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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!
Stay with us Lord for it is evening,
~And the day is almost over.
Hymn for Saturday Evening
O fire that fuels the stars and suns,
rekindled in our evening flame:
your blinding radiance yet is dimmed
before the One from whom you came.
When out of darkness first you dawned,
you ushered in God’s gifts untold:
on this the eighth, unequaled day,
you blazed where Life lay dead and cold.
For Christ, our light, unquenchable,
death sought to master and defy,
yet from a darkened, empty tomb
Life gave definitive reply.
The universe will not be shamed,
delighting God in endless ways,
for neither human sin nor pride
can silence its unceasing praise. Amen
Text: Aelred-Seton Shanley
SERVICE OF THE WORD
Evening Psalm
Antiphon
You will show me the path of life,
you will give me the fullness of joy in your presence forever.
Psalm 64/65
To You our praise is due
O God in Zion
To You do we commit our lives,
for you are the One who hears our prayer.
To you do we come
when we have gone astray.
When our transgressions weigh us down
You are the One who sets us free.
Blessed are those you invite
and welcome to your dwelling.
You fill us with the bounty of your house,
and the holiness of your temple.
You keep your promise with wonders,
O Adonai, our savior,
You are the hope of all on Earth
even the most distant isles.
Clothed in power and strength
You uphold and steady the mountains;
You still the roaring of the seas
(restless waves and raging nations).
You fill them from east to west with your joy.
You tend and water the land,
and it yields a great harvest.
You fill your springs,
ready the seeds, and prepare the grain.
You soak the furrows and level the ridges;
With softening rain you bless its growth.
You crown the year with your goodness,
All you touch comes alive:
Abundance flows in your steps,
In fields and meadows it flows.
The hills are dressed with joy,
the pastures covered with flocks.
the valleys wrap themselves in grain,
They shout for joy and break into song:
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
And to the BREATH of Love;
as always before,
so now and evermore. Amen.
You will show me the path of life,
you will give me the fullness of joy in your presence forever.
Reading Isaiah 55:10-11
Thus says ADONAI:
Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there
till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful,
giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats,
so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth;
my word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.
Responsory
R. The rain and the snow from heaven do not return without watering the earth; *it gives see to the sower and bread to the hungry. V. Even so the Word that comes rom the mouth of God does not return empty; *it gives see to the sower and bread to the hungry. V. Glory to the Abba and the Word and the Breath of Love.
Gospel Antiphon
A sower went out to sow. Some seed fell on the path,
some on rocky ground, some among thorns, and some on good, rich soil.
O Jesus Christ, sow your Word in our hearts, that we may produce a hundredfold.
Canticle from Philippians 2: 6-11
Refrain: Lord Jesus.
Though he was in the form of God
Jesus did not snatch at equality with God.
He emptied himself,
taking the form of a servant,
being born in the likeness of human beings.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself,
and became obedient unto death,
even death on a cross.
Therefore God has highly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
that is above every other name.
That at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow
in heaven and on earth
and under the earth.
And every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Abba.
Glory to the Abba and to the Word
And to the Breath of Love
As always before
So now and evermore. Amen
A sower went out to sow. Some seed fell on the path,
some on rocky ground, some among thorns, and some on good, rich soil.
O Jesus Christ, sow your Word in our hearts, that we may produce a hundredfold.
SERVICE OF PRAYER
Litany of Intercession
For the Unity of the Christian Churches and the common good of all Earthkind,
Love, 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, Love, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For the health and well-being of all creation, and the wisdom and will to conserve it, Love in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For all those who have asked for our prayers and those for whom we have promised to pray, Love in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For all who are suffering in mind, body or spirit, and for those who care for them,
Love in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For those who have died, and for those who grieve their passing, Love, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Prayer of Jesus
Our Father…
Closing Prayer & Blessing
Risen Christ, by virtue of your passing over from death to life,
sow the truth of your word and the love of your Holy Spirit in our hearts. May our lives produce a rich harvest of compassion for those who suffer, justice for those who are oppressed, pardon for those who have done wrong, peace for those who are troubled, and consolation for those who grieve. Yours is the power and the glory of love, now and forever. ~Amen.
May the Spirit of Life and Love + bless us and all of creation. ~Amen
Let us bless Adonai. ~Thanks be to God.
Those who wish may end evening prayer with the Marian Antiphon for this season.
Marian Antiphon
Salve Regina, Mater misericordiae, Vita dulcedo et Spes nostra, salve!
Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evae; Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum vale. Eia, ergo, Advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos, ad nos converte; et Jesum benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis, post hoc exilium ostende. O Clemens, O Pia, O Dulcis, Virgo Maria!
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God;
~ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray. Holy, Mighty and Immortal God, through the working of the Holy Spirit, you prepared the body and soul of the glorious virgin Mother Mary, as a worthy dwelling for your Word; grant that we, who celebrate her memory each evening, may with the help of her prayers, be freed from ever-present evil, and come to share the fulness of life eternal. Amen.