Evening Prayer

--Today is the Feast of Saint Dismas--
Lent
I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' Luke 15:18, 19

Saint and Major Saints' Days
Their sound has gone out into all lands, and their message to the ends of the world. Psalm 19:4

Confession of Sin
Most merciful God,
I confess that I have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done, and by what I have left undone. I have not loved you with my whole heart; I have not loved my neighbors as myself. I am truly sorry and I humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on me and forgive me; that I may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen

The Invitatory and Psalter

Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen

Venite
The Antiphon:

ⓘ   A short, reflective sentence recited alongside a psalm to deepen our understanding of the readings.

The Lord is full of compassion and mercy: Come let us adore him.

The Lessons

Psalm 119

⁽⁹⁷⁾ Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. ⁽⁹⁸⁾ You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; For they are ever with me. ⁽⁹⁹⁾ I have more understanding than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. ⁽¹⁰⁰⁾ I understand more than the ancients, Because I keep Your precepts.

⁽¹⁰¹⁾ I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word. ⁽¹⁰²⁾ I have not departed from Your judgments, For You Yourself have taught me. ⁽¹⁰³⁾ How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth! ⁽¹⁰⁴⁾ Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.

⁽¹⁰⁵⁾ Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. ⁽¹⁰⁶⁾ I have sworn and confirmed That I will keep Your righteous judgments. ⁽¹⁰⁷⁾ I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your word. ⁽¹⁰⁸⁾ Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, And teach me Your judgments.

⁽¹⁰⁹⁾ My life is continually in my hand, Yet I do not forget Your law. ⁽¹¹⁰⁾ The wicked have laid a snare for me, Yet I have not strayed from Your precepts. ⁽¹¹¹⁾ Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, For they are the rejoicing of my heart. ⁽¹¹²⁾ I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes Forever, to the very end.

⁽¹¹³⁾ I hate the double-minded, But I love Your law. ⁽¹¹⁴⁾ You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word. ⁽¹¹⁵⁾ Depart from me, you evildoers, For I will keep the commandments of my God! ⁽¹¹⁶⁾ Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.

⁽¹¹⁷⁾ Hold me up, and I shall be safe, And I shall observe Your statutes continually. ⁽¹¹⁸⁾ You reject all those who stray from Your statutes, For their deceit is falsehood. ⁽¹¹⁹⁾ You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross; Therefore I love Your testimonies. ⁽¹²⁰⁾ My flesh trembles for fear of You, And I am afraid of Your judgments.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Jeremiah Chapter 8

⁽¹⁸⁾ I would comfort myself in sorrow; My heart is faint in me. ⁽¹⁹⁾ Listen! The voice, The cry of the daughter of my people From a far country: 'Is not the LORD in Zion? Is not her King in her?' 'Why have they provoked Me to anger With their carved images -- With foreign idols?' ⁽²⁰⁾ The harvest is past, The summer is ended, And we are not saved!' ⁽²¹⁾ For the hurt of the daughter of my people I am hurt. I am mourning; Astonishment has taken hold of me.

⁽²²⁾ Is there no balm in Gilead, Is there no physician there? Why then is there no recovery For the health of the daughter of my people? ⁽¹⁾ Oh, that my head were waters, And my eyes a fountain of tears, That I might weep day and night For the slain of the daughter of my people! ⁽²⁾ Oh, that I had in the wilderness A lodging place for travelers; That I might leave my people, And go from them! For they are all adulterers, An assembly of treacherous men. ⁽³⁾ And like their bow they have bent their tongues for lies. They are not valiant for the truth on the earth. For they proceed from evil to evil, And they do not know Me,' says the LORD. ⁽⁴⁾ Everyone take heed to his neighbor, And do not trust any brother; For every brother will utterly supplant, And every neighbor will walk with slanderers.

⁽⁵⁾ Everyone will deceive his neighbor, And will not speak the truth; They have taught their tongue to speak lies; They weary themselves to commit iniquity. ⁽⁶⁾ Your dwelling place is in the midst of deceit; Through deceit they refuse to know Me,' says the LORD.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Romans Chapter 5

⁽¹⁾ Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁽²⁾ through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ⁽³⁾ And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; ⁽⁴⁾ and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

⁽⁵⁾ Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. ⁽⁶⁾ For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁽⁷⁾ For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. ⁽⁸⁾ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

⁽⁹⁾ Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. ⁽¹⁰⁾ For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. ⁽¹¹⁾ And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

John Chapter 8

⁽¹²⁾ Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.' ⁽¹³⁾ The Pharisees therefore said to Him, 'You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true.' ⁽¹⁴⁾ Jesus answered and said to them, 'Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going. ⁽¹⁵⁾ You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.

⁽¹⁶⁾ And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. ⁽¹⁷⁾ It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. ⁽¹⁸⁾ I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.' ⁽¹⁹⁾ Then they said to Him, 'Where is Your Father?' Jesus answered, 'You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.'

⁽²⁰⁾ These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.

The Gospel of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.


Glory to God        
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.

Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.

For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.


A Song of Penitence Prayer of Manasseh 1 to 2, 4, 6 to 7, 11 to 15
O Lord and Ruler of the hosts of heaven,
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
and of all their righteous offspring:
You made the heavens and the earth,
with all their vast array.
All things quake with fear at your presence;
they tremble because of your power.
But your merciful promise is beyond all measure;
it surpasses all that our minds can fathom.
O Lord, you are full of compassion,
long-suffering, and abounding in mercy.
You hold back your hand;
you do not punish as we deserve.
In your great goodness, Lord,
you have promised forgiveness to sinners,
that they may repent of their sin and be saved.
And now, O Lord, I bend the knee of my heart,
and make my appeal, sure of your gracious goodness.
I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned,
and I know my wickedness only too well.
Therefore I make this prayer to you:
Forgive me, Lord, forgive me.
Do not let me perish in my sin,
nor condemn me to the depths of the earth.
For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent,
and in me you will show forth your goodness.
Unworthy as I am, you will save me,
in accordance with your great mercy,
and I will praise you without ceasing all the days of my life.
For all the powers of heaven sing your praises,
and yours is the glory to ages of ages. Amen.



The Apostles' Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord.
  He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
  He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
  He descended to the dead.
  On the third day he rose again.
  He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
  He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
  the holy catholic Church,
  the communion of saints,
  the forgiveness of sins,
  the resurrection of the body,
  and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Prayers

The Lord's Prayer   Traditional
Suffrages A

Seasonal Collect:  Third Sunday in Lent
Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Collect of the Day: Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for Mission: Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen.

Personal Prayers and Reflection

This is a time to pause, consider and listen. Pray for yourself and others. When you lack the words


Closing Prayers   Thanksgiving

Conclude with the following
Let Us Bless the Lord, Thanks be to God

Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21