Sentences of Scripture.
O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness; let the whole earth stand
in awe of him. Psalm xcvi. 9.
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be alway
acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength and my redeemer.
Psalm xix. 14.
General Confession & Absolution
O Lord, open thou our lips.
Answer. And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
Answer. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
Minister. Praise ye the Lord.
Answer. The Lord's Name be praised.
The Psalter
Psalm 42
The Forty-Second Psalm
Quemadmodum.
LIKE as the hart desireth the water-brooks,
* so longeth my soul after thee, O God.
My soul is athirst for God, yea, even for the living God:
* when shall I come to appear before the presence of God?
My tears have been my meat day and night,
* while they daily say unto me, Where is now thy God?
Now when I think thereupon, I pour out my
heart by myself;
* for I went with the multitude, and brought them forth
into the house of God;
In the voice of praise and thanksgiving,
* among such as keep holy-day.
Why art thou so full of heaviness, O my soul?
* and why art thou so disquieted within me?
O put thy trust in God;
* for I will yet thank him, which is the help of my
countenance, and my God.
My soul is vexed within me;
* therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan,
from Hermon and the little hill.
One deep calleth another, because of the noise of
thy water-floods;
* all thy waves and storms are gone over me.
The LORD will grant his loving-kindness
in the daytime;
* and in the night season will I sing of him, and make
my prayer unto the God of my life.
I will say unto the God of my strength, Why hast
thou forgotten me?
* why go I thus heavily, while the enemy oppresseth me?
My bones are smitten asunder as with a sword,
* while mine enemies that trouble me cast me in the teeth;
Namely, while they say daily unto me,
* Where is now thy God?
Why art thou so vexed, O my soul?
* and why art thou so disquieted within me?
O put thy trust in God;
* for I will yet thank him, which is the help of my
countenance, and my God.
Psalm 43
The Forty-Third Psalm
Judica me, Deus
GIVE sentence with me, O God, and defend my cause
against the ungodly people;
* O deliver me from the deceitful and wicked man.
For thou art the God of my strength; why hast thou
put me from thee?
* and why go I so heavily, while the enemy oppresseth me?
O send out thy light and thy truth, that they
may lead me,
* and bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy dwelling;
And that I may go unto the altar of God, even unto
the God of my joy and gladness;
* and upon the harp will I give thanks unto thee,
O God, my God.
Why art thou so heavy, O my soul?
* and why art thou so disquieted within me?
O put thy trust in God;
* for I will yet give him thanks, which is the help of my
countenance, and my God.
Gloria in excelsis.
GLORY be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will towards men. We
praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we glorify thee, we give
thanks to thee for thy great glory, O Lord God, heavenly King, God the
Father Almighty.
O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son
of the Father, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon
us. Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer.
Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon
us. For thou only art holy; thou only art the Lord; thou only, O Christ,
with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
The First Lesson
Isaiah 9:8-17
The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel. And all the people shall know, even
Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart, The bricks are fallen
down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into
cedars. Therefore the Lord shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and join his enemies
together; The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth.
For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. For the people turneth not
unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the Lord of hosts. Therefore the Lord will cut off from
Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day. The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the
prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are
led of them are destroyed. Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have
mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth
speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
Magnificat. St. Luke i. 46.
MY soul doth magnify the Lord, * and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my
Saviour.
For he hath regarded * the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold, from henceforth * all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me; * and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him * throughout all generations.
He hath showed strength with his arm; * he hath scattered the proud in
the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat, * and hath exalted the
humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things; * and the rich he hath sent
empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel; * as he
promised to our forefathers,
Abraham and his seed, for ever.
Cantate Domino
Bonum est confiteri
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 Second Lesson
Revelation 11:15
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this
world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And
the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou
hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come,
and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants
the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them
which destroy the earth. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple
the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and
great hail.
Nunc Dimittis. St. Luke ii. 29.
LORD, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, * according to thy
word.
For mine eyes have seen * thy salvation,
Which thou hast prepared * before the face of all people;
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles, * and to be the glory of thy
people Israel.
Deus misereatur
Benedic, anima mea
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.
The Lord be with you.
Answer. And with thy spirit.
Minister. Let us pray.
The Lord's Prayer.
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. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for
ever and ever. Amen.
Minister. O Lord, show thy mercy upon us.
Answer. And grant us thy salvation.
Minister. O Lord, save the State.
Answer. And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.
Minister. Endue thy Ministers with righteousness.
Answer. And make thy chosen people joyful.
Minister. O Lord, save thy people.
Answer. And bless thine inheritance.
Minister. Give peace in our time, O Lord.
Answer. For it is thou, Lord, only, that makest us dwell in safety.
Minister. O God, make clean our hearts within us.
Answer. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.
The Collect for the Day
The Second Sunday in Advent
BLESSED Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures
to be written for our learning; Grant that we may
in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly
digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy
Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed
hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our
Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
The First Sunday in Advent
(to be said throughout Advent)
ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the
armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great
humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick
and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the
Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.
A 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 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.
A Collect for Aid against 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.
A Prayer for the President of the United States
A Prayer for the Clergy and People.
Almighty and everlasting God, from whom cometh every good and perfect
gift; Send down upon our Bishops, and other Clergy, and upon the
Congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of thy
grace; and, that they may truly please thee, pour upon them the continual
dew of thy blessing. Grant this, O Lord, for the honour of our Advocate
and Mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.
A Prayer for All Conditions of Men.
O God, the Creator and Preserver of all mankind, we humbly beseech thee
for all sorts and conditions of men; that thou wouldest be pleased to
make thy ways known unto them, thy saving health unto all nations. More
especially we pray for thy holy Church universal; that it may be so
guided and governed by thy good Spirit, that all who profess and call
themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the
faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of
life. Finally, we commend to thy fatherly goodness all those who are any
ways afflicted, or distressed, in mind, body, or estate; [* especially
those for whom our prayers are desired;] that it may please thee to
comfort and relieve them, according to their several necessities; giving
them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their
afflictions. And this we beg for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.
A General Thanksgiving
A Prayer of St. Chrysostom
2 Cor. xiii. 14.
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.
Here endeth the Order of Evening Prayer.
