Evening Prayer

SourceBCP p. 115

Daily Evening Prayer:
Rite Two

October 1, 2024

The Officiant begins the service with one or more of the following sentences of Scripture;

or with the Service of Light, and continuing with the appointed Psalmody;

or with the versicle “O God, make speed to save us.”

At any Time

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.Philippians 1:2

At any Time

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”Psalm 122:1

At any Time

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.Psalm 19:14

At any Time

Send out your light and your truth, that they may lead me, and bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling.Psalm 43:3

At any Time

The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.Habakkuk 2:20

At any Time

The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him.John 4:23

At any Time

Thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy, “I dwell in the high and holy place and also with the one who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite.”Isaiah 57:15

Evening

Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.Psalm 141:2

Evening

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.Philippians 1:2

Evening

Worship the Lord in the beauty of his holiness; let the whole earth tremble before him.Psalm 96:9

Evening

Yours is the day, O God, yours also the night; you established the moon and the sun. You fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.Psalm 74:15,16

Evening

I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel; my heart teaches me, night after night. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not fall.Psalm 16:7,8

Evening

Seek him who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning, and darkens the day into night; who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the surface of the earth: The Lord is his name.Amos 5:8

Evening

If I say, “Surely the darkness will cover me, and the light around me turn to night,” darkness is not dark to you, O Lord; the night is as bright as the day; darkness and light to you are both alike.Psalm 139:10,11

Evening

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”John 8:12

The following Confession of Sin may then be said; or the Office may continue at once with “O God make speed to save us.”

Confession of Sin

The Officiant says to the people

Dearly beloved, we have come together in the presence of Almighty God our heavenly Father, to set forth his 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 kneel in silence, and with penitent and obedient hearts confess our sins, that we may obtain forgiveness by his infinite goodness and mercy.

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Silence may be kept.

Officiant and People together, all kneeling

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

The Priest alone stands and says

Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.

A deacon or lay person using the preceding form remains kneeling, and substitutes “us” for “you” and “our” for “your.”

The Invitatory and Psalter

All stand

OfficiantO God, make speed to save us.

PeopleO Lord, make haste to help us.

Officiant and People

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Alleluia.

The following, or some other suitable hymn, or an Invitatory Psalm, may be sung or said

O Gracious Light

Phos hilaron

O gracious Light, pure brightness 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 Spirit.

You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices, O Son of God, O Giver of life, and to be glorified through all the worlds.

Then follows

The Psalm or Psalms Appointed

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Deus ultionumBCP p. 722

1O Lord God of vengeance, *O God of vengeance, show yourself.

2Rise up, O Judge of the world; *give the arrogant their just deserts.

3How long shall the wicked, O Lord, *how long shall the wicked triumph?

4They bluster in their insolence; *all evildoers are full of boasting.

5They crush your people, O Lord, *and afflict your chosen nation.

6They murder the widow and the stranger *and put the orphans to death.

7Yet they say, “The Lord does not see, *the God of Jacob takes no notice.”

8Consider well, you dullards among the people; *when will you fools understand?

9He that planted the ear, does he not hear? *he that formed the eye, does he not see?

10He who admonishes the nations, will he not punish? *he who teaches all the world, has he no knowledge?

11The Lord knows our human thoughts; *how like a puff of wind they are.

12Happy are they whom you instruct, O Lord! *whom you teach out of your law;

13To give them rest in evil days, *until a pit is dug for the wicked.

14For the Lord will not abandon his people, *nor will he forsake his own.

15For judgment will again be just, *and all the true of heart will follow it.

16Who rose up for me against the wicked? *who took my part against the evildoers?

17If the Lord had not come to my help, *I should soon have dwelt in the land of silence.

18As often as I said, “My foot has slipped,” *your love, O Lord, upheld me.

19When many cares fill my mind, *your consolations cheer my soul.

20Can a corrupt tribunal have any part with you, *one which frames evil into law?

21They conspire against the life of the just *and condemn the innocent to death.

22But the Lord has become my stronghold, *and my God the rock of my trust.

23He will turn their wickedness back upon them and destroy them in their own malice; *the Lord our God will destroy them.

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Venite, exultemusBCP p. 724

1Come, let us sing to the Lord; *let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.

2Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.

3For the Lord is a great God, *and a great King above all gods.

