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  • Writer's pictureFr. Guillermo A. Arboleda

Evening Prayer for January 27, 2022

Thursday of Third Epiphany

Evening Prayer

January 27, 2022


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Evening Prayer

Enriching Our Worship 1 and Book of Common Prayer



From the rising of the sun to its setting my Name shall be great among the nations, and in every place incense shall be offered to my Name, and a pure offering; for my Name shall be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.

[Malachi 1:11; BCP, p. 76]



Confession & Absolution

[EOW1, pp. 19-20]


Let us confess our sins to God.


Silence may be kept.


God of all mercy,

we confess that we have sinned against you,

opposing your will in our lives.

We have denied your goodness in each other,

in ourselves, and in the world you have created.

We repent of the evil that enslaves us,

the evil we have done,

and the evil done on our behalf.

Forgive, restore, and strengthen us

through our Savior Jesus Christ,

that we may abide in your love

and serve only your will. Amen.


A Bishop or Priest says:

Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through the grace of 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 says:]

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



The Invitatory and Psalter

[EOW1, p. 20]


V: O God, be not far from us. R: Come quickly to help us, O God.


Praise to the holy and undivided Trinity, one God:

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Alleluia!



O Gracious Light (Phos hilaron)

[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 59

[BCP, p. 665]


1 Rescue me from my enemies, O God; *

protect me from those who rise up against me.

2 Rescue me from evildoers *

and save me from those who thirst for my blood.

3 See how they lie in wait for my life,

how the mighty gather together against me; *

not for any offense or fault of mine, O LORD.

4 Not because of any guilt of mine *

they run and prepare themselves for battle.

5 Rouse yourself, come to my side, and see; *

for you, LORD God of hosts, are Israel's God.

6 Awake, and punish all the ungodly; *

show no mercy to those who are faithless and evil.

7 They go to and fro in the evening; *

they snarl like dogs and run about the city.

8 Behold, they boast with their mouths,

and taunts are on their lips; *

"For who," they say, "will hear us?"

9 But you, O LORD, you laugh at them; *

you laugh all the ungodly to scorn.

10 My eyes are fixed on you, O my Strength; *

for you, O God, are my stronghold.

11 My merciful God comes to meet me; *

God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.

12 Slay them, O God, lest my people forget; *

send them reeling by your might

and put them down, O Lord our shield.

13 For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips,

for the cursing and lies that they utter, *

let them be caught in their pride.

14 Make an end of them in your wrath; *

make an end of them, and they shall be no more.

15 Let everyone know that God rules in Jacob, *

and to the ends of the earth.

16 They go to and fro in the evening; *

they snarl like dogs and run about the city.

17 They forage for food, *

and if they are not filled, they howl.

18 For my part, I will sing of your strength; *

I will celebrate your love in the morning;

19 For you have become my stronghold, *

a refuge in the day of my trouble.

20 To you, O my Strength, will I sing; *

for you, O God, are my stronghold and my merciful God.


Psalm 60

[BCP, p. 667]


1 O God, you have cast us off and broken us; *

you have been angry;

oh, take us back to you again.

2 You have shaken the earth and split it open; *

repair the cracks in it, for it totters.

3 You have made your people know hardship; *

you have given us wine that makes us stagger.

4 You have set up a banner for those who fear you, *

to be a refuge from the power of the bow.

5 Save us by your right hand and answer us, *

that those who are dear to you may be delivered.

6 God spoke from his holy place and said: *

"I will exult and parcel out Shechem;

I will divide the valley of Succoth.

7 Gilead is mine and Manasseh is mine; *

Ephraim is my helmet and Judah my scepter.

8 Moab is my wash-basin,

on Edom I throw down my sandal to claim it, *

and over Philistia will I shout in triumph."

9 Who will lead me into the strong city? *

who will bring me to Edom?

10 Have you not cast us off, O God? *

you no longer go out, O God, with our armies.

11 Grant us your help against the enemy, *

for vain is the help of man.

12 With God we will do valiant deeds, *

and he shall tread our enemies under foot.


Praise to the holy and undivided Trinity, one God:

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.



The Lessons



A Reading from John (5:30-47)


[Jesus said,] "I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me. "If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that his testimony to me is true. You sent messengers to John, and he testified to the truth. Not that I accept such human testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But I have a testimony greater than John's. The works that the Father has given me to complete, the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself testified on my behalf. You have never heard his voice or seen his form, and you do not have his word abiding in you, because you do not believe him whom he has sent. "You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf. Yet you refuse to come to me to have life. I do not accept glory from human beings. But I know that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe when you accept glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the one who alone is God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?"


