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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.
THURSDAY EVENING HYMN
O Bounteous Maker of all life,
wWho saw the empty depth and height,
And filled them with the living beings
Which swim by fins and fly on wings.
In vision once all these were seen
Broght dow from heaven on a sheet,
With words which bid “Call not unclean!
Arise Apostle, slay and eat”.
For at God’s table is a place
For ev’ry people, tongue and race.
So grant your house, O God, increase;
And multiply your flock in peace.
All praise to Christ who has refreshed
The poor and hungry with his Flesh,
Who has, by blood from his now side,
The new creation purified. Amen.
Text: Magnus Deus Potentiae tr. Gethsemani 1968; Tune: Plainsong
SERVICE OF THE WORD
PSALMODY
Antiphon
Let praise resound from the birds of the air–
the sea and its creatures sound their joy.
Psalm 148
Alleluia! Praise Adonai!
Sing praise from the heavens above,
Sing praise from the heights of the mountains!
All angels and spirits, sing praise!
Sing praise, O Sun and Moon!
Sing praise, O glittering Stars!
Sing praise, O Galaxies of the Universe!
Sing praise, O Cosmos of Creation!
Praise the Name of the ONE
Whose Word invited you to be,
Establishing the pattern of creation:
Wanting us all to be free.
Let praise resound from the Earth
From oceans and creatures of the sea;
fire and hail, snow and mist,
Stormy winds that hear the Word.
All mountains and hills,
All fruit trees and cedars
Beasts both wild and tame
Reptiles and birds on the wing;
Princes and judges,
Rulers and citizens
All men and women
Elders and children;
Together sing praise to the HOLY
To the ONE whose praise is exalted;
To the NAME beyond all names,
Whose splendor fills heaven and earth.
For LOVE gives strength to the people,
Shares glory with all the faithful;
Welcoming us as companions,
Teaching us how to sing praise.
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
And to the BREATH of Love;
as always before,
so now and evermore. Amen.
Let praise resound from the birds of the air–
the sea and its creatures sound their joy.
Reading Romans 6:20-22
When you were slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness.
But what profit did you get then
from the things of which you are now ashamed?
For the end of those things is death.
But now that you have been freed from sin and have become slaves of God,
the benefit that you have leads to sanctification,
and its end is eternal life.
Responsory
R. Hate evil and love good: *for Adonai will take pity on the remnant of this people. V. Let justice flow like water, and integrity like an unfailing stream *for Adonai will take pity on the remnant of this people. V. Glory to the ONE, to the WORD, and to the Holy BREATH of Life.
Gospel Canticle of Mary
Antiphon
I have come to cast fire on the earth,
and how I wish it were blazing already!
There is a baptism I must still receive,
and how great is my distress until it is over.
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 the WORD
And to the BREATH of Love!
As always before,
so now and evermore. Amen
I have come to cast fire on the earth,
and how I wish it were blazing already!
There is a baptism I must still receive,
and how great is my distress until it is over.
SERVICE OF PRAYER
Litany of Intercession
For all who study and explore the beauty and wonder of birds, fish and other forms of sea life;
For all whose lives and livelihoods involve fish and other forms of sea life, especially those striving to preserve endangered species through the development of sustainable fishing practices and to improve and restore oceans, seas, rivers, lakes and ponds;
For all whose lives and livelihoods involve poultry and other birds, especially those striving to develop sustainably integrated practices and to improve and restore their natural habitat;
For all who are deprived by modern lifestyles and urban jungles from experiencing the incredible beauty, diversity, liveliness and songs of the birds;
For all the sea creatures and winged birds themselves, whose praise of God that has been sounding for hundreds of millions of years, is threatened with extinction by the human
destruction of their habitats and the toxins produced by consumerism and greed;
Prayer of Jesus
Our Dear Abba …
Closing Prayer & Blessing
God of the Sea and Sky, as we celebrate the fifth day of the week, we praise and thank you for the wonder and beauty of all the creatures that You have made, for each one of them reveals something of Your inexpressible love. Awaken in us a profound sensitivity to Your presence in all of creation and awareness that it is in You that we and all creation live and move and have our being. For your love is the power that has created all things, sustains all things, and invites 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.