify me. Alleluia.
Great and wonderful are your deeds,
O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
O King of the ages!
Who shall not fear and glorify your name, O Lord?
For you alone are holy.
All nations shall come and worship you,
for your judgements have been revealed.
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, who comes from the Father, will glorify me. Alleluia.
________
Short Reading
Romans 8:11
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your own mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you.
________
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
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love. Though the peoples spoke different tongues you united them in proclaiming the same faith. 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.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love. Though the peoples spoke different tongues you united them in proclaiming the same faith. Alleluia.
________
Prayers and intercessions
The apostles waited and prayed for the coming of the Spirit. Gathered together in their company, we pray for his coming tonight, and joyfully proclaim the greatness of God.
– Father, send us your Spirit.
In Christ you restored the universe which you made;
through your Spirit renew the face of the earth.
– Father, send us your Spirit.
You breathed into Adam the breath of life:
breathe your Spirit into the Church, that the world may find life in her.
– Father, send us your Spirit.
May your Spirit bring light to our darkness;
turn hatred into love, sorrow into joy, and doubt into hope.
– Father, send us your Spirit.
Cleanse and refresh us in the waters of the Spirit;
where there is anguish and sin, bring healing and rebirth.
– Father, send us your Spirit.
Through the Holy Spirit you bring men to life and glory:
may the dead enter their home in heaven to enjoy your love forever.
– Father, send us your Spirit.
________
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.
________
Almighty, ever-living God,
you ordained that the paschal mystery
should be completed by the mystery of Pentecost.
Gather together, by your gift of grace,
the scattered nations and divided tongues
to one faith in your Name.
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.
Copyright © 1996-2022 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.