Hear what the Spirit is saying to God's people.

Thanks be to God.



Canticle J: A Song of Judith

[EOW1, p. 35; 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.


Praise to the holy and undivided Trinity, one God:

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.



A Reading from Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2018

January 27: John Chrysostom, Bishop and Martyr, d. 407 [p. 65]


John Chrysostom was born around 354 in Antioch, Syria. As a young man, he first responded to the call of desert monasticism until his health was impaired. He then returned to Antioch after six years as a monk and was ordained a priest. In 397, he became Bishop of Constantinople.


John, called “Chrysostom,” which means “the golden-mouthed,” is regarded as one of the greatest preachers in Christian history. People flocked to hear him. His eloquence was accompanied by an acute sensitivity to the needs of people. He saw preaching as an integral part of pastoral care, and as a medium of teaching. He warned that if a priest had no talent for preaching the Word of God, the souls of those in his charge “will fare no better than ships tossed in the storm.”


Chrysostom is renowned to this day for his Easter sermon, which continues to be read from pulpits around the world. It reads in part: “Hell is angry because it has been thwarted! Hell is angry because it has been mocked! Hell is angry because it has been destroyed! It is angry because it has been abolished! It is angry because it has been taken captive! Hell seized a body but it discovered God. It seized earth and it encountered heaven. It seized what it saw and was vanquished by what it did not see. O death, where is thy sting? O hell, where is thy victory?"


Chrysostom describes the Christian eucharistic liturgy as a glorious experience, in which all of heaven and earth join together in the worship of God. His treatise On the Priesthood remains a classic manual on the priestly vocation and its demands. The priest, he wrote, must be “dignified, but not haughty; awe-inspiring, but kind; affable in his authority; impartial, but courteous; humble, but not servile, strong but gentle ...”


Chrysostom was particularly eloquent concerning the Christian obligation to care for the poor, saying: “If you cannot remember everything, instead of everything, I beg you, remember this without fail, that not to share our own wealth with the poor is stealing from the poor and deprivation of their means of life, for we do not possess our own wealth but theirs. If we have this attitude, we will certainly offer our money; and by nourishing Christ in poverty here and laying up great profit hereafter, we will be able to attain to the good things that are to come.”


While he was extolled as a preacher and pastor, his fiery temperament was poorly suited to the subtle politics demanded by his ministry as a bishop, and his episcopate was short but tumultuous. He was twice exiled, and he died during the second period of banishment, on September 14th, 407. Thirty-one years later, his remains were brought back to Constantinople, and were buried on January 27th, which thus became the traditional date of his commemoration.



Canticle S: A Song of Our True Nature

[EOW1, p. 40; St. Julian of Norwich]


Christ revealed our frailty and our falling, *

our trespasses and our humiliations.

Christ also revealed his blessed power, *

his blessed wisdom and love.

He protects us as tenderly and as sweetly when we are in greatest need; *

he raises us in spirit

and turns everything to glory and joy without ending.

God is the ground and the substance, the very essence of nature; *

God is the true father and mother of natures.

We are all bound to God by nature, *

and we are all bound to God by grace.

And this grace is for all the world, *

because it is our precious mother, Christ.

For this fair nature was prepared by Christ

for the honor and nobility of all, *

and for the joy and bliss of salvation.


Praise to the holy and undivided Trinity, one God:

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.



The Apostles' Creed

[EOW1, p. 41]


I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.


I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary,

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,

he is seated at the right hand of the Father,

and 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

[EOW1, p. 42; BCP, p. 121]


V: God 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 B

[BCP, p. 122]


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.



Collect of the Day: Third Sunday after the Epiphany

[BCP, 215]


Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.



Collect of the Day: John Chrysostom, Bishop and Martyr, d. 407

[Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2018, p. 66]


O God, who gave your servant John Chrysostom grace eloquently to proclaim your righteousness in the great congregation, and fearlessly to bear reproach for the honor of your Name: Mercifully grant to all who proclaim your word such excellence in preaching, that all your people may be made partakers of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and 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. 125]


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.



Offer your own intercessions and thanksgivings.



One or both of the following prayers may be used:


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.


AND/OR


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. Thanks be to God.


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]



Credits: This service is drawn from The Book of Common Prayer (1979), Enriching Our Worship 1 (1997), and other liturgical resources of The Episcopal Church and the scriptures are reprinted from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.

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