INTRODUCTION
God, + come to my assistance.
— Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
HYMN
O Jesus, you have set apart
these forty days for abstinence
and you decreed a lenten fast
to heal and save our mind and heart.
Now come, be present to your Church,
be near and aid our penitence,
as we bow down before you, Lord,
and beg you wash away our sins.
Remit and pardon with your grace
misdeeds from which we turn aside;
from future perils keep us safe
by your most meek and gentle guard,
That, filled with sorrow for our sins
and cleansed by yearly penitence,
we may press on to celebrate
the Paschal Feast with worthy praise.
Let all your works adore you, Lord,
O merciful and Triune God.
Renewed by pardon, let us sing
a new song to your holy name. Amen.
Tune: JENA, 8 8 8 8
Music: later form of melody by Melchior Vulpius, ca. 1570-1615, composed in 1609
or Mode IV, melody 81; Liber Hymnarius, Solesmes, 1983
Text: Iesu, quadragenariæ, ca. 10th c., © 2023 ICEL
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 I cried to you, Lord, and you healed me; I will praise you for ever.
Psalm 30
Thanksgiving for deliverance from death
Christ, risen in glory, gives continual thanks to his Father (Cassian).
I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me *
and have not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O Lord, I cried to you for help *
and you, my God, have healed me.
O Lord, you have raised my soul from the dead, *
restored me to life from those who sink into the grave.
Sing psalms to the Lord, you who love him, *
give thanks to his holy name.
His anger lasts but a moment; his favor through life. *
At night there are tears, but joy comes with dawn.
I said to myself in my good fortune: *
“Nothing will ever disturb me.”
Your favor had set me on a mountain fastness, *
then you hid your face and I was put to confusion.
To you, Lord, I cried, *
to my God I made appeal:
“What profit would my death be, my going to the grave? *
Can dust give you praise or proclaim your truth?”
The Lord listened and had pity. *
The Lord came to my help.
For me you have changed my mourning into dancing, *
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.
So my soul sings psalms to you unceasingly. *
O Lord my God, I will thank you for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm Prayer
God our Father, glorious in giving life, and even more glorious in restoring it, when his last night on earth came, your Son shed tears of blood, but dawn brought incomparable gladness. Do not turn away from us, or we shall fall back into dust, but rather turn our mourning into joy by raising us up with Christ.
Ant. I cried to you, Lord, and you healed me; I will praise you for ever.
Ant. 2 The one who is sinless in the eyes of God is blessed indeed.
Psalm 32
They are happy whose sins are forgiven
David speaks of the happiness of the man who is holy in God’s eyes not because of his own worth, but because God has justified him (Romans 4:6).
Happy the man whose offense is forgiven, *
whose sin is remitted.
O happy the man to whom the Lord †
imputes no guilt, *
in whose spirit is no guile.
I kept it secret and my frame was wasted. *
I groaned all the day long
for night and day your hand *
was heavy upon me.
Indeed, my strength was dried up *
as by the summer’s heat.
But now I have acknowledged my sins; *
my guilt I did not hide.
I said: “I will confess *
my offense to the Lord.”
And you, Lord, have forgiven *
the guilt of my sin.
So let every good man pray to you *
in the time of need.
The floods of water may reach high *
but him they shall not reach.
You are my hiding place, O Lord; †
you save me from distress. *
You surround me with cries of deliverance.
I will instruct you and teach you *
the way you should go;
I will give you counsel *
with my eye upon you.
Be not like horse and mule, unintelligent, †
needing bridle and bit, *
else they will not approach you.
Many sorrows has the wicked †
but he who trusts in the Lord, *
loving mercy surrounds him.
Rejoice, rejoice in the Lord, *
exult, you just!
O come, ring out your joy, *
all you upright of heart.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm Prayer
You desired, Lord, to keep from us your indignation and so did not spare Jesus Christ, who was wounded for our sins. We are your prodigal children, but confessing our sins we come back to you. Embrace us that we may rejoice in your mercy together with Christ your beloved Son.
Ant. The one who is sinless in the eyes of God is blessed indeed.
Ant. 3 The Father has given Christ all power, honor and kingship; all people will obey him.
Canticle: Revelation 11:17-18; 12:10b-12a
The judgment of God
We praise you, the Lord God Almighty, *
who is and who was.
You have assumed your great power, *
you have begun your reign.
The nations have raged in anger, *
but then came your day of wrath
and the moment to judge the dead: *
the time to reward your servants the prophets
and the holy ones who revere you, *
the great and the small alike.
Now have salvation and power come, †
the reign of our God and the authority *
of his Anointed One.
For the accuser of our brothers is cast out, *
who night and day accused them before God.
