Evening Prayer from 

     The Book of Common Prayer

     Sunday, 14th January 2024

Second Sunday after Epiphany

Hymn  49 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness

Dearly beloved [brethren],

    the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge

        and confess our manifold sins and wickedness;

     [and that we should not dissemble nor cloak them before

        the face of almighty God our heavenly Father;

    but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent and

obedient heart; to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same by his infinite goodness and mercy.

    And although we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge

        our sins before God;

    yet ought we most chiefly so to do,

    when we assemble and meet together

    to render thanks for the great benefits that we have

        received at his hands,

    to set forth his most worthy praise,

    to hear his most holy word,

    and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary,

    as well for the body as the soul.]

     Wherefore I pray and beseech you,

    as many as are here present,

    to accompany me with a pure heart, and humble voice,

    unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying [after me]:

Almighty and most merciful Father,

    we have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep.

    We have followed too much the devices and desires

        of our own hearts.

    We have offended against thy holy laws.

    We have left undone those things which we ought to have done.

and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and there is no health in us.

    But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders.

    Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults.

Restore thou them that are penitent; according to thy promises declared unto humankind in Christ Jesu our Lord.

    And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake,

    that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life,

    to the glory of thy holy name.    Amen.

A priest says

    Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

    who desireth not the death of a sinner,

    but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live;

    and hath given power, and commandment, to his ministers

    to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent,

    the absolution and remission of their sins:

    he pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent

        and unfeignedly believe his holy gospel.

    Wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true repentance,

        and his Holy Spirit,

    that those things may please him which we do at this present;

    and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy;

    so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy;

    through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Our Father, which art in heaven,

    hallowed be thy name;

    thy kingdom come; thy will be done,

    in earth as it is in heaven.

    Give us this day our daily bread.

    And forgive us our trespasses,

   as we forgive them that trespass against us.

    And lead us not into temptation;

    but deliver us from evil.

    For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,

    for ever and ever. Amen.

These responses are used

     O Lord, open thou our lips

All   and our mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

     

    O God, make speed to save us.

All   O Lord, make haste to help us.

     

    Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,

    and to the Holy Ghost;

All   as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

    world without end. Amen.

     

    Praise ye the Lord.

All   The Lord's name be praised.

Psalmody     PSALM 96.  Cantate Domino

1 O SING unto the Lord a new song : sing unto the Lord, all the whole earth.

2  Sing unto the Lord, and praise his Name : be telling of his salvation from day to day.

3  Declare his honour unto the heathen : and his wonders unto all people.

4  For the Lord is great, and cannot worthily be praised : he is more to be feared than all gods.

5  As for all the gods of the heathen, they are but idols : but it is the Lord that made the heavens.

6  Glory and worship are before him : power and honour are in his sanctuary.

7  Ascribe unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people : ascribe unto the Lord worship and power.

8  Ascribe unto the Lord the honour due unto his Name : bring presents, and come into his courts.

9  O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness : let the whole earth stand in awe of him.

10  Tell it out among the heathen that the Lord is King : and that it is he who hath made the round world so fast that it cannot be moved; and how that he shall judge the people righteously.

11  Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad : let the sea make a noise, and all that therein is.

12  Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it : then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice before the Lord.

13  For he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth : and with righteousness to judge the world, and the people with his truth.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost;

  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :

  world without end. Amen

   

 Old Testament Reading  Isaiah 60: 1, 9-end  King James Version

9  Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.

10  And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.

11  Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.

12  For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.

13  The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.

14  The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee; The city of the Lord, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

15  Whereas thou has been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.

16  Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

17  For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness.

18  Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.

19  The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.

20  Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.

21 Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.

22  A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord will hasten it in his time.

Here ends the First Lesson

 

Magnificat  

      

1  My soul doth magnify the Lord :

  and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

     

2  For he hath regarded :

   the lowliness of his handmaiden.

     

3  For behold, from henceforth :

  all generations shall call me blessed.

     

4 For he that is mighty hath magnified me :

   and holy is his Name.

     

5  And his mercy is on them that fear him :

   throughout all generations.

     

6  He hath shewed strength with his arm :

   he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

     

7  He hath put down the mighty from their seat :

   and hath exalted the humble and meek.

     

8  He hath filled the hungry with good things :

   and the rich he hath sent empty away.

     

9  He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel :

   as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.

            Luke 1.46-55

   Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :

   and to the Holy Ghost;

   as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :

   world without end. Amen.

 

New Testament Reading    John 12: 20-36 King James Version

20  And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:

21  The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.

22  Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.

23  And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.

24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

25  He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

26  If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

27  Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

28  Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

29  The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.

30  Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.

31  Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

32  And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

33  This he said, signifying what death he should die.

34  The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?

35  Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

36  While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.

Here ends the second Lesson

Nunc dimittis  

 1  Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace :

   according to thy word.

     

2  For mine eyes have seen :

   thy salvation;

     

3  Which thou hast prepared :

  before the face of all people;

     

4  To be a light to lighten the Gentiles :

   and to be the glory of thy people Israel.   Luke 2.29-32

     

   Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost;

   as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :

   world without end.       Amen.

The Apostles' Creed     

  I believe in God the Father almighty,

   maker of heaven and earth:

   and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord,

   who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,

   born of the Virgin Mary,

   suffered under Pontius Pilate,

   was crucified, dead, and buried.

   He descended into hell;

   the third day he rose again from the dead;

   he ascended into heaven,

   and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty;

   from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

   I believe in the Holy Ghost;

   the holy catholic Church;

   the communion of saints;

   the forgiveness of sins;

   the resurrection of the body,

   and the life everlasting.     Amen.

     

 Prayers  

  The Lord be with you.

All  And with thy spirit.

     

 Let us pray.

   Lord, have mercy upon us.

All  Christ, have mercy upon us.

   Lord, have mercy upon us.

     

All  Our Father, which art in heaven,

   hallowed be thy name;

   thy kingdom come;

   thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven.

   Give us this day our daily bread.

   And forgive us our trespasses,

   as we forgive them that trespass against us.

   And lead us not into temptation;

   but deliver us from evil. Amen.

     

   O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us.

All  And grant us thy salvation.

     

   O Lord, save the KIng.

All  And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.

     

   Endue thy ministers with righteousness.

All  And make thy chosen people joyful.

     

   O Lord, save thy people.

All  And bless thine inheritance.

     

   Give peace in our time, O Lord.

All  Because there is none other that fighteth for us,

   but only thou, O God.

   O God, make clean our hearts within us.

All  And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

 

The Collect of the Day – Second Sunday after Epiphany

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who dost govern all things in heaven and earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of thy people, and grant us thy peace all the days of our life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Collect for Peace  

O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed; give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that both, our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments,  and also that, by thee, we being defended from the fear of our enemies  may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

The Collect for Aid against all Perils  

Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this   night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Hymn  52 The people that in darkness sat  (omit vv 2,3)

 

A reading from Saints & Pilgrims in the Diocese of St Albans

by Alan Smith +St Albans

14th January –  Gay Perry 1939-2009

Mother and Clergy Wife

Hymn  462 Glory to God ! All heaven with joy is ringing   

Prayers -

Hymn    8 Hail, gladdening light

The Blessing & The Dismissal

   The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,

   and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.    

Organ Voluntary –  Paul Edwards

© The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England, 2000-2004
All of the official Common Worship publications are available from Church House Publishing.

The Book of Common Prayer; Cambridge University Press; Cambridge, CB28BS.

CCLI number. 804157