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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 Love!
~Thanks be to God!
Stay with us O Christ, 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 stars on high,
For when the fourth day was begun
You framed the circle of the sun.
Surrounding it with fi’ry light
You crowned the Sun with glor’ous 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 in the way of right
As true, free children of the light.
O Loving Abba hear our cry
Through Jesus Christ our Love on high;
Whom in the Spirit we adore,
Who reigns with you forevermore. Amen.
Text: Caeli Deus Sanctissime. Tune: Plainsong
SERVICE OF THE WORD
PSALMODY
The skies proclaim your wonders, Adonai
and the stars announce your love. Alleluia!
Psalm 88/89a
I will sing your love all my days, Adonai
In every age I will proclaim your truth.
Of this I am certain: your love lasts forever;
Your faithfulness outlasts the heavens.
“With my chosen one, I have made a covenant;
I have sworn to David, my servant”
I will establish your house forever
and uphold your reign from age to age.
The skies proclaim your wonders, Adonai,
the assembly of the stars proclaims your love.
Is anyone in the heavens your equal?
Can any of the gods compare with you?
Revered in the council of holy ones,
Great and dreadful to all around.
Who indeed is your equal, God of strength,
Clothed in truth, O God of power?
You rule the stormy seas,
you calm the roaring waves,
You split the sea monster in two
and scatter opponents with a mighty arm.
Yours is the sky, yours the Earth,
yours the whole world of creatures.
You created the North and the South,
Our mountains–Tabor and Hermon–sing out your name.
Yours is a mighty arm, Adonai;
your hand is strong, your right hand ready.
Justice and right anchor your throne,
love and truth serve in your presence.
Your people rejoice to have you as ruler,
are grateful to walk in your light.
Your Name is itself our joy
Your justice the source of our bliss.
For you, Adonai, are the glory of our strength,
it is your favor that leads us to victory.
May our leaders have you as their keeper,
their shield, the Holy One of Israel.
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
And to the BREATH of Love!
As always before,
so now and evermore. Amen
The skies proclaim your wonders, Adonai
and the stars announce your love. Alleluia!
Reading Romans 12:10-13
Let love be sincere;
hate what is evil,
hold on to what is good;
love one another with mutual affection;
anticipate one another in showing honor.
Do not grow slack in zeal,
be fervent in spirit,
serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope,
endure in affliction,
persevere in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the holy ones,
exercise hospitality.
Responsory
R. Bear one another’s burdens, * and so fulfill the law of Christ. V. Look to each other’s interests, * and so fulfill the law of Christ.. V. Glory to the Abba...
Gospel Canticle of Mary
Antiphon
Here is a man who started to build but was unable to finish.
So also you cannot be my disciple unless you give up everything.
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
Here is a man who started to build but was unable to finish.
So also you cannot be my disciple unless you give up everything.
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 in existence 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.
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 hearts 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.