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Pray
Pray

Evening Prayer

Wednesday after the Third Sunday in Lent

Opening Sentence

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. Amen.Psalm 74:15,16

Confession of Sin

BCP p. 79/116

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

ost 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.

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

Invitatory and Psalter

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 for ever. Amen.

O Gracious Light Phos Hilaron

BCP p. 118

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.

Psalm 81 Exultate Deo

BCP p. 704

1

ing with joy to God our strength *
and raise a loud shout to the God of Jacob.

2

Raise a song and sound the timbrel, *
the merry harp, and the lyre.

3

Blow the ram’s-horn at the new moon, *
and at the full moon, the day of our feast.

4

For this is a statute for Israel, *
a law of the God of Jacob.

5

He laid it as a solemn charge upon Joseph, *
when he came out of the land of Egypt.

6

I heard an unfamiliar voice saying, *
“I eased his shoulder from the burden;
his hands were set free from bearing the load.”

7

You called on me in trouble, and I saved you; *
I answered you from the secret place of thunder
and tested you at the waters of Meribah.

8

Hear, O my people, and I will admonish you: *
O Israel, if you would but listen to me!

9

There shall be no strange god among you; *
you shall not worship a foreign god.

10

I am the Lord your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt and said, *

“Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.”

11

And yet my people did not hear my voice, *
and Israel would not obey me.

12

So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their hearts, *
to follow their own devices.

13

Oh, that my people would listen to me! *
that Israel would walk in my ways!

14

I should soon subdue their enemies *
and turn my hand against their foes.

15

Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him, *
and their punishment would last for ever.

16

But Israel would I feed with the finest wheat *
and satisfy him with honey from the rock.

Psalm 82 Deus stetit

BCP p. 705

1

od takes his stand in the council of heaven; *
he gives judgment in the midst of the gods:

2

“How long will you judge unjustly, *
and show favor to the wicked?

3

Save the weak and the orphan; *
defend the humble and needy;

4

Rescue the weak and the poor; *
deliver them from the power of the wicked.

5

They do not know, neither do they understand;
they go about in darkness; *

all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

6

Now I say to you, ‘You are gods, *
and all of you children of the Most High;

7

Nevertheless, you shall die like mortals, *
and fall like any prince.’”

8

Arise, O God, and rule the earth, *
for you shall take all nations for your own.

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 Reading

Rom. 5:1-11 (NRSV)

A Reading from the Letter to the Romans.

herefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. 8But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. 9Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. 10For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. 11But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

15. The Song of Mary Magnificat

BCP p. 91/119

Luke 1:46-55

y 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.

The Apostles’ Creed

BCP p. 96/120

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

OfficiantThe Lord be with you.
PeopleAnd also with you.
OfficiantLet us pray.
The Lord’s Prayer

ur 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

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 Collect of the Day

lmighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; 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 Protection

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 Prayer for Mission

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.

Prayers and Thanksgivings
  • Prayers
    • Prayers for the World
    • Prayers for the Church
    • Prayers for National Life
    • Prayers for the Social Order
      • 27. For Social Justice
      • 28. In Times of Conflict
      • 29. For Agriculture
      • 30. For the Unemployed
      • 31. For Schools and Colleges
      • 32. For the Good Use of Leisure

        32. For the Good Use of Leisure

        O God, in the course of this busy life, give us times of refreshment and peace; and grant that we may so use our leisure to rebuild our bodies and renew our minds, that our spirits may be opened to the goodness of your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

      • 33. For Cities
      • 34. For Towns and Rural Areas

        34. For Towns and Rural Areas

        Lord Christ, when you came among us, you proclaimed the kingdom of God in villages, towns, and lonely places: Grant that your presence and power may be known throughout this land. Have mercy upon all of us who live and work in rural areas [especially—]; and grant that all the people of our nation may give thanks to you for food and drink and all other bodily necessities of life, respect those who labor to produce them, and honor the land and the water from which these good things come. All this we ask in your holy Name. Amen.

      • 35. For the Poor and Neglected
      • 36. For the Oppressed
      • 37. For Prisons and Correctional Institutions
      • 38. For the Right Use of God's Gifts
      • 39. For those who Influence Public Opinion
    • Prayers for the Natural Order
      • 40. For Knowledge of God's Creation
      • 41. For the Conservation of Natural Resources

        41. For the Conservation of Natural Resources

        Almighty God, in giving us dominion over things on earth, you made us fellow workers in your creation: Give us wisdom and reverence so to use the resources of nature, that no one may suffer from our abuse of them, and that generations yet to come may continue to praise you for your bounty; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

      • 42. For the Harvest of Lands and Waters
      • 43. For Rain
      • 44. For the Future of the Human Race
    • Prayers for Family and Personal Life
      • 45. For Families
      • 46. For the Care of Children
      • 47. For Young Persons
      • 48. For Those Who Live Alone
      • 49. For the Aged
      • 50. For a Birthday
      • 51. For a Birthday
      • 52. For the Absent

        52. For the Absent

        O God, whose fatherly care reacheth to the uttermost parts of the earth: We humbly beseech thee graciously to behold and bless whom we love, now absent from us. Defend them from all dangers of soul and body; and grant that both they and we, drawing nearer to thee, may be bound together by thy love in the communion of thy Holy Spirit, and in the fellowship of thy saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

      • 53. For Travelers
      • 54. For those we Love
      • 55. For a Person in Trouble or Bereavement
      • 56. For the Victims of Addiction
      • 57. For Guidance
      • 58. For Guidance
      • 59. For Quiet Confidence
      • 60. For Protection
      • 61. A Prayer of Self-Dedication
      • 62. A Prayer attributed to St. Francis
    • Other Prayers
    • Prayers for the Sick
    • Prayers for use by a Sick Person
  • Thanksgivings
The General Thanksgiving

BCP p. 101/125

lmighty 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. 102/126

lmighty 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.

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

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