Evening Prayer

--Today is the Feast of Saint Cyril--
Lent
Rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and repents of evil. Joel 2:13

Saint and Major Saints' Days
You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. Ephesians 2:19

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 61

⁽¹⁾ HEAR my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer. ⁽²⁾ From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. ⁽³⁾ For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy. ⁽⁴⁾ I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah

⁽⁵⁾ For You, O God, have heard my vows; You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name. ⁽⁶⁾ You will prolong the king's life, His years as many generations. ⁽⁷⁾ He shall abide before God forever. Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him! ⁽⁸⁾ So I will sing praise to Your name forever, That I may daily perform my vows.

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.

Psalm 62

⁽¹⁾ Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation. ⁽²⁾ He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved. ⁽³⁾ How long will you attack a man? You shall be slain, all of you, Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence. ⁽⁴⁾ They only consult to cast him down from his high position; They delight in lies; They bless with their mouth, But they curse inwardly. Selah

⁽⁵⁾ My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him. ⁽⁶⁾ He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. ⁽⁷⁾ In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God. ⁽⁸⁾ Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah

⁽⁹⁾ Surely men of low degree are a vapor, Men of high degree are a lie; If they are weighed on the scales, They are altogether lighter than vapor. ⁽¹⁰⁾ Do not trust in oppression, Nor vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, Do not set your heart on them. ⁽¹¹⁾ God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God. ⁽¹²⁾ Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; For You render to each one according to his work.

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 2

⁽¹⁾ Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ⁽²⁾ Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, 'Thus says the LORD: 'I remember you, The kindness of your youth, The love of your betrothal, When you went after Me in the wilderness, In a land not sown. ⁽³⁾ Israel was holiness to the LORD, The firstfruits of His increase. All that devour him will offend; Disaster will come upon them,' says the LORD.' ' ⁽⁴⁾ Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob and all the families of the house of Israel.

⁽⁵⁾ Thus says the LORD: 'What injustice have your fathers found in Me, That they have gone far from Me, Have followed idols, And have become idolaters? ⁽⁶⁾ Neither did they say, 'Where is the LORD, Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, Who led us through the wilderness, Through a land of deserts and pits, Through a land of drought and the shadow of death, Through a land that no one crossed And where no one dwelt?' ⁽⁷⁾ I brought you into a bountiful country, To eat its fruit and its goodness. But when you entered, you defiled My land And made My heritage an abomination. ⁽⁸⁾ The priests did not say, 'Where is the LORD?' And those who handle the law did not know Me; The rulers also transgressed against Me; The prophets prophesied by Baal, And walked after things that do not profit.

⁽⁹⁾ Therefore I will yet bring charges against you,' says the LORD, 'And against your children's children I will bring charges. ⁽¹⁰⁾ For pass beyond the coasts of Cyprus and see, Send to Kedar and consider diligently, And see if there has been such a thing. ⁽¹¹⁾ Has a nation changed its gods, Which are not gods? But My people have changed their Glory For what does not profit. ⁽¹²⁾ Be astonished, O heavens, at this, And be horribly afraid; Be very desolate,' says the LORD.

⁽¹³⁾ For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns -- broken cisterns that can hold no water.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Romans Chapter 1

⁽¹⁶⁾ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. ⁽¹⁷⁾ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith.' ⁽¹⁸⁾ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ⁽¹⁹⁾ because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.

⁽²⁰⁾ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, ⁽²¹⁾ because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ⁽²²⁾ Professing to be wise, they became fools, ⁽²³⁾ and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man -- and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

⁽²⁴⁾ Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, ⁽²⁵⁾ who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

John Chapter 4

⁽⁴³⁾ Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee. ⁽⁴⁴⁾ For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. ⁽⁴⁵⁾ So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast. ⁽⁴⁶⁾ So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.

⁽⁴⁷⁾ When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. ⁽⁴⁸⁾ Then Jesus said to him, 'Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.' ⁽⁴⁹⁾ The nobleman said to Him, 'Sir, come down before my child dies!' ⁽⁵⁰⁾ Jesus said to him, 'Go your way; your son lives.' So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.

⁽⁵¹⁾ And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, 'Your son lives!' ⁽⁵²⁾ Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, 'Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.' ⁽⁵³⁾ So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, 'Your son lives.' And he himself believed, and his whole household. ⁽⁵⁴⁾ This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

The Gospel of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

A Song to the Lamb       Revelation 4:11, 5:9 to 10, 13

Splendor and honor and kingly power
are yours by right, O Lord our God,
For you created everything that is,
and by your will they were created
  and have their being;
And yours by right, O Lamb that was slain,
for with your blood you have redeemed for God,
From every family, language, people, and nation,
a kingdom of priests to serve our God.
And so, to him who sits upon the throne,
and to Christ the Lamb,
Be worship and praise, dominion and splendor,
forever and forevermore.

The Song of Zechariah Luke 1: 68 to 79

Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers;
you are worthy of praise; glory to you.
Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name;
we will praise you and highly exalt you forever.

Glory to you in the splendor of your temple;
on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.
Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim;
we will praise you and highly exalt you forever.

Glory to you, beholding the depths;
in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.
Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
we will praise you and highly exalt you forever.



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:  Second Sunday in Lent
O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Collect of the Day: O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for Mission: O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Romans 15:13