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SERVICE OF LIGHT
Greeting/Invocation
We light the Evening Candle and say or sing:
Light and Peace in Jesus Christ our Lord!
~Thanks be to God!
O Adonai, You are my Light;
~My God, You illumine my darkness.
EVENING HYMN for FRIDAYS in LENT
Take up your cross, the Savior said, If you would my disciple be;
Take off the masks, embrace the truth, And humbly follow after me.
Take up your cross, let not its weight Fill your weak spirit with alarm;
His strength will lift your spirit up And brace your heart and nerve your arm.
Take up your cross, heed not the shame, Nor let your foolish pride rebel;
Our Lord for you the cross endured and fought the pow’rs of death and hell.
Take up your cross, and follow Christ, Nor think till death to lay it down;
For only those who bear the cross May hope to wear the glorious crown. Amen.
Tune: DISTRESS L.M. (Southern Harmony 1835); Text: C.W. Everest (1814-1877), alt.
SERVICE OF THE WORD
PSALMODY
Antiphon/Refrain
Behold, the vineyard of Adonai is the house of Israel.
Psalm 79/80
O shepherd of Israel, hear us,
You who guide the flock of Joseph,
shine forth from your cherubim throne
upon Ephraim, Benjamin, Manasseh.
Adonai, rouse up your might,
Adonai, come to our help. (Refrain)
Adonai Sabbaoth, how long
will you seem to frown on our plea?
You have fed us with tears for our bread
we drink our tears by the barrel.
You let our oppressors mock us,
our enemies laugh us to scorn. (Refrain)
You brought out a vine from Egypt;
cleared out nations to plant it.
Before it you cleared the ground;
made it take root to fill the land.
It overshadowed the mountains
and covered the cedars with its boughs,
stretched out its branches to the sea,
its roots to the river Euphrates.
Then why are its walls now destroyed?
Those who pass help themselves to its grapes.
Wild boars tear up its roots
and beasts devour its fruit. (Refrain)
God of hosts, turn again we implore,
lean down from the heavens and see:
visit this vine and protect it
cherish this vine once again.
Restore once again our life
and we will invoke your Name.
Restore the light of your presence,
and we shall be saved.
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
and to the BREATH of Love;
as always before,
so now and evermore. Amen. (Refrain)
Reading Exodus 19: 4-6
Adonai called to Moses and said: “Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob; tell the Israelites: You have seen for yourselves how I treated your oppressors and how I bore you up on eagle’s wings and brought you here to myself. Therefore, if you listen to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special people, though all the earth is mine. You shall be to me a royal priesthood, a holy nation. That is what you must tell the Israelites.
Thanks be to God.
Responsory
R. We are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, * a holy nations, a people set apart.
V. Obey my voice, keep my covenant, for you are my very own possession *a holy nations, a people set apart. V. Glory to the ONE, to the WORD, and to the Holy BREATH of Life.
Gospel Canticle of Mary
Antiphon
Though they would have liked to arrest him,
they were afraid of the crowds, who regarded him as a prophet.
It is customary to make the sign of the cross at the beginning of the Gospel Canticle.
My heart + is radiant with the Lord,
My whole being delights in God my Savior.
All people now will call me blessed
For God has loved this humble handmaid.
The Almighty has shown me great favor
Holy is the NAME,
Whose mercy embraces the faithful,
From one generation to the next.
The mighty arm of God,
Scatters the proud in their own conceit,
Pulls tyrants from their thrones
While lifting up the lowly:
Fills the famished with bounty,
And reveals the emptiness of riches.
Rescues lowly Israel,
Sharing such loving kindness,
As promised to our ancestors
To Abraham and Sarah, and their descendants forever.
Glory to the ONE and to WORD
And to the BREATH of Love!
As always before,
so now and evermore. Amen
Though they would have liked to arrest him,
they were afraid of the crowds, who regarded him as a prophet.
SERVICE OF PRAYER
Litany of Intercession
Grant us pardon and peace:
~God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Forgive our sins and neglect:
~God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give us true faith and undying hope in your love for us:
~God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Strengthen our resolve to follow Christ more closely this Lenten Season:
~God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
May we live each day this Spring more simply so that others may simply live:
~God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Grant light and peace to all those who have died and consolation to those who grieve their passing: ~God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Prayer of Jesus
Our Father …
Closing Prayer & Blessing
God of Life and Liberation, in his teaching, his parables and his example, Jesus revealed that to live fully as the image of God, each of us is called and gifted to meet the real, practical needs of our sisters and brothers. May our celebration of this holy season rehearse us in living by his values and bring us closer to realizing the freedom, flourishing and fullness of life that your love offers to us and all creation both now and forever. ~Amen.
May the God of all Compassion + fill our hearts with loving-kindness for all people and all creation . Amen.
Let us bless Adonai! ~And give thanks to God.
Those who wish may end evening prayer with the Marian Antiphon.
Queen of the heavens we greet you, Queen of Angels now we entreat you,
Fairest flower, heaven’s portal From whom came the Light immortal.
Matchless maiden, God did raise you For the Universe to praise you.
Hear us, O hear us, dear Mother; Show your children Jesus, our brother.
Pray for us O gracious Queen of the Universe.
~That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray. O Gracious God, grant to your people lasting health of mind and of body. Send us your assistance in times of temptation. May we who celebrate the memory of the Holy Mother of God, rise from our sins by the help of her intercession. We ask this through Christ our Love. Amen.