An Order for Evening Prayer

Stand
The Memorial of the Incarnation

The Angel of the Lord brought tidings to Mary.
And she conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

'Behold, the handmaid of the Lord
Be it unto me, according to your word'.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

The Word was made flesh.
And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

We beseech you, O Lord
to pour your grace into our hearts;
that as we have known the incarnation of your Son Jesus Christ
by the message of an angel,
so by his cross and passion
we may be brought to the glory of his resurrection;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Preparation

O Lord, open our lips;
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Let us worship the Lord.
All praise to God's name.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and shall be for ever. Amen.

As our evening prayer rises before you, O God,
so may your mercy come down upon us to cleanse our hearts,
and set us free to sing your praise,
now and forever. Amen.

The Psalm of the Day

Each psalm or group of psalms ends with
Glory to the Father and to the Son:
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now:
and shall be for ever. Amen.

Sit

The Old Testament Reading

At the end the reader says
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The New Testament Reading

At the end the reader says
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Silence is kept.

Stand.

The Responsory

The Lord is my light and my salvation:
the Lord is the strength of my life.
The Lord is my light and my salvation:
the Lord is the strength of my life.

The light shines in the darkness
and the darkness has not overcome it.
The Lord is the strength of my life.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son:
and to the Holy Spirit.
The Lord is my light and my salvation:
the Lord is the strength of my life.

The Magnificat (The Song of Mary)

Yours is the day O Lord, and yours is the night:
Let Christ, the Sun of Righteousness abide in our hearts forever.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord:
my spirit rejoices in God my saviour;
for he has looked with favour 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 shall be for ever. Amen.

Yours is the day O Lord, and yours is the night:
Let Christ, the Sun of Righteousness abide in our hearts forever.

Kneel

The Prayers

The Lord’s Prayer

As our Saviour taught us, so we pray:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.

The Collect of the Day

Lighten our darkness,
Lord, we pray;
and in your mercy defend us
from all perils and dangers of this night;
for the love of your only Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all evermore. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Copyright acknowledgement:

Some material included in this service is copyright:© The European Province of the Society of Saint Francis 1992

Some material included in this service is copyright: © The Central Board of Finance of the Church of England 1980, The Archbishops' Council 1999.