Evening Prayer

Epiphany
From the rising of the sun to its setting my Name shall be great among the nations, and in every place incense shall be offered to my Name, and a pure offering: for my Name shall be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. Malachi 1:11

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

Venite
The Antiphon:

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

The Lord has shown forth his glory: Come let us adore him.

The Lessons

Psalm 104

⁽¹⁾ Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty, ⁽²⁾ Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. ⁽³⁾ He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind, ⁽⁴⁾ Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire.

⁽⁵⁾ You who laid the foundations of the earth, So that it should not be moved forever, ⁽⁶⁾ You covered it with the deep as with a garment; The waters stood above the mountains. ⁽⁷⁾ At Your rebuke they fled; At the voice of Your thunder they hastened away. ⁽⁸⁾ They went up over the mountains; They went down into the valleys, To the place which You founded for them.

⁽⁹⁾ You have set a boundary that they may not pass over, That they may not return to cover the earth. ⁽¹⁰⁾ He sends the springs into the valleys, They flow among the hills. ⁽¹¹⁾ They give drink to every beast of the field; The wild donkeys quench their thirst. ⁽¹²⁾ By them the birds of the heavens have their home; They sing among the branches.

⁽¹³⁾ He waters the hills from His upper chambers; The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works. ⁽¹⁴⁾ He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, And vegetation for the service of man, That he may bring forth food from the earth, ⁽¹⁵⁾ And wine that makes glad the heart of man, Oil to make his face shine, And bread which strengthens man's heart. ⁽¹⁶⁾ The trees of the LORD are full of sap, The cedars of Lebanon which He planted,

⁽¹⁷⁾ Where the birds make their nests; The stork has her home in the fir trees. ⁽¹⁸⁾ The high hills are for the wild goats; The cliffs are a refuge for the rock badgers. ⁽¹⁹⁾ He appointed the moon for seasons; The sun knows its going down. ⁽²⁰⁾ You make darkness, and it is night, In which all the beasts of the forest creep about.

⁽²¹⁾ The young lions roar after their prey, And seek their food from God. ⁽²²⁾ When the sun rises, they gather together And lie down in their dens. ⁽²³⁾ Man goes out to his work And to his labor until the evening. ⁽²⁴⁾ O LORD, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions --

⁽²⁵⁾ This great and wide sea, In which are innumerable teeming things, Living things both small and great. ⁽²⁶⁾ There the ships sail about; There is that Leviathan Which You have made to play there. ⁽²⁷⁾ These all wait for You, That You may give them their food in due season. ⁽²⁸⁾ What You give them they gather in; You open Your hand, they are filled with good.

⁽²⁹⁾ You hide Your face, they are troubled; You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. ⁽³⁰⁾ You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the earth. ⁽³¹⁾ May the glory of the LORD endure forever; May the LORD rejoice in His works. ⁽³²⁾ He looks on the earth, and it trembles; He touches the hills, and they smoke.

⁽³³⁾ I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. ⁽³⁴⁾ May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the LORD. ⁽³⁵⁾ May sinners be consumed from the earth, And the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD!

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.

Proverbs Chapter 8

⁽²²⁾ The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old. ⁽²³⁾ I have been established from everlasting, From the beginning, before there was ever an earth. ⁽²⁴⁾ When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water. ⁽²⁵⁾ Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, I was brought forth;

⁽²⁶⁾ While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, Or the primeval dust of the world. ⁽²⁷⁾ When He prepared the heavens, I was there, When He drew a circle on the face of the deep, ⁽²⁸⁾ When He established the clouds above, When He strengthened the fountains of the deep, ⁽²⁹⁾ When He assigned to the sea its limit, So that the waters would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth,

⁽³⁰⁾ Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him, ⁽³¹⁾ Rejoicing in His inhabited world, And my delight was with the sons of men. ⁽³²⁾ Now therefore, listen to me, my children, For blessed are those who keep my ways. ⁽³³⁾ Hear instruction and be wise, And do not disdain it.

⁽³⁴⁾ Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors. ⁽³⁵⁾ For whoever finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the LORD; ⁽³⁶⁾ But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; All those who hate me love death.'

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

2 Timothy Chapter 1

⁽¹⁾ Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, ⁽²⁾ To Timothy, a beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. ⁽³⁾ I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, ⁽⁴⁾ greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy,

⁽⁵⁾ when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. ⁽⁶⁾ Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁽⁷⁾ For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. ⁽⁸⁾ Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God,

⁽⁹⁾ who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, ⁽¹⁰⁾ but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, ⁽¹¹⁾ to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. ⁽¹²⁾ For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.

⁽¹³⁾ Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. ⁽¹⁴⁾ That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

John Chapter 12

⁽²⁰⁾ Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. ⁽²¹⁾ Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, 'Sir, we wish to see Jesus.' ⁽²²⁾ Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus. ⁽²³⁾ But Jesus answered them, saying, 'The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.

⁽²⁴⁾ Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. ⁽²⁵⁾ He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ⁽²⁶⁾ If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.

The Gospel of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

A Song of Creation   Prayer of Manasseh 1 to 2, 4, 6 to 7, 11 to 15
Invocation
Glorify the Lord,
all you works of the Lord,
praise him and highly exalt him forever.
In the firmament of his power, glorify the Lord,
praise him and highly exalt him forever.

The Cosmic Order
Glorify the Lord,
you angels and all powers of the Lord,
O heavens and all waters above the heavens.
Sun and moon and stars of the sky,
glorify the Lord,
praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord,
every shower of rain and fall of dew,
all winds and fire and heat.
Winter and Summer, glorify the Lord,
praise him and highly exalt him forever.

Glorify the Lord, O chill and cold,
drops of dew and flakes of snow.
Frost and cold, ice and sleet,
glorify the Lord,
praise him and highly exalt him forever.

Glorify the Lord,
O nights and days,
O shining light and enfolding dark.
Storm clouds and thunderbolts, glorify the Lord,
praise him and highly exalt him forever.

Doxology
Let us glorify the Lord:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
praise him and highly exalt him forever.
In the firmament of his power, glorify the Lord,
praise him and highly exalt him 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:  Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany
O Lord, you have taught us that without love whatever we do is worth nothing: Send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts your greatest gift, which is love, the true bond of peace and of all virtue, without which whoever lives is accounted dead before you. Grant this for the sake of your only Son Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Collect of the Day: Almighty God, who after the creation of the world rested from all your works and sanctified a day of rest for all your creatures: Grant that we, putting away all earthly anxieties, may be duly prepared for the service of your sanctuary, and that our rest here upon earth may be a preparation for the eternal rest promised to your people in heaven; 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