Sunday, December 05, 2021

Evening Prayers For the Second Sunday of Advent 2021


 (If you don't want to take this too seriously, this image comes from the art section of the Revised Common Lectionary for this Sunday in year C.  Most of the images are given file names related to the artist or the image.  The file name for this one, however, is "Touchdown."  I like it.)

I'm going to use the entire evening prayer service from the Benedictine Prayerbook Work of God that I've been using.  The psalms are from the prayerbook, as well. I use these privately, but they are meant to be used in small groups, with some lines responsive.  I've left the punctuation of the original, indicating responses.

O God, come to my assistance/make haste to help me.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

ANTIPHON

Through the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us.

Psalm 95

Come, sing with joy to God,
shout to our savior, our rock.
Enter God's presence with praise,
enter with shouting and song.

A great God is the Lord,
over the gods like a king.
God cradles the depths of the earth,
holds fast the mountain peaks.
God shaped the ocean and owns it,
formed the earth by hand.

Come, bow down and worship,
kneel to the Lord our maker.
This is our God, our shepherd,
we are the flock led with care.

Listen today to God's voice:
'Harden no heart as at Meribah,
on that day in the desert at Massalt.
There your people tried me,
though they had seen my work.

'Forty years with that lot!
I said: They are perverse,
they do not accept my ways.
So I swore in my anger:
They shall not enter my rest

(silent reflection)

Psalm 112

Hallelujah!

Happy those who love God
and delight in the law.
Their children shall be blest,
strong and upright in the land.

Their households thrive,
their integrity stands firm.
A light shines on them in darkness,
a God of mercy and justice.

The good lend freely
and deal fairly,
they will never stumble;
their justice shall be remembered.

Bad news holds no power,
strong hearts trust God.
Steady and fearless,
they look down on their enemy.

They support the poor,
their integrity stands firm.
Their strength brings them home.

Hatred devours the wicked.
They grind their teeth;
their hopes turn to ashes.

(silent reflection)

Psalm 113

Hallelujah!

Servants of God, praise,
praise the name of the Lord.
Bless the Lord's name
now and always.
Praise the Lord's name
here and in every place,
from east to west.

The Lord towers above nations,
God's glory shines over the heavens.
Who compares to our God?
Who is enthroned so high?

The Lord bends down
to see heaven and earth,
to raise the weak from the dust
and lift the poor from the mire,
to seat them with princes
in the company of their leaders.

The childless, no longer alone,
recjoice now in many children.

Hallelujah!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

ANTIPHON

Through the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us.

READING                                                                                  1 John 4:16b-21-5:41

God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.  The commandment we have from God is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who love the parent loves the child.  By this we know that we are the children of God, when we love God and obey God's commandments.  And the commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world.  And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith.

(silent reflection)

MAGNIFICAT ANTIPHON: The virgin shall bear a son, who will save the people from their sins.

MAGNIFICAT 

I acclaim the greatness of the Lord,

I delight in God my Savior,

who regarded my humble state.

Truly from this day on

all ages will call me blest.


For God, wonderful in power,

has used that strength for me.

Holy the name of the Lord!

whose mercy embraces the faithful,

one generation to the next,.


The mighty arm of God

scatters the proud in their conceit,

pulls tyrants from their thrones,

and raises up the humble.

The Lord fills the starving

and lets the rich go hungry.


God rescues lowly Israel,

recalling the promise of mercy,

the promise made to our ancestors,

to Abraham's heirs for ever.


Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

MAGNIFICAT ANTIPHON: The virgin shall bear a son, who will save the people from their sins.

Our Father...

Love eternal, all those around us are gifts of your love.  Help us to show obedience in your by loving one another with the pure love of brothers and sisters, especially those whom we find it most difficult to appreciate. Bless our world with peace and justice, Creator, Word, and Spirit, who live and reign over all forever.  Amen.

May God bless us, deliver us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.  Amen.

Let us bless God/and give thanks.


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