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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!
Stay with us Lord for it is evening,
~And the day is almost over.
WEDNESDAY EVENING HYMN
There was no sun to rule the day,
no moon to roam the night until
our God flung forth the nebulae,
the planets, suns and stars at will.
With these God made the greater light
to dawn and blaze upon our day;
a lesser lamp illumined night
and marked each month along its way.
Thus time, the seasons and the years
began their endless ordered round;
the moon called forth the festivals
on which God’s praises would resound.
And so it was and it was good!
Companions, friends, the stars would be:
bright beacons in the cosmic night,
sure bearings both on land and sea.
Thus evening came and morning came.
The fourth day saw our day-star, sun,
bright symbol of undying light,
undimmed when day and night are done. Amen.
Text: Aelred-Seton Shanley; Tune: Plainsong
SERVICE OF THE WORD
PSALMODY
Antiphon
O Christ, the Sun of Justice,
let your light shine on us!
Revelation 11:17-18; 12:10-12
We give you thanks and praise,
God of Power and Sovereign over all–
the God who is and who was
for you have taken power into your hands
and have entered upon your reign.
The nations have raged and caused destruction,
but the day of retribution has come:
now is the time to judge those who have died,
now is the time to reward the prophets who served you
and your beloved who revere your Name,
the time to destroy those who destroy the earth.
This is the hour of victory for our God,
the hour of salvation and power,
when God’s Anointed
begins the reign of Justice.
For the accusing prosecutor has been overthrown,
–who day and night accused humanity before God–
conquered by the sacrifice of the Lamb
and by the testimony of the saints,
for their love of life did not prevent them
from laying down their lives our of love.
So rejoice, O you heavens
and all you that dwell therein!
Give glory to the ONE and to the WORD
And to the BREATH of Love!
As always before,
so now and evermore.
O Christ, the Sun of Justice,
let your light shine on us!
Reading II Kings 23: 1-3
Josiah, the king went up to the temple of ADONAI with all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: priests, prophets, and all the people, small and great.
He had the entire contents of the book of the covenant that had been found in the temple of ADONAI, read out to them. Standing by the column, the king made a covenant before ADONAI that they would follow God and observe God’s ordinances, statutes and decrees
with their whole hearts and souls, thus reviving the terms of the covenant
which were written in this book.
Responsory
R. The rising sun will shine upon us *and direct our feet in the ways of peace.
V. The heavens still proclaim the glory of God *and direct our feet in the ways of peace.
V. Glory to the ONE, to the WORD, and to the Holy BREATH of Life.
Gospel Canticle of Mary
Antiphon
Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing
but actually are prowling wolves. You will recognize them by their fruit, alleluia.
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
Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing
but actually are prowling wolves. You will recognize them by their fruit, alleluia.
SERVICE OF PRAYER
Litany of Intercession
For astronomers, cosmologists, and all who explore the depths of space and the mysteries and wonder of the universe,
~God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For all whose lives and work are intimately connected to the time of day and the seasons of the years, especially those affected most by global warming and climate change,
~God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For all who are forced by poverty or war to live under the open sky, burned by the sun during the day or freezing under the stars each night,
~God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For all who are deprived by modern lifestyles and preferences from experiencing the natural beauty and rhythms of day and night, seasons and celebrations that acknowledge our home and role in the universe,
~God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Every atom in our bodies was forged in the fiery belly of a star who lived, died and gave itself back to the universe: may we learn this Wisdom of God, manifest in the stars and in Jesus of Nazareth, and live and die in harmony with everything else going on in the universe. ~God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Prayer of Jesus
Our Father …
Closing Prayer & Blessing
God of the Starry Universe, as we celebrate the fourth day of the week, we praise and thank you for the wisdom and splendor of each shimmering star; the heat and life-giving energy of our Sun, the serene beauty and mystery of our Moon, and the reliable rhythms of days, weeks, months, seasons and years. May every person on earth be entranced by each sunset, amazed by each constellation, astonished by each season, and filled with gratitude that your universe in its infinite variety has invited each of us to be an integral part of such splendor, for your love is the power that has created all things, sustains all things, and frees all things to join you in building the future now and forever. Amen.
May the God of the Cosmos + bless us with reverence, wonder and awe . Amen.
Let us bless Adonai! ~And give thanks to God.
Those who wish may end evening prayer with the Salve Regina
Marian Antiphon
Mother of mercy, our Queen, we greet you! Our life, our hope, our happiness, we hail you.
We call to you as Eve’s own children, and exiles; To you we lift our heart in sorrow and fear, in this valley of tears. Turn then, our loving Advocate, and look with favor upon us. And after our life in exile, show us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus. O gracious, O loving, O Virgin benign, our Mother Mary.
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God;
~ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray. Holy, Mighty and Immortal God, through the working of the Holy Spirit, you prepared the body and soul of the glorious virgin Mother Mary, as a worthy dwelling for your Word; grant that we, who celebrate her memory each evening, may with the help of her prayers, be freed from ever-present evil, and come to share the fulness of life eternal. Amen.