Evening Prayer - April 30, 2025

Today's Readings

Psalm 119:1-24

Daniel 2:17-30

1 John 2:12-17

John 17:20-26

Easter
On this day the Lord has acted; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

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.

Thanks be to God, who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57

The Lessons

Psalm 119

⁽¹⁾ Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of the LORD!⁽²⁾ Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart!⁽³⁾ They also do no iniquity; They walk in His ways.⁽⁴⁾ You have commanded us To keep Your precepts diligently.

⁽⁵⁾ Oh, that my ways were directed To keep Your statutes!⁽⁶⁾ Then I would not be ashamed, When I look into all Your commandments.⁽⁷⁾ I will praise You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments.⁽⁸⁾ I will keep Your statutes; Oh, do not forsake me utterly!

⁽⁹⁾ How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.⁽¹⁰⁾ With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!⁽¹¹⁾ Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You!⁽¹²⁾ Blessed are You, O LORD! Teach me Your statutes!

⁽¹³⁾ With my lips I have declared All the judgments of Your mouth.⁽¹⁴⁾ I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches.⁽¹⁵⁾ I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways.⁽¹⁶⁾ I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.

⁽¹⁷⁾ Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word.⁽¹⁸⁾ Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law.⁽¹⁹⁾ I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me.⁽²⁰⁾ My soul breaks with longing For Your judgments at all times.

⁽²¹⁾ You rebuke the proud -- the cursed, Who stray from Your commandments.⁽²²⁾ Remove from me reproach and contempt, For I have kept Your testimonies.⁽²³⁾ Princes also sit and speak against me, But Your servant meditates on Your statutes.⁽²⁴⁾ Your testimonies also are my delight And my counselors.

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.

Daniel Chapter 2

⁽¹⁷⁾ Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions,⁽¹⁸⁾ that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.⁽¹⁹⁾ Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.⁽²⁰⁾ Daniel answered and said: 'Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His.

⁽²¹⁾ And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.⁽²²⁾ He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him.⁽²³⁾ I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, And have now made known to me what we asked of You, For You have made known to us the king's demand.'⁽²⁴⁾ Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: 'Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; take me before the king, and I will tell the king the interpretation.'

⁽²⁵⁾ Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king, and said thus to him, 'I have found a man of the captives of Judah, who will make known to the king the interpretation.'⁽²⁶⁾ The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, 'Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and its interpretation?'⁽²⁷⁾ Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, 'The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king.⁽²⁸⁾ But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these:

⁽²⁹⁾ As for you, O king, thoughts came to your mind while on your bed, about what would come to pass after this; and He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will be.⁽³⁰⁾ But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

1 John Chapter 2

⁽¹²⁾ I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake.⁽¹³⁾ I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father.⁽¹⁴⁾ I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one.⁽¹⁵⁾ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

⁽¹⁶⁾ For all that is in the world -- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life -- is not of the Father but is of the world.⁽¹⁷⁾ And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

John Chapter 17

⁽²⁰⁾ I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;⁽²¹⁾ that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.⁽²²⁾ And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:⁽²³⁾ I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

⁽²⁴⁾ Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.⁽²⁵⁾ O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.⁽²⁶⁾ And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.'

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: Second Sunday of Easter
Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ’s Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; 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