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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
O God, Whose hand has spread the sky
And all its shining lights on high;
You, when the fourth day had begun
Did frame the circle of the sun.
Surrounding it with fiery light,
You crowned the sun with regal might,
And set the moon her ordered ways,
The mistress over months and days.
O shine your light upon our mind;
The dark of sin and guilt unbind.
Direct us into truth and right,
and make us children of the light.
O Loving Abba hear our cry,
Through Jesus Christ, your Word most high,
Whom in the Spirit we adore,
Who love with you forevermore. Amen.
Text: Caeli Deus Sanctissime; tr. Gethsemani (1968) alt.; Tune: Plainsong Mode VIII
SERVICE OF THE WORD
PSALMODY
Antiphon/Refrain
In the silent hours of night,
Bless our God.
Psalm 133/134
O come, bless Adonai, all you who serve Adonai.
who stand in the house of Adonai,
in the courts of the house of our God. (Refrain)
Lift up your hands in the holy place,
and bless Adonai through the night. (Refrain)
May Adonai bless you from Zion,
The One who made both heaven and earth. (Refrain)
Glory to the Abba and to the Word
and to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning is now
and will be forever, Amen. (Refrain)
Reading 1 Peter 5:5b-11
Clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for: “God opposes the proud but bestows favor on the humble.” So humble yourselves under God’s loving hand, that God may exalt you in due time. Cast all your worries upon the Holy One who cares for you. Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist the evil one, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings. The God of all grace who called you to eternal glory through Christ Jesus will indeed restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little. To God be dominion forever. Amen.
Responsory
R. Hate evil and love good: *for Adonai will take pity on the remnant of Joseph.
V. Let justice flow like water, and integrity like an unfailing stream *for Adonai will take pity on the remnant of Joseph. V. Glory to the ABBA, and the WORD, and the Holy BREATH of Life.
Gospel Canticle of Mary
Antiphon
Jesus laid hands on the man’s eyes a second time–
his sight was restored and he could see everything clearly.
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
Jesus laid hands on the man’s eyes a second time–
his sight was restored and he could see everything clearly.
SERVICE OF PRAYER
Litany of Intercession
For those 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 the many 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 those 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.
That we may learn the Wisdom of God, manifest in the self-giving of the stars and in the life and death of Jesus and thus live and die in harmony with the universe. ~God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Prayer of Jesus
Our Dear Abba …
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! ~Thanks be to God.
Those who wish may end evening prayer with the Marian Antiphon. Ave Regina Caelorum is sung from the 3rd of February until Good Friday, inclusive.
Queen of the heavens we greet you, Queen of Angels 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, holy Mother of God.
~ 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.
Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may we be freed from present sorrow and attain eternal happiness. We ask this through Christ our Love. Amen.