4In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *and the heights of the hills are his also.

5The sea is his, for he made it, *and his hands have molded the dry land.

6Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

7For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!

8Harden not your hearts, as your forebears did in the wilderness, *at Meribah, and on that day at Massah, when they tempted me.

9They put me to the test, *though they had seen my works.

10Forty years long I detested that generation and said, *“This people are wayward in their hearts; they do not know my ways.”

11So I swore in my wrath, *“They shall not enter into my rest.”

At the end of the Psalms is sung or said

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

The Lessons

The First Lesson

2 Chron. 29:1-3,30:1[2-9]10-27

A Reading from the Second Book of Chronicles.

1 Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old; he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. 2 He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, just as his ancestor David had done. 3 In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. 1 Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, to keep the passover to the Lord the God of Israel.[ 2 For the king and his officials and all the assembly in Jerusalem had taken counsel to keep the passover in the second month 3 (for they could not keep it at its proper time because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, nor had the people assembled in Jerusalem). 4 The plan seemed right to the king and all the assembly. 5 So they decreed to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba to Dan, that the people should come and keep the passover to the Lord the God of Israel, at Jerusalem; for they had not kept it in great numbers as prescribed. 6 So couriers went throughout all Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his officials, as the king had commanded, saying, “O people of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that he may turn again to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7 Do not be like your ancestors and your kindred, who were faithless to the Lord God of their ancestors, so that he made them a desolation, as you see. 8 Do not now be stiff-necked as your ancestors were, but yield yourselves to the Lord and come to his sanctuary, which he has sanctified forever, and serve the Lord your God, so that his fierce anger may turn away from you. 9 For as you return to the Lord, your kindred and your children will find compassion with their captors, and return to this land. For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.”] 10 So the couriers went from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun; but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them. 11 Only a few from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 12 The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the officials commanded by the word of the Lord. 13 Many people came together in Jerusalem to keep the festival of unleavened bread in the second month, a very large assembly. 14 They set to work and removed the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for offering incense they took away and threw into the Wadi Kidron. 15 They slaughtered the passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed, and they sanctified themselves and brought burnt offerings into the house of the Lord. 16 They took their accustomed posts according to the law of Moses the man of God; the priests dashed the blood that they received from the hands of the Levites. 17 For there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves; therefore the Levites had to slaughter the passover lamb for everyone who was not clean, to make it holy to the Lord. 18 For a multitude of the people, many of them from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the passover otherwise than as prescribed. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “The good Lord pardon all 19 who set their hearts to seek God, the Lord the God of their ancestors, even though not in accordance with the sanctuary’s rules of cleanness.” 20 The Lord heard Hezekiah, and healed the people. 21 The people of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the festival of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness; and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day by day, accompanied by loud instruments for the Lord. 22 Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good skill in the service of the Lord. So the people ate the food of the festival for seven days, sacrificing offerings of well-being and giving thanks to the Lord the God of their ancestors. 23 Then the whole assembly agreed together to keep the festival for another seven days; so they kept it for another seven days with gladness. 24 For King Hezekiah of Judah gave the assembly a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep for offerings, and the officials gave the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep. The priests sanctified themselves in great numbers. 25 The whole assembly of Judah, the priests and the Levites, and the whole assembly that came out of Israel, and the resident aliens who came out of the land of Israel, and the resident aliens who lived in Judah, rejoiced. 26 There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon son of King David of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. 27 Then the priests and the Levites stood up and blessed the people, and their voice was heard; their prayer came to his holy dwelling in heaven.

The Word of the Lord.

PeopleThanks be to God.

N

A Song of God’s Love

1 John 4:7-11

Beloved, let us love one another, *for love is of God.

Whoever does not love does not know God, *for God is Love.

In this the love of God was revealed among us, *that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through Jesus Christ.

In this is love, not that we loved God but that God loved us *and sent his Son that sins might be forgiven.

Beloved, since God loved us so much, *we ought also to love one another.

For if we love one another, God abides in us, *and God’s love will be perfected in us.

The Second Lesson

Luke 5:12-26

A Reading from the Gospel According to Luke.

