Thursday in the 3rd Week of Easter
Evening Prayer
April 30, 2020
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Note: We are again praying with Rite II (contemporary English) language during the season of Easter. This is our normal pattern at St. Matthew's. It reminds us that we can speak to God with our ordinary, everyday language.
This service is drawn from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and the scriptures are reprinted from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.
Evening Prayer, Rite II
[BCP, p. 117]
Alleluia! Christ is risen.
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
[BCP, p. 77]
The Invitatory and Psalter
[BCP, p. 117]
V: O God, make speed to save us. R: O Lord, make haste to help us.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, * and will be forever. Amen.
Alleluia!
O Gracious Light
[BCP, p. 118]
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.
The Psalm or Psalms Appointed
Psalm 37:Part II Et retribuet mihi
19The LORD cares for the lives of the godly, *
and their inheritance shall last for ever.
20They shall not be ashamed in bad times, *
and in days of famine they shall have enough.
21As for the wicked, they shall perish, *
and the enemies of the LORD, like the glory of
the meadows, shall vanish; they shall vanish like smoke.
22The wicked borrow and do not repay, *
but the righteous are generous in giving.
23Those who are blessed by God shall possess the land, *
but those who are cursed by him shall be destroyed.
24Our steps are directed by the LORD; *
he strengthens those in whose way he delights.
25If they stumble, they shall not fall headlong, *
for the LORD holds them by the hand.
26I have been young and now I am old, *
but never have I seen the righteous forsaken,
or their children begging bread.
27The righteous are always generous in their lending, *
and their children shall be a blessing.
28Turn from evil, and do good, *
and dwell in the land for ever.
29For the LORD loves justice; *
he does not forsake his faithful ones.
30They shall be kept safe for ever, *
but the offspring of the wicked shall be destroyed.
31The righteous shall possess the land *
and dwell in it for ever.
32The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, *
and their tongue speaks what is right.
33The law of their God is in their heart, *
and their footsteps shall not falter.
34The wicked spy on the righteous *
and seek occasion to kill them.
35The LORD will not abandon them to their hand, *
nor let them be found guilty when brought to trial.
36Wait upon the LORD and keep his way; *
he will raise you up to possess the land,
and when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.
37I have seen the wicked in their arrogance, *
flourishing like a tree in full leaf.
38I went by, and behold, they were not there; *
I searched for them, but they could not be found.
39Mark those who are honest; observe the upright; *
for there is a future for the peaceable.
40Transgressors shall be destroyed, one and all; *
the future of the wicked is cut off.
41But the deliverance of the righteous comes from the LORD; *
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
42The LORD will help them and rescue them; *
he will rescue them from the wicked and deliver them,
because they seek refuge in him.
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
A reading from Colossians (1:24-2:7)
24 I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. 25 I became its servant according to God’s commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil and struggle with all the energy that he powerfully inspires within me.
2:1 For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me face to face. 2 I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ himself,3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I am saying this so that no one may deceive you with plausible arguments. 5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, and I rejoice to see your morale and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your livesin him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The Song of Mary
[BCP, p. 119; Luke 1:46-55]
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; * for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: * the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him * in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, * he has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, * and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, * and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel, * for he has remembered his promise of mercy, The promise he made to our fathers, * to Abraham and his children for ever.
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.
A Reading from [["non-biblical Christian literature" (BCP, p. 142)]]
The Song of Simeon
[BCP, p. 120; Luke 2:29-32]
Lord, you now have set your servant free *
to go in peace as you have promised;
For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *
whom you have prepared for all the world to see:
A Light to enlighten the nations, *
and the glory of your people Israel.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, * and will be forever. Amen.
The Apostles' Creed
[BCP, p. 120]
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
[BCP, p. 121]
V: The Lord be with you. R: And also with you. Let us pray.
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.
Suffrages A
[BCP, p. 121]
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.
Collect of the Day: Third Sunday of Easter
[BCP, p. 224]
O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Collect of the Day: Eve of St. Philip & St. James, Apostles
[BCP, p. 240]
Almighty God, who gave to your apostles Philip and James grace and strength to bear witness to the truth: Grant that we, being mindful of their victory of faith, may glorify in life and death the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
A Collect for the Presence of Christ
[BCP, p. 124]
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.
Prayer for Mission
[BCP, p. 124]
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.
Offer your own intercessions and thanksgivings.
The General Thanksgiving
[BCP, p. 125]
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
[BCP, p. 126]
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.
The Dismissal
[BCP, p. 126]
Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia! Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia!
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)
About Today's Commemoration
May 1: St. Philip & St. James, Apostles
[Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2018, p. 209, pre-publication]
The two apostles commemorated on this day are among those about whom little is known, except for their mention in the Gospels. James the Less is so called to distinguish him from James the son of Zebedee and from James “the brother of the Lord,” or perhaps to indicate youth or lack of stature. He is known to us from the list of the Twelve, where he is called James the son of Alpheus. He may also be the person referred to in Mark’s Gospel as James the younger, who, with his mother Mary and the other women, watched the crucifixion from a distance.
Philip figures in several important incidents in Jesus’ ministry as reported in John’s Gospel. There we read that Jesus called Philip soon after calling Andrew and Peter. Philip, in turn, found his friend Nathanael, and convinced him to come and see Jesus, the Messiah. Later, when Jesus saw the hungry crowd, he asked Philip, “How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” (John 6:5). Philip’s practical response, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little” (John 6:7), was the prelude to the feeding of the multitude with the loaves and fishes. In a later incident in John’s Gospel, some Greeks came to Philip asking to see Jesus. At the Last Supper, Philip’s request, “Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied,” evokes the response, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:8,9).