They defeated him by the blood of the Lamb †
and by the word of their testimony; *
love for life did not deter them from death.
So rejoice, you heavens, *
and you that dwell therein!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. The Father has given Christ all power, honor and kingship; all people will obey him.
READING
James 4:7-8, 10
Submit to God; resist the devil and he will take flight. Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you backsliders. Be humbled in the sight of the Lord and he will raise you on high.
RESPONSORY
To you, O Lord, I make my prayer for mercy.
— To you, O Lord, I make my prayer for mercy.
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.
— I make my prayer for mercy.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
— To you, O Lord, I make my prayer for mercy.
GOSPEL CANTICLE
Ant. Ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Canticle of Mary
Luke 1:46-55
The soul rejoices in the Lord
My + soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, †
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior *
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: †
the Almighty has done great things for me, *
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
INTERCESSIONS
Christ the Lord gave us a new commandment, of love for each other. Let us pray to him:
Lord, build up your people in love.
Good Master, teach us to love you in our neighbor,
— and in serving them to serve you.
Lord, build up your people in love.
On the cross you asked pardon for your executioners,
— give us strength to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.
Lord, build up your people in love.
Through the mystery of your body and blood, deepen our love, our perseverance and our trust,
— strengthen the weak, console the sorrowful, and give hope to the dying.
Lord, build up your people in love.
Light of the world, you gave light to the man born blind when he had washed in the pool of Siloam,
— enlighten catechumens through the water of baptism and the word of life.
Lord, build up your people in love.
Give to the dead the perfect joy of your eternal love,
— and number us also among your chosen ones.
Lord, build up your people in love.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
(Remember us, Lord, when you come to your kingdom and teach us how to pray:)
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.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Father,
without you we can do nothing.
By your Spirit help us to know what is right
and to be eager in doing your will.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.
Or:
Bestow on us, we pray, O Lord,
a spirit always pondering on what is right
and of hastening to carry it out,
and, since without you we cannot exist,
may we be enabled to live according to your will.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.
DISMISSAL
If a priest or deacon presides, he dismisses the people:
The Lord be with you.
— And with your spirit.
May almighty God bless you,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
— Amen.
Another form of the blessing may be used, as at Mass.
Then he adds:
Go in peace.
— Thanks be to God.
In the absence of a priest or deacon and in individual recitation, Evening Prayer concludes:
May the Lord + bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
— Amen.
******
Lord, who throughout these forty days
For us did fast and pray,
Teach us with you to mourn our sins,
And close by you to stay.
As you with Satan did contend
And did the vict’ry win,
O give us strength in you to fight,
In you to conquer sin.
As you did hunger and did thirst,
So teach us, gracious Lord,
To die to self and so to live
By your most holy word.
Abide with us that through this life
Of suff’ring and of pain
An Easter of unending joy
We may at last attain.
Tune: St. Flavian C.M.
Music: Day’s Psalter, 1562
Text: Claudia Hernaman, 1838-1898, alt.
Or:
Take up your cross, the Savior said,
If you would my disciple be;
Deny yourself, the world forsake,
And humbly follow after me.
Take up your cross, let not its weight
Fill your weak spirit with alarm;
His strength shall bear your spirit up,
Shall brace your heart and nerve your arm.
Take up your cross then in his strength,
And ev’ry danger calmly brave,
To guide you to a better home,
And vict’ry over death and grave.
Take up your cross and follow Christ,
Nor think till death to lay it down;
For only he who bears the cross
May hope to wear the glorious crown.
To you, great Lord, the One in three,
All praise for evermore ascend;
O grant us here below to see
The heav’nly life that knows no end.
Tune: Breslau or Winchester New L.M.
Music: (Breslau) As Hymnodus Sacer, 1625, or (Winchester New) Musikalisches Handbuch, Hamburg, 1690
Text: Charles William Everest, 1814-1877, adapted by Anthony G. Petti
Or:
Forty days and forty nights
You were fasting in the wild;
Forty days and forty nights
Tempted and yet undefiled.
Shall not we your sorrow share
And from worldly joys abstain,
Fasting with unceasing prayer,
Strong with you to suffer pain?
Then if Satan on us press,
Flesh or spirit to assail,
Victor in the wilderness,
Grant we may not faint nor fail!
So shall we have peace divine:
Holier gladness ours shall be;
Round us, too, shall angels shine,
Such as served you faithfully.
Keep, O keep us, Savior dear,
Ever constant by your side;
That with you we may appear
At the ’ternal Eastertide.
Tune: Heinlein 77.77
Music: Attributed to Martin Herbst, 1654-1681
Text: George Hunt Smyttan 1822-1870