Evening Prayer - May 28, 2025

Today's Readings

Psalm 119:97-120

Baruch 3:24-37

James 5:13-18

Luke 12:22-31

Easter
You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

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 Alleluia

From Easter to Pentecost, Christ the Passover can be used in place of the Venite or Jubilate.

Christ the Passover 1 Corinthians 5:7 to 8; Romans 6:9 to 11; 1 Corinthians 15:20 to 22
Alleluia.
Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us;
therefore let us keep the feast,
Not with old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil,
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Alleluia.

Christ being raised from the dead will never die again;
death no longer has dominion over him.
The death that he died, he died to sin, once for all;
but the life he lives, he lives to God.
So also consider yourselves dead to sin,
and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Alleluia.

the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since by a man came death,
by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die,
so in Christ shall all be made alive. Alleluia.

Venite

ⓘ 'Venite' is Latin for 'O Come,' the opening word of Psalm 95: Venite exultemus Domino ('O Come, let us sing to the LORD').

Psalm 95:1 to 7
Come, let us sing to the Lord;
   let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving
   and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.

For the Lord is a great God,
   and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth,
   and the heights of the hills are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
   and his hands have molded the dry land.

Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee,
   and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
    Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!

The Antiphon:

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

Alleluia. Christ the Lord has ascended into heaven: Come let us adore him. Alleluia.

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.

Baruch Chapter 3

⁽²⁴⁾ O Israel, how great is the universe in which God dwells! How vast is all that he possesses!⁽²⁵⁾ There is no end to it; there is no way to measure how wide or how high it is.⁽²⁶⁾ Here in early times the famous giants were born, a mighty race skilled in war.⁽²⁷⁾ But God did not choose them to be his people or show them the way of knowledge.

⁽²⁸⁾ They died out because they had neither understanding nor insight.⁽²⁹⁾ No one has ever gone up into heaven to get Wisdom and bring her down out of the clouds.⁽³⁰⁾ No one has sailed across the seas to find Wisdom or bought her with precious gold.⁽³¹⁾ No one knows how to get to her or how to discover the path that leads to her.

⁽³²⁾ The only one who knows Wisdom is God, and he knows all things. With his understanding he found her. He established the earth for all time and filled it with all kinds of animals.⁽³³⁾ The light trembled and obeyed when he called. He sent it forth, and it appeared.⁽³⁴⁾ He called the stars, and they promptly answered; they took their places and gladly shone to please the one who made them.⁽³⁵⁾ He is our God, and there is none like him.

⁽³⁶⁾ He discovered the entire path leading to understanding and gave Wisdom to his servant Israel, whom he loved.⁽³⁷⁾ From that time on, Wisdom appeared on earth and lived among us.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

James Chapter 5

⁽¹³⁾ Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.⁽¹⁴⁾ Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.⁽¹⁵⁾ And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.⁽¹⁶⁾ Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

⁽¹⁷⁾ Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.⁽¹⁸⁾ And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Luke Chapter 12

⁽²²⁾ Then He said to His disciples, 'Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.⁽²³⁾ Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.⁽²⁴⁾ Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?⁽²⁵⁾ And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

⁽²⁶⁾ If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?⁽²⁷⁾ Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.⁽²⁸⁾ If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?⁽²⁹⁾ And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.

⁽³⁰⁾ For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.⁽³¹⁾ But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

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.

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

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen.

Suffrages

ⓘ A simple prayer to God for help, mercy, or intercession, rooted in the Latin word for support.

Show us your mercy, O Lord;
And grant us your salvation.
Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
Let your people sing with joy.
Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
For only in you can we live in safety.
Lord, keep this nation under your care;
And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
Let your way be known upon earth;
Your saving health among all nations.
Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Create in us clean hearts, O God;
And sustain us by your Holy Spirit.

Seasonal Collect: Sixth Sunday of Easter
O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; 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.

Closing Prayers

Thanksgiving
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory, and, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.

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