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Ad te levavi anima mea, Deus meus,
in te confido non erubescat;
neque irideant me inimici mei,
et enim universi qui te expectant non confundentur.
SERVICE OF LIGHT AND PRAISE
Greeting/Invocation
As the Jewish mother lights the candles at the beginning of Sabbath, Christians light (a) candle(s) at the beginning of Evening Prayer. In Advent, we light the candles of the Advent wreath. On this evening and for the next 5 days, we light the First Candle on the Advent Wreath, and say or sing:
Jesus Christ is the Light of the World!
~A light no darkness can extinguish !
Show us your compassion, O God;
~And we shall be saved.
ADVENT EVENING HYMN
All may sing or alternate the verses of an Advent Evening Hymn. Martin Luther (1483-1546) based his German text, Nun Komm der Heiden Heiland, on the 4th-centurty Latin Hymn, VENI REDEMPTOR GENTIUM by St. Ambrose. This melody was first published by Luther in 1524. In his Orgelbüchlein, JS Bach (1685-1750) assigned this hymn and its organ prelude to the First Sunday of Advent.
Savior of the nations, come, Virgin’s Son, make here your home!
Marvel now, O heaven and earth, That the Lord chose such a birth.
Not by human flesh and blood, By the Spirit of our God,
Was the Word of God made flesh–Woman’s Offspring, pure and fresh.
God Creator is the Source, Back to God he runs the course,
Down to death and hell descends, God’s high throne he re-ascends.
Come with light O healing Sun, who o’er death the vict’ry won.
Let no night your light subdue, Let our faith shine ever new.
SERVICE OF THE WORD
PSALMODY
One or more of the Antiphons for the First Sunday of Advent may be sung with their respective Psalms.
Those who wish may sing alternate verses with the cantor.
Antiphon 1
On that promised day, all the peaks will drip with newest wine,
and the hills will flow with milk and honey, Alleluia.
Psalm 109/110
Adonai, to the One who will reign:
“Come and be My companion;
We will undo selfishness and sin.”
The Spirit will bring from Zion
The power and strength to save:
Love changing foes into friends.
Precious from the day of your birth
on the holy mountain;
from the womb before the dawn I begot you.
The Promise holds true forever:
Your ministry is Loving-Kindness–
A priest like Melchizedek of old.
Companions of the Most High are ready
To liberate all who suffer from evil.
The One who calls us to justice
Invites us to join in the struggle:
Enlightening all who are unaware of the truth.
Drink from streams of Living Water,
Lift your head and celebrate the feast.
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
and to the HOLY BREATH of LOVE;
As always before
so now and evermore, Amen.
On that promised day, all the peaks will drip with newest wine,
and the hills will flow with milk and honey, Alleluia.
Antiphon 2
Rejoice greatly, Daughter of Sion! Thrill with happiness,
O Daughter of Jerusalem, Alleluia.
Psalm 113a/114
When people come out of slavery–
Those you love from alien status–
Their hearts serve as your Temple;
Their lives embody your Reign.
Sea flees at the sight,
River turns back on its course,
Mountains leap like rams
Hills like yearling sheep.
Why is it Sea, that you flee?
River, that you turn back on your course?
Mountains, that you skip like rams?
Hills, like yearling sheep?
Stand in wonder and awe before Love,
In the presence of the Holy One who saves,
Who turns the rock into a pool
And flint into a spring of water.
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
and to the HOLY BREATH of LOVE;
As always before
so now and evermore, Amen.
Rejoice greatly, Daughter of Sion! Thrill with happiness,
O Daughter of Jerusalem, Alleluia.
Antiphon 3
See now approaching the greatest Prophet,
one at last to restore Jerusalem, Alleluia.
Psalm 147
O Praise Adonai, Jerusalem,
Zion, praise the Holy One.
God’s-Love gives strength to the little ones,
And courage to face their fears.
Peace to be their sure refuge,
Golden wheat to share at the feast.
God’s- Word cuts through the resistance
That fosters greed and conceit;
Sends snow heavy as wool
And scatters frost like ashes;
Hurls down hail like crumbs,
Freezes the waters with Winter.
God’s- Word melts them with Spring,
God’s-Breath makes the waters flow.
The Word is written on our hearts
To guide us with wisdom and justice;
That together we may share with all people
God’s ways of justice and truth.
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
and to the HOLY BREATH of LOVE;
As always before
so now and evermore, Amen.
See now approaching the greatest Prophet,
one at last to restore Jerusalem, Alleluia.
Reading: Philippians 4:4-5
Rejoice in the Lord, always! Again, I say, rejoice!
Everyone should see how unselfish you are—
The Lord is very near.
Responsory:
R. Let us see, Holy One, your mercy, *give us your saving help.
V. Your help is near for all who trust, and your glory will dwell in our land:* give us your saving help.
Gospel Canticle of Mary
Gospel Antiphon
Then you will see the Human One coming on a cloud
with great power and majesty, alleluia!
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 through the WORD
In the BREATH of Love!
As always before,
so now and evermore. Amen
Then you will see the Human One coming on a cloud
with great power and majesty, alleluia!
SERVICE OF PRAYER
Intercessory Prayer
Let us call on the Beloved, the happiness of all who wait for God’s Reign:
~Come, O Love, do not delay.
We wait in joyful hope
~For your Love to appear again.
You created the world, freeing all things to be;
~Walk with us now in beauty and peace.
You came to share life to the full
~Free all creation to flourish together.
You gather all in your loving embrace
~Show us again your radiant face.
Prayer of Jesus
Gathering our prayers and praise into one, we pray as Jesus taught the disciples:
Our Dear Abba …
Closing Prayer & Blessing
Stir up your love, O Jesus, and come. As a mother hen spreads her wings to gather her brood, extend your arms to gather and protect us. Free us to bring the warmth of your love to a world freezing in loneliness and fear. For yours is the glory and power of Love, now and forever. Amen.
May the peace of the Holy ONE which surpasses all understanding + guard our hearts and our minds in Jesus our Emmanuel.
Let us bless Adonai.
~Thanks be to God.
Those who wish may sing (or listen to) the Marian Antiphon with its versicle and prayer.
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 God, 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.