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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!
O Adonai, You are my light;
~My God, You illumine my darkness.
EVENING HYMN LENT
O Good Provider, hear our plea And listen to our earnest prayer
That through these forty days of Lent We learn to trust your loving care.
We spend our time and energies constructing barns to hoard and store,
And celebrate our liturgies to Mammon–god of “always more.”
When Lazarus is at our gates, and species made extinct by greed–
May what we choose to fill our plates be no more than we really need.
As Earth now circles into Spring and through the mud new life appears,
We pray our Lenten journeys bring the joy that wipes away all tears.
O Abba, Food of those who fast, O Christ in whom the least are known,
Earth’s rising sap, O Spirit-spring: come raise to life what you have sown! Amen.
Tune: MERCIFUL REDEEMER, Mode IV Text: ; vv. 1-4 The Daily Feast; v. 5 Aelred Seton-Shanley
SERVICE OF THE WORD
PSALMODY
Antiphon
O Adonai Elohim, I have committed my cause to you.
Psalm 143/144
Blessed be Adonai, my rock,
who trains me for the struggle,
who prepares me to work for justice.
My Lover, my Fortress,
my Stronghold, my Savior
my Shield, my Place of Refuge,
who enables me to lead with love.
Who are we that you care for us?
Why give a thought to mere mortals?
We are little more than a breath;
our days like fading shadows.
Adonai, come lower the heavens
touch the mountains and wrap them in smoke.
Flash your lightning, let its arrows fly,
to scatter and rout all my fears.
Reach down from heaven and save me,
snatch me from the crashing waves;
rescue me from those who think strangely,
who believe and spread deadly lies,
then raise their hands and swear they are true.
To you, Adonai, I will sing a new song;
I will play on my ten-stringed harp,
for you lead those who are just to victory,
setting your servants, like David, free.
You set him free from the evil sword;
and rescued him from strangers and foes.
Let our sons flourish like saplings
grown tall and strong from their youth:
our daughters graceful as columns
adorned as though for a palace.
Fill our barns so there is no hunger.
Bless our fields with crops of all kinds,
our meadows with sheep by the thousands,
our cattle heavy with young.
No ruined walls and no exiles,
no outcry or weeping in our streets.
Happy the people with such blessings;
happy the people whose God is Adonai!
Glory to the One and to the Word
and to the Breath of Love;
As always before,
so now and evermore, Amen.
O Adonai Elohim, I have committed my cause to you.
Reading James 2: 14-26
What good is it if one claims to have faith but does not have works? Can that faith
save? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the
necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead… Do you want proof that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our ancestor justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by the works. Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as
righteousness,” and he was called “the friend of God.” See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also
justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by a different route? For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
Responsory
R. By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish, *For her act of kindness she was justified by God. V. As the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works of love is dead. *for her act of kindness she was justified by God. V. Glory to the One and the Word and the Holy Breath of Love.
Gospel Canticle of Mary
Antiphon
You study the scriptures to find eternal life; these same scriptures testify to me.
Moses wrote of me, but you refuse to believe what he wrote.
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
You study the scriptures to find eternal life; these same scriptures testify to me.
Moses wrote of me, but you refuse to believe what he wrote.
Service of Prayer
Litany of Intercession
For the Unity of Humanity and the common good of all Earthkind,
God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For the people of this and every other nation, that all be guided in the ways of justice and peace, God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For the health and well-being of all creation, and the wisdom and will to conserve it,
God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For all those who have asked for our prayers and those for whom we have promised to pray, God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For all who are suffering in mind, body or spirit, and for those who care for them,
God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For those who have died, and for those who grieve their passing,
God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Prayer of Jesus
Our Father …
Closing Prayer & Blessing
God of Life and Liberation, in his teaching, his parables and his example, Jesus revealed that to live fully as the image of God, each of us is called and gifted to meet the real, practical needs of our sisters and brothers. May our celebration of this holy season rehearse us in living by his values and bring us closer to realizing the freedom, flourishing and fullness of life that your love offers to us and all creation both now and forever. ~Amen.
Blessing
May the Spirit of God + kindle in our hearts the love of God and neighbor which fulfills the whole law. ~Amen
Let us bless Adonai! ~And give thanks to God.
Those who wish may end evening prayer with the Marian Antiphon.
Queen of the heavens we greet you, Queen of Angels now we entreat you,
Fairest flower, heaven’s portal From whom came the Light immortal.
Matchless maiden, God did raise you For the Universe to praise you.
Hear us, O hear us, dear Mother; Show your children Jesus, our brother.
Pray for us, O Gracious Queen of the Universe.
~ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray. O Gracious God, grant to your people lasting health of mind and body. Send us your assistance in times of temptation. May we who celebrate the memory of the Holy Mother of God, rise from our sins by the help of her intercession. We ask this through Christ our Love. Amen.