Evening Prayer

SourceBCP p. 115

Daily Evening Prayer:
Rite Two

November 9, 2024

Saturday after the Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

Proper 26

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

23

Dominus regit meBCP p. 612

1The Lord is my shepherd; *I shall not be in want.

2He makes me lie down in green pastures *and leads me beside still waters.

3He revives my soul *and guides me along right pathways for his Name’s sake.

4Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil; *for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

5You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; *you have anointed my head with oil, and my cup is running over.

6Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, *and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

27

Dominus illuminatioBCP p. 617

1The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom then shall I fear? *the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom then shall I be afraid?

2When evildoers came upon me to eat up my flesh, *it was they, my foes and my adversaries, who stumbled and fell.

3Though an army should encamp against me, *yet my heart shall not be afraid;

4And though war should rise up against me, *yet will I put my trust in him.

5One thing have I asked of the Lord; one thing I seek; *that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life;

6To behold the fair beauty of the Lord *and to seek him in his temple.

7For in the day of trouble he shall keep me safe in his shelter; *he shall hide me in the secrecy of his dwelling and set me high upon a rock.

8Even now he lifts up my head *above my enemies round about me.

9Therefore I will offer in his dwelling an oblation with sounds of great gladness; *I will sing and make music to the Lord.

10Hearken to my voice, O Lord, when I call; *have mercy on me and answer me.

11You speak in my heart and say, “Seek my face.” *Your face, Lord, will I seek.

12Hide not your face from me, *nor turn away your servant in displeasure.

13You have been my helper; cast me not away; *do not forsake me, O God of my salvation.

14Though my father and my mother forsake me, *the Lord will sustain me.

15Show me your way, O Lord; *lead me on a level path, because of my enemies.

16Deliver me not into the hand of my adversaries, *for false witnesses have risen up against me, and also those who speak malice.

17What if I had not believed that I should see the goodness of the Lord *in the land of the living!

18O tarry and await the Lord’s pleasure; be strong, and he shall comfort your heart; *wait patiently for the Lord.

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

Ezra 9:1-15

A Reading from the Book of Ezra.

1 After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons. Thus the holy seed has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands, and in this faithlessness the officials and leaders have led the way.” 3 When I heard this, I tore my garment and my mantle, and pulled hair from my head and beard, and sat appalled. 4 Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice. 5 At the evening sacrifice I got up from my fasting, with my garments and my mantle torn, and fell on my knees, spread out my hands to the Lord my God, 6 and said, “O my God, I am too ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. 7 From the days of our ancestors to this day we have been deep in guilt, and for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been handed over to the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as is now the case. 8 But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the Lord our God, who has left us a remnant, and given us a stake in his holy place, in order that he may brighten our eyes and grant us a little sustenance in our slavery. 9 For we are slaves; yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to give us new life to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judea and Jerusalem. 10 “And now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, 11 which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land that you are entering to possess is a land unclean with the pollutions of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations. They have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness. 12 Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, so that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’ 13 After all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this, 14 shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you destroy us without remnant or survivor? 15 O Lord, God of Israel, you are just, but we have escaped as a remnant, as is now the case. Here we are before you in our guilt, though no one can face you because of this.”

The Word of the Lord.

PeopleThanks be to God.

1

A Song of Creation

Benedicite, omnia opera Domini

Song of the Three Young Men, 35-65

This Canticle may be shortened by omitting section II or III

I Invocation

O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord; *praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye angels of the Lord, bless ye the Lord; *praise him and magnify him for ever.

II The Cosmic Order

O ye heavens, bless ye the Lord; *O ye waters that be above the firmament, bless ye the Lord;

O all ye powers of the Lord, bless ye the Lord; *praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye sun and moon, bless ye the Lord; *O ye stars of heaven, bless ye the Lord;

O ye showers and dew, bless ye the Lord; *praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye winds of God, bless ye the Lord; *O ye fire and heat, bless ye the Lord;

O ye winter and summer, bless ye the Lord; *praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye dews and frosts, bless ye the Lord; *O ye frost and cold, bless ye the Lord;

O ye ice and snow, bless ye the Lord; *praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye nights and days, bless ye the Lord; *O ye light and darkness, bless ye the Lord;

O ye lightnings and clouds, bless ye the Lord; *praise him and magnify him for ever.

III The Earth and its Creatures

O let the earth bless the Lord; *O ye mountains and hills, bless ye the Lord;

O all ye green things upon the earth, bless ye the Lord; *praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye wells, bless ye the Lord; *O ye seas and floods, bless ye the Lord;

O ye whales and all that move in the waters, bless ye the Lord;praise him and magnify him for ever.

O all ye fowls of the air, bless ye the Lord; *O all ye beasts and cattle, bless ye the Lord;

O ye children of men, bless ye the Lord; *praise him and magnify him for ever.

IV The People of God

O ye people of God, bless ye the Lord; *O ye priests of the Lord, bless ye the Lord;

O ye servants of the Lord, bless ye the Lord; *praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye spirits and souls of the righteous, bless ye the Lord; *O ye holy and humble men of heart, bless ye the Lord.

Let us bless the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; *praise him and magnify him for ever.

The Second Lesson

Luke 14:1-11

A Reading from the Gospel According to Luke.

1 On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely. 2 Just then, in front of him, there was a man who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees, “Is it lawful to cure people on the sabbath, or not?” 4 But they were silent. So Jesus took him and healed him, and sent him away. 5 Then he said to them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that has fallen into a well, will you not immediately pull it out on a sabbath day?” 6 And they could not reply to this. 7 When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; 9 and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. 11 For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

The Word of the Lord.

PeopleThanks be to God.

J

A Song of Judith

Judith 16:13-16

I will sing a new song to my God, *for you are great and glorious, wonderful in strength, invincible.

Let the whole creation serve you, *for you spoke and all things came into being.

You sent your breath and it formed them, *no one is able to resist your voice.

Mountains and seas are stirred to their depths, *rocks melt like wax at your presence.

But to those who fear you, *you continue to show mercy.

No sacrifice, however fragrant, can please you, *but whoever fears the Lord shall stand in your sight for ever.

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 26

The Sunday closest to November 2

Almighty and merciful God, it is only by your gift that your faithful people offer you true and laudable service: Grant that we may run without stumbling to obtain your heavenly promises; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

A Collect for Saturdays

O God, the source of eternal light: Shed forth your unending day upon us who watch for you, that our lips may praise you, our lives may bless you, and our worship on the morrow give you glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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

✕