Podcast: Play in new window | Download
SERVICE OF LIGHT
Greeting/Invocation
Each evening this week, we light the First & Second Candles on the Advent Wreath, and sing:
Light and Peace in Jesus Christ our Lord!
~Thanks be to God!
Let your face shine on us, O God;
~And we shall be saved.
ADVENT EVENING HYMN
All may sing or alternate the verses of the Advent Evening Hymn
Comfort, comfort, O my people, Speak of peace, now says our God;
Comfort those who sit in darkness, Mourning ‘neath their sorrows load.
Speak unto Jerusalem Of the peace that waits for them;
Tell of all the sins I cover, And that warfare now is over.
Hark, the voice of one who’s crying In the desert far and near,
Bidding all to change direction Since the “Kin-dom” now is here.
O that warning cry obey! “Now prepare for God a way;”
May the valleys rise to meet you And the hills bow down to greet you.
O make straight what long was crooked, Make the rougher places plain;
Let your hearts be true and humble, As befits this holy reign.
For the glory of this Love Now o’er Earth comes from above;
And all flesh shall see the token That God’s word is never broken.
Text: Isaiah 40:1-8; Tröstet, tröstet, meine Lieben, Tr. Catherine Winkworth (1827-78) alt.
Tune: GENEVA 42 (Genevan Psalter, 1551)
SERVICE OF THE WORD
PSALMODY
An Advent Antiphon may be sung with the Evening Psalm.
Refrain: God of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved
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 might, 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 through the WORD
in the BREATH of Love;
as always before,
so now and evermore. Amen. (Refrain)
READING Isaiah 40:1-2
Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her service is at an end,her guilt is expiated;
Indeed, she has received from the hand of ADONAI double for all her sins.
Silent Reflection
Responsory
R. You heavens, open from above, that clouds may rain the just one. V. Be you comforted, be you comforted, hear me my people. Soon shall come to you Christ your Savior. Why do you give way to sorrowing? Has this grieving ended your suffering? Your Savior comes, do not be mournful, for I am with you, your God and your Savior, Israel’s Ruler, and your Redeemer.
Canticle of Mary Luke 1:46-55
Antiphon:
It is not the will of your heavenly Abba,
that even one of these little ones be lost.
It is customary to make the sign of the cross at the beginning of the Gospel Canticle.
My heart + is radiant with Adonai,
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
It is not the will of your heavenly Abba,
that even one of these little ones be lost.
SERVICE OF PRAYER
Litany
How long the path which leads to you! ~ Come to meet us, be our way.
How heavy the burden of our misery! ~ Come to meet us, be our rest.
How darkly hard the journey to our star! ~ Come to meet us, be our light.
How lonely do we wander, stumbling together in the chaos!
~ Come to meet us, be our companion.
How long your little ones are oppressed by the pride and greed of others!
~ Come to meet us, be our way to freedom and fullness of life.
How long, Lord Jesus, do we wait for your return!
~ Come to meet us, be our hope’s fulfillment.
Prayer of Jesus
You taught us to pray:
Our Father …
Closing Prayer & Blessing
O Wondrous Love, Holy Source of all that is, we praise you on this special feastday remembering the life and the legends of St. Juan Diego. As you called him to reveal the love of the most holy Virgin Mary for your people, grant that by following the counsels our Mother gave at Guadalupe, we may be faithful in serving you in all people and in caring for the whole of creation. For yours is the glory and power of Love, now and forever. Amen.
All may make the sign of the Cross as we say:
May the peace of the Holy ONE+ which surpasses all understanding + guard our hearts and our minds in Jesus,+ our Emmanuel. Amen.
Let us bless Adonai.
~Thanks be to God.
Those who wish may end evening prayer with the Marian Antiphon for Advent.
Marian Antiphon
Loving Mother of our Savior, holding open heaven’s only hope, Star for steerage in this vastness, rise to help us, save the sinking. Nature’s greatest Wonder: you have borne your own true Maker, giving human life to him. Virgin ever, before and after, that Good News from Gabriel, Word of Life for living, tell it now: mercy to all people!
The angel of the Lord brought the message to Mary. ~ And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Let us pray. We ask, O Lord, that we who have been privileged to receive the Good News of the Incarnation of Christ, you Son, may be prepared through his passion and cross to approach also the glory of his resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.