Evening Prayer, 2nd Saturday in Ordinary Time

 

Please feel free to pause the service at any point if you would like more time to pray or to reflect.

 

OPENING SENTENCES

God is light,

and in him is no darkness at all.

Jesus Christ is the Light of the world,

the light that no darkness can overcome.

Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice! (Psalm 141:2)

THE GLORIA PATRI

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. AMEN.

THE EVENING HYMN          Phos Hilarion

O gladsome light of the holy glory

of the everliving Father in heaven,

O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!

Now as we come to the setting of the sun,

and our eyes behold the vesper light,

we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

You are worthy at all times to be praised by joyful voices,

O Son of God, O Giver of Life,

and to be glorified through all the worlds.

THE SILENT PRAYER AND PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Beloved of God, we have come together in the presence of Almighty God our heavenly Father, to give him thanks for the great benefits that we have received at his hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his holy word, and to ask, for ourselves and on behalf of others, those things that are necessary for our life and our salvation. And so that we may prepare ourselves in heart and mind to worship Him, let us pray with penitent and obedient hearts and confess our sins, that we may obtain forgiveness by His infinite goodness and mercy.

Praying together, let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God:

Most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who pardons all who truly repent and turn to you: We humbly confess our sins and ask your mercy. We have not loved you with a pure heart, nor have we loved our neighbor as ourselves. We have not done justice, nor loved kindness, nor walked humbly with you, our God. Have mercy on us, Father, according to your steadfast love. According to your great compassion, blot out our iniquities. Create in us a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within us. Do not cast us from your presence, nor take your Holy Spirit from us. Restore to us the joy of your salvation and sustain us with your bountiful Spirit. Through Jesus Christ our Lord AMEN.

And now, let us silently confess our particular sins:

A brief silence is kept. Please feel free to pause the service if you would like more time. Then:

Most holy and loving Father, help us from now on to live in your light and walk in your ways, according to the commandments of Jesus Christ our Lord, who taught us to pray, saying:

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 debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. AMEN.

THE ASSURANCE OF PARDON

Almighty God, who freely pardons all who repent and turn to him, now fulfill in every contrite heart the promise of redeeming grace; remitting all our sins, and cleansing us from an evil conscience, through the perfect sacrifice of Christ our Lord; and keep us evermore in the peace and joy of a holy life, that we may love and serve him always; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. AMEN.

THE SONG OF PRAISE          Magnificat

My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.

For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

for he who is mighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

And his mercy is for those who fear him

from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm;

he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;

he has brought down the mighty from their thrones

and exalted those of humble estate;

he has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

in remembrance of his mercy,

as he spoke to our fathers,

to Abraham and to his offspring forever. (Luke 1:46–55)

THE PSALTER

Psalm 118

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures forever!

Let Israel say,

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

Let the house of Aaron say,

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

Let those who fear the Lord say,

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

Out of my distress I called on the Lord;

the Lord answered me and set me free.

The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.

What can man do to me?

The Lord is on my side as my helper;

I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in man.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in princes.

All nations surrounded me;

in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;

in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

They surrounded me like bees;

they went out like a fire among thorns;

in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,

but the Lord helped me.

The Lord is my strength and my song;

he has become my salvation.

Glad songs of salvation

are in the tents of the righteous:

“The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,

the right hand of the Lord exalts,

the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”

I shall not die, but I shall live,

and recount the deeds of the Lord.

The Lord has disciplined me severely,

but he has not given me over to death.

Open to me the gates of righteousness,

that I may enter through them

and give thanks to the Lord.

This is the gate of the Lord;

the righteous shall enter through it.

I thank you that you have answered me

and have become my salvation.

The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone.

This is the Lord’s doing;

it is marvelous in our eyes.

This is the day that the Lord has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Save us, we pray, O Lord!

O Lord, we pray, give us success!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

We bless you from the house of the Lord.

The Lord is God,

and he has made his light to shine upon us.

Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,

up to the horns of the altar!

You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;

you are my God; I will extol you.

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures forever!

THE PSALM PRAYER

O loving and merciful Father, who never leaves those who put their trust in you, and who, as a Father, disciplines your children for their own good: Grant that we may be built as living stones upon Jesus Christ, the true and only cornerstone of the Church; that, seeing as he was rejected and despised by men, your people all may acknowledge him always as our King and Savior, to the end that we may forever enjoy you and the fruit of your mercy and goodness in him. AMEN.

THE SCRIPTURE LESSON

A reading from Mark, chapter 5:

They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.

The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.  (Mark 5:1-20)

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

THE PRAYER FOR GRACE

Let your Gospel, O Lord, come to us, not in word only, but in power and in much assurance, and in your Holy Spirit, that we may be guided into all truth and strengthened to all obedience and doing of your will with joy. And grant that, abounding in the work of faith, the labor of love, and the patience of hope, we may finally have our inheritance with all the saints in glory. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Pause the service now if you would like more time.

THE AFFIRMATION OF OUR FAITH

I believe in God the Father
                      Almighty,
                      Maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord:
                      Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost;
                      Born of the Virgin Mary;
                      Suffered under Pontius Pilate;
                      Was crucified, dead, and buried;
                      He descended into hell;
                      The third day he rose again from the dead;
                      He ascended into heaven;
                      And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
                      From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost;
                      The holy catholic Church;
                                  The communion of saints;
                      The forgiveness of sins;
                      The resurrection of the body;
And the life everlasting.
AMEN.

THE EVENING PRAYER

Almighty God, the Father of our spirits: meet with us at this, the close of day, and grant to your children, the peace that passes all understanding, which the world cannot give. Let no unholy thoughts or cares disturb the quiet of our night’s rest. Deliver us from the vain things that have such power over us, and grant that we may we learn wisdom, receive strength, gain hope, feel the influence of things unseen, and find our rest in you, our God. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

THE PERSONAL INTERCESSIONS AND THANKSGIVINGS

Let us offer our own prayers to the Lord…

Feel free to pause the service here for your personal prayers and thanksgivings for yourself, the Church, your officers, and others

Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. AMEN.

O God, who makes all things to work together for good to those who love you and are called according to your purpose: Pour into our hearts such steadfast love for you that those desires that spring from you may not be turned aside by any temptation. Govern our wills, O Lord, and direct our steps, that every day, as we are guided by you to what is good and profitable, we may, by your help fulfil your commandments.

Lord, our Light and our Salvation, only be with us, and we shall fear no evil. We commend ourselves, all whom we love, all that is ours, and all events and changes of our lives, into your hands, you who are able to keep us, our God, our Father, our Savior. AMEN.

Keep watch, dear Lord, over those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Care for the sick, Lord Jesus; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, have mercy on the afflicted, shield the contented; all for your love’s sake. AMEN.

THE SONG OF SIMEON          Nunc Dimittis

Lord, let your servant depart in peace

according to your word;

for my eyes have seen your salvation

that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

and for glory to your people Israel. (Luke 2:29-32)

THE CLOSING PRAYER

Lord, be our thoughts when we lie down to sleep; and when we wake, let us know and feel that we are still with you and you with us, O Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. AMEN.

THE DISMISSAL

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you, until the day breaks and all these shadows flee away. AMEN