Evening Prayer for Tuesday after the Third Sunday in Lent
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Confession of Sin
Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.
Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep, we have followed too much the devices and desires of ourown hearts, we have offended against thy holy laws, we have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, spare thou those who confess their faults, restore thou those who are penitent, according to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord; and grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.
The Almighty and merciful Lord grant us absolution and remission of all our sins, true repentance, amendment of life, and the grace and consolation of his Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Invitatory and Psalter
V: O God, make speed to save us. R: O Lord, make haste to help us.
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.
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 thy praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Thou art 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 89: Part I Misericordias Domini
1 Your love, O LORD, for ever will I sing; * from age to age my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness. 2 For I am persuaded that your love is established for ever; * you have set your faithfulness firmly in the heavens. 3 I have made a covenant with my chosen one; * I have sworn an oath to David my servant: 4 'I will establish your line for ever, * and preserve your throne for all generations.'" 5 The heavens bear witness to your wonders, O LORD, * and to your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones; 6 For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? * who is like the LORD among the gods? 7 God is much to be feared in the council of the holy ones, * great and terrible to all those round about him. 8 Who is like you, LORD God of hosts? * O mighty LORD, your faithfulness is all around you. 9 You rule the raging of the sea * and still the surging of its waves. 10 You have crushed Rahab of the deep with a deadly wound; * you have scattered your enemies with your mighty arm. 11 Yours are the heavens; the earth also is yours; * you laid the foundations of the world and all that is in it. 12 You have made the north and the south; * Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your Name. 13 You have a mighty arm; * strong is your hand and high is your right hand. 14 Righteousness and justice are the foundations of your throne; * love and truth go before your face. 15 Happy are the people who know the festal shout! * they walk, O LORD, in the light of your presence. 16 They rejoice daily in your Name; * they are jubilant in your righteousness. 17 For you are the glory of their strength, * and by your favor our might is exalted. 18 Truly, the LORD is our ruler; * The Holy One of Israel is our King.
Psalm 89: Part II Tunc locutus es 19 You spoke once in vision and said to your faithful people: * "I have set the crown upon a warrior and have exalted one chosen out of the people. 20 I have found David my servant; * with my holy oil have I anointed him. 21 My hand will hold him fast * and my arm will make him strong. 22 No enemy shall deceive him, * nor any wicked man bring him down. 23 I will crush his foes before him * and strike down those who hate him. 24 My faithfulness and love shall be with him, * and he shall be victorious through my Name. 25 I shall make his dominion extend * from the Great Sea to the River. 26 He will say to me, 'You are my Father, * my God, and the rock of my salvation.' 27 I will make him my firstborn * and higher than the kings of the earth. 28 I will keep my love for him for ever, * and my covenant will stand firm for him. 29 I will establish his line for ever * and his throne as the days of heaven." 30 If his children forsake my law * and do not walk according to my judgments; 31 If they break my statutes * and do not keep my commandments; 32 I will punish their transgressions with a rod * and their iniquities with the lash; 33 But I will not take my love from him, * nor let my faithfulness prove false. 34 I will not break my covenant, * nor change what has gone out of my lips. 35 Once for all I have sworn by my holiness: * 'I will not lie to David. 36 His line shall endure for ever * and his throne as the sun before me; 37 It shall stand fast for evermore like the moon, * the abiding witness in the sky.'" 38 But you have cast off and rejected your anointed; * you have become enraged at him. 39 You have broken your covenant with your servant, * defiled his crown, and hurled it to the ground. 40 You have breached all his walls * and laid his strongholds in ruins. 41 All who pass by despoil him; * he has become the scorn of his neighbors. 42 You have exalted the right hand of his foes * and made all his enemies rejoice. 43 You have turned back the edge of his sword * and have not sustained him in battle. 44 You have put an end to his splendor * and cast his throne to the ground. 45 You have cut short the days of his youth * and have covered him with shame. 46 How long will you hide yourself, O LORD? will you hide yourself for ever? * how long will your anger burn like fire? 47 Remember, LORD, how short life is, * how frail you have made all flesh. 48 Who can live and not see death? * who can save himself from the power of the grave? 49 Where, Lord, are your loving-kindnesses of old, * which you promised David in your faithfulness? 50 Remember, Lord, how your servant is mocked, * how I carry in my bosom the taunts of many peoples, 51 The taunts your enemies have hurled, O LORD, * which they hurled at the heels of your anointed. 52 Blessed be the LORD for evermore! * Amen, I say, Amen.
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 Lessons
A reading from 1 Corinthians (7:32-40)
I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but the married man is anxious about the affairs of the world, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried woman and the virgin are anxious about the affairs of the Lord, so that they may be holy in body and spirit; but the married woman is anxious about the affairs of the world, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to put any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and unhindered devotion to the Lord. If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his fiancee, if his passions are strong, and so it has to be, let him marry as he wishes; it is no sin. Let them marry. But if someone stands firm in his resolve, being under no necessity but having his own desire under control, and has determined in his own mind to keep her as his fiancee, he will do well. So then, he who marries his fiancee does well; and he who refrains from marriage will do better. A wife is bound as long as her husband lives. But if the husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, only in the Lord. But in my judgment she is more blessed if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the Spirit of God.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The Song of Mary Magnificat Luke 1:46-55
My soul doth magnify the Lord, * and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. For he hath regarded * the lowliness of his handmaiden. For behold from henceforth * all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath magnified me, * and holy is his Name. And his mercy is on them that fear him * throughout all generations. He hath showed strength with his arm; * he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, * and hath exalted the humble and meek. He hath filled the hungry with good things, * and the rich he hath sent empty away. He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel, * as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.
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 Apostles' Creed
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 Prayers
V: The Lord be with you. R: And with thy spirit. Let us pray.
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.
Suffrages B
That this evening may be holy, good, and peaceful, We entreat thee, O Lord.
That thy holy angels may lead us in paths of peace and goodwill, We entreat thee, O Lord.
That we may be pardoned and forgiven for our sins and offenses, We entreat thee, O Lord.
That there may be peace to thy Church and to the whole world, We entreat thee, O Lord.
That we may depart this life in thy faith and fear, and not be condemned before the great judgment seat of Christ, We entreat thee, O Lord.
That we may be bound together by thy Holy Spirit in the communion of [ ___________ and] all thy saints, entrusting one another and all our life to Christ, We entreat thee, O Lord.
Collect of the Day
O Lord, we beseech thee mercifully to hear us; and grant that we, to whom thou hast given a hearty desire to pray, may, by thy mighty aid, be defended and comforted in all dangers and adversities; 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 Aid against Perils
Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Prayer for Mission
O God and Father of all, whom the whole heavens adore: Let the whole earth also worship thee, all nations obey thee, all tongues confess and bless thee, and men and women every- where love thee and serve thee in peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Offer your intercessions and thanksgivings...
The General Thanksgiving
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we thine unworthy servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving kindness to us and to all men. We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for thine inestimable 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 beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful; and that we show forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to thy service, and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen.
A Prayer of St. Chrysostom
Almighty God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication unto thee, and hast promised through thy well beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name thou wilt be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.
Let us bless the Lord. Thanks be to God.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14