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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.
O HEALING RIVER
O Healing River send down your waters, Send down your waters upon this land
O Healing River, send down your water, And wash the blood from off the sand.
The road is dusty, our burden’s heavy, the sun is scorching, our throats are dry.
O Healing River, send down your waters; Send down your waters from out the sky.
The earth is soiled, defaced by greed; Her creatures languish with want and need
O Healing River, send down your waters,With a torrent of Justice let the mountains stream!
Let the Spirit’s Fountain, and the Juice of Life, Refresh and soften, these hardened hearts
O Healing River, send down your waters And hope awaken! Let thirst depart!
O Mighty Waters, O Wondrous Waters; You wash our bodies, and cleanse our souls.
You make us a People—the kin of Jesus—One holy communion, beloved of God.
Text: vv.1, Fran Minkoff and Fred Hellerman; vv 2-5 John Leonard & Ken Pennings. Tune: Fran Minkoff and Fred Hellerman (1964)
SERVICE OF THE WORD
PSALMODY
Antiphon
Repent and believe the Gospel and so find your salvation.
Psalm 31/32
Happy are they whom God has pardoned;
whose sins have been remitted,
Happy are those in whom God finds no guilt,
in whose spirit is no guile or deceit.
While I hid my sin my bones grew weak
from all my endless groaning.
For day and night the weight of your hand
was heavy upon me;
my strength dried up and withered
as in a summer’s drought.
Then I acknowledged my sins;
and I stopped hiding my guilt:
I said, “I will confess
my offenses to Adonai.”
And you, Adonai, have forgiven;
and wiped away all my guilt.
No wonder the faithful pray to you
whenever in need or in danger!
Even a sudden flood
may rise but will never touch them.
You are my shelter, Adonai;
you save me from distress and ruin.
You encircle me with songs of deliverance.
“I will instruct you as your teacher
and show the path to walk;
I will give you reliable counsel
and watch out for you and your safety.
“Do not be a stubborn mule,
needing bridle and bit to be tamed.”
The wicked cause their own sorrows
but those who trust in Adonai
are surrounded with loving mercy.
Rejoice, rejoice in Adonai,
Exult all you who are just!
O come, ring out your joy,
all who are upright of heart.
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
And to the BREATH of Love;
as always before,
so now and evermore. Amen.
Repent and believe the Gospel and so find your salvation.
READING Ezekiel 47:9-10, 12
Along the bank of the river I saw very many trees on both sides.
The angel said to me, “This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah, and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh. Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh. Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary.
Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine.”
Responsory
R. I saw water flowing from the right side of the temple, * and everyone who drank from this stream was restored to life. V. Then one of the soldiers thrust a lance into his right side and immediately there flowed both blood and water * and everyone who drank from this stream was restored to life. V. Glory to the Holy One, and to the Word and to the Breath of Love.
Gospel Canticle of Mary
Antiphon
Now that you are well again take care to sin no more;
or something worse may befall you.
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
Now that you are well again take care to sin no more;
or something worse may befall you.
Service of Prayer
Litany of Intercession
For all who thirst—whose lives are endangered by lack of safe water to drink—whose crops and livestock whither from lack of rain….
For the millions of women and girls who spend much of their days fetching water for their families, animals and crops…
For all who suffer from too much water—from tsunamis and floods—and from the death and destruction, dampness and disease carried in the aftermath….
For those who hoard water, who waste it or pollute it—forcing others to pay excessively for water is rightfully belongs to all…
For those whose bodies, minds and spirits languish—cut off from the endless flow of God’s love enfleshed in self and others, in all creatures and creation…
For those preparing to enter the healing waters of Baptism and for all who will renew their Baptism at Easter…
Prayer of Jesus
Abba in Heaven, holy is your Name!
May your reign of love come and your way of loving be lived on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us no more than the bread we need for today. Forgive us our sins as we forgive all those who have harmed or wronged us. Keep us free in times of temptation and protect us from evil. For yours is the glory and power of love, both now and forever. Amen.
Blessing
May the Spirit of God + kindle in our hearts the love of God and neighbor that is the fulfillment of the law. ~Amen
Let us bless Adonai! ~And give thanks to God.
Those who wish may end evening prayer with the Marian Antiphon. Ave Regina Caelorum is sung from the 3rd of February until Good Friday, inclusive.
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 Light. Amen.