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SERVICE OF 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. During this Third Week of Advent, we light three candles of the Advent wreath, and then say or 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—this one translated anew from the Monastic version of Conditor Alme Siderum.
O God of Light who made the stars, O Dawning light of faith for all,
O Christ , you save the universe, Now hear your people when we call.
Compassion moved your loving heart When death assailed all humankind,
You came to save a weary world: The sick to heal, the lost to find.
As this old world sank down towards night, A Groom appeared to start the feast
From Virgin Mother, Bread and Light, New Day, new Life, new Joy increased.
Before your name, O gentle Lord, May every creature bend the knee,
May silent stars and planets praise The One whose love sets all things free.
Be with us Lord, this Advent night, as winter wombs our Earth with snow;
As cold and darkness play their part gestating life from death below.
All glory, honor, thanks and praise, to Abba and Emmanuel,
And to the Spirit in whose love, all life and love forever dwell. Amen.
SERVICE OF THE WORD
PSALMODY
One or more of the Antiphons for the Third Sunday of Advent may be sung with their respective Psalms. Those who wish may sing alternate verses with the cantor.
Antiphon 1
Jerusalem, joy with great rejoicing,
for your Savior comes to you, alleluia!
Psalm 121/122
I rejoiced when I heard them say:
“Let us go to God’s House!”
And now our feet are standing
within your gates O Jerusalem!
Jerusalem is built as a city–
Strongly compact.
It is there that the tribes go up,
the tribes of our God.
For Israel’s law it is
there to praise God’s Holy Name.
There were set the thrones of judgment
of the house of David.
For the peace of Jerusalem pray;
“Peace be to your homes!
Safety within your walls!
in every dwelling place, peace!”
For love of my family and friends
I say: “Peace upon you!”
For love of the house of Adonai
I pray for your good.
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
and to the BREATH of Love;
as always before,
so now and evermore, Amen.
Jerusalem, joy with great rejoicing,
for your Savior comes to you, alleluia!
Antiphon 2
I will place salvation in Sion
and in Jerusalem my glory, Alleluia!
Psalm 145/146
My soul, sing praise to Adonai
I will praise Adonai all my days;
make music to my God while I live.
Never depend on rulers:
born of earth, the cannot save.
They die and turn to dust.
and all their plans simply crumble.
They are wise who depend on God,
who look to the Adonai of Jacob,
creator of heaven and earth
maker of the teeming sea.
Adonai keeps faith forever,
and is just to all who are oppressed,
the One who gives bread to the hungry
and sets all the prisoners free.
Adonai gives sight to the blind,
raises those whose bodies are bent,
protects refugees and strangers,
upholds and comforts widows and orphans.
Adonai is One who loves the just
and blocks the path of the wicked.
Adonai will reign forever
Sion’s God from one generation to the next..
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
And to the BREATH of Love!
As always before,
so now and evermore. Amen
I will place salvation in Sion
and in Jerusalem my glory, Alleluia!
Antiphon 3
Let us live justly and with reverence,
looking for that blessed hope and coming of the Lord.
Psalm 146/147
How good to sing God praise!
Sing to the One who is loving!
We cannot help but shout this praise!
Adonai rebuilds Jerusalem
and gathers the exiles of Israel;
healing the broken-hearted,
and binding up all of their wounds.
God fixes the number of the stars
and calls each one by its name.
Adonai is great and almighty;
wise beyond all telling:
For the Holy One raises the lowly and the poor,
while the wicked are humbled to the dust.
O sing to Adonai, giving thanks,
Sound the harp with psalms for our God,
Who stretches the heavens with clouds,
preparing rain for the Earth,
making mountains green with grass
and plants to serve everyone’s needs.
Adonai provides food for our cattle
and for young ravens when they call.
They are not impressed by the power of horses
nor by the strength and speed of a warrior.
For Adonai takes delight in the reverent;
and those who trust God’s compassion.
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
And to the BREATH of Love;
as always before,
so now and evermore. Amen.
Let us live justly and with reverence,
looking for that blessed hope and coming of the Lord.
READING _________________________________ Philippians 4: 4-5
Rejoice in the Lord, always! Again I say it “Rejoice!”
Everyone should see how unselfish you are. For the Lord is near.
Silent Reflection
Responsory
R. Jerusalem, why are you so full of sorrow? * I will save you and deliver you; do not be afraid! V. For I am Adonai your God, the Holy One of Israel, your savior. * I will save you and deliver you; do not be afraid! V. Glory to the Abba and the Word and the Holy Breath of Love.
Canticle of Mary: Luke 1:46-55
Antiphon:
John summoning two of his disciples, sent them to Jesus to ask,
“are you the one who is to come, or must we wait for someone else?”
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
John summoning two of his disciples, sent them to Jesus to ask,
“are you the one who is to come, or must we wait for someone else?”
SERVICE OF PRAYER
Litany
Let us call on the Beloved, the happiness of all who wait for God’s Reign:
~ Maranatha! Come, O Jesus, 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
You taught us to pray,
Our Dear Abba …
Closing Prayer & Blessing
Stir up our hearts, Adonai, to prepare the way for the Advent of your Incarnate Word;
May all creation rejoice in the hope that with the coming of our Savior, sadness will be replaced by joy, hatred will be replaced by love, and the destruction of Earth will be replaced by the freedom and flourishing of life. 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 Holy ONE who makes peace fall on the mountain heights + shower us and all creation with peace. ~ Amen
Let us bless Adonai.
~Thanks be to God.
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.