12 Once, when he was in one of the cities, there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.” 13 Then Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do choose. Be made clean.” Immediately the leprosy left him. 14 And he ordered him to tell no one. “Go,” he said, “and show yourself to the priest, and, as Moses commanded, make an offering for your cleansing, for a testimony to them.” 15 But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. 16 But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray. 17 One day, while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting near by (they had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem); and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. 18 Just then some men came, carrying a paralyzed man on a bed. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; 19 but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus. 20 When he saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” 21 Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, “Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 22 When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, “Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? 24 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” —he said to the one who was paralyzed—”I say to you, stand up and take your bed and go to your home.” 25 Immediately he stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went to his home, glorifying God. 26 Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen strange things today.”

The Word of the Lord.

PeopleThanks be to God.

E

A Song of Jerusalem Our Mother

Isaiah 66:10-14

Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her *all you who love her,

Rejoice, rejoice with her, *all you who mourn over her,

That you may drink deeply with delight *from her comforting breast.

For thus says our God, *“I will extend peace to her like a river, the wealth of nations like an overflowing stream.

“You shall nurse and be carried on her arm, *and you shall nestle in her lap.

“As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; *you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

“You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice, *you shall flourish like the grass of the fields.”

The Apostles’ Creed

Officiant and People together, all standing

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Prayers

The People stand or kneel

OfficiantThe Lord be with you.

PeopleAnd also with you.

OfficiantLet us pray.

Officiant and People

The Lord’s Prayer

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. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our 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. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.

Then follows one of these sets of Suffrages

A

V.Show us your mercy, O Lord;

R.And grant us your salvation.

V.Clothe your ministers with righteousness;

R.Let your people sing with joy.

V.Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;

R.For only in you can we live in safety.

V.Lord, keep this nation under your care;

R.And guide us in the way of justice and truth.

V.Let your way be known upon earth;

R.Your saving health among all nations.

V.Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;

R.Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.

V.Create in us clean hearts, O God;

R.And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.

B

That this evening may be holy, good, and peaceful,
We entreat you, O Lord.

That your holy angels may lead us in paths of peace and goodwill,
We entreat you, O Lord.

That we may be pardoned and forgiven for our sins and offenses,
We entreat you, O Lord.

That there may be peace to your Church and to the whole world,
We entreat you, O Lord.

That we may depart this life in your faith and fear, and not be condemned before the great judgment seat of Christ,
We entreat you, O Lord.

That we may be bound together by your Holy Spirit in the communion of [___________ and] all your saints, entrusting one another and all our life to Christ,
We entreat you, O Lord.

The Officiant then says one or more of the following Collects

Proper 21

The Sunday closest to September 28

O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Remigius of Rheims

Almighty God, who by your servant Remigius spread the truth of the gospel and the fullness of the catholic faith: Grant that we who glory in the name of Christian may show forth our faith in worthy deeds; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Collect for Peace

Most holy God, the source of all good desires, all right judgments, and all just works: Give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, so that our minds may be fixed on the doing of your will, and that we, being delivered from the fear of all enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through the mercies of Christ Jesus our Savior. Amen.

A Collect for Aid against Perils

Be our light in the darkness, O Lord, and in your great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of your only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

A Collect for Protection

O God, the life of all who live, the light of the faithful, the strength of those who labor, and the repose of the dead: We thank you for the blessings of the day that is past, and humbly ask for your protection through the coming night. Bring us in safety to the morning hours; through him who died and rose again for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

A Collect for the Presence of Christ

Lord Jesus, stay with us, for evening is at hand and the day is past; be our companion in the way, kindle our hearts, and awaken hope, that we may know you as you are revealed in Scripture and the breaking of bread. Grant this for the sake of your love. Amen.

Then, unless the Eucharist or a form of general intercession is to follow, one of these prayers for mission is added

O God and Father of all, whom the whole heavens adore: Let the whole earth also worship you, all nations obey you, all tongues confess and bless you, and men and women everywhere love you and serve you in peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love’s sake. Amen.

O God, you manifest in your servants the signs of your presence: Send forth upon us the spirit of love, that in companionship with one another your abounding grace may increase among us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Here may be sung a hymn or anthem.

Authorized intercessions and thanksgivings may follow.

Before the close of the Office one or both of the following may be used

The General Thanksgiving

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.

And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.

A Prayer of St. Chrysostom

Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.

Then may be said

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The Officiant may then conclude with one of the following

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen.2 Corinthians 13:14

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.Romans 15:13

Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.Ephesians 3:20,21

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