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The service leaflet is available here: Evening Prayer Wednesday 2 February 2022
or below here:
Wednesday 2 February 2022: Evening Prayer
Feast of the Presentation of Christ
PREPARATION
SENTENCE OF SCRIPTURE
Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the LORD.
Psalm 118: 19
INTRODUCTION
Forty days ago we celebrated the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now we recall the day on which he was presented in the Temple, when he was offered to the Father and shown to his people. In their old age Simeon and Anna recognised him as their Lord. In this evening prayer, we look back to the day of his birth and forward to the coming days of his passion.
VERSICLES AND RESPONSES
We light a candle
The Lord is the strength of my life.
The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Jesus Christ is the light of the world.
A light which no darkness can quench.
PENITENCE
Jesus says, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me shall not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’ Let us then bring our secret sins into his light and confess them in penitence and faith.
Father eternal, giver of light and grace, we have sinned against you
and against our neighbour,
in what we have thought, in what we have said,
in what we have done
and in what we have not done,
through ignorance, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault.
We have wounded your love and marred your image in us.
We are sorry and ashamed and repent of all our sins.
For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, who died for us,
forgive us all that is past;
and lead us out from darkness
to walk as children of light. Amen.
May the God of love and power forgive you and free you
from your sins,
heal and strengthen you by his Spirit,
and raise you to new life in Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE COLLECT
Almighty and everliving God,
clothed in majesty,
whose beloved Son was this day presented in the temple
in the substance of our mortal nature:
May we be presented to you with pure and clean hearts,
by your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE WORD OF GOD
PSALM
Psalm 122
1 I was glad when they said to me, ♦︎
‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’
2 And now our feet are standing ♦︎
within your gates, O Jerusalem;
3 Jerusalem, built as a city ♦︎
that is at unity in itself.
4 Thither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, ♦︎
as is decreed for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5 For there are set the thrones of judgement, ♦︎
the thrones of the house of David.
6 O pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ♦︎
‘May they prosp
er who love you.
7 ‘Peace be within your walls ♦︎
and tranquillity within your palaces.’
8 For my kindred and companions’ sake, ♦︎
I will pray that peace be with you.
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, ♦︎
I will seek to do you good.
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.
A READING
Romans 12: 1-5
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.
MEDITATION
THE GOSPEL CANTICLE
NUNC DIMITTIS The Song of Simeon Luke 2: 29-32
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.
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.
PRAYER
Let us pray.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Show us your mercy, O Lord,
and grant us your salvation.
Let your ministers be clothed with righteousness
and let your servants shout for joy.
O Lord, save your people
and bless those whom you have chosen.
Give peace in our time, O Lord,
and let your glory be over all the earth.
O God, make clean our hearts within us
and renew us by your Holy Spirit.
COLLECTS AT EVENING PRAYER
O God
from whom all holy desires all good judgements
and all just works proceed:
Give to your servants
that peace which the world cannot give,
that our hearts may be set to obey your commandments,
and that we, being defended from the fear of our enemies,
may pass our time in rest and quietness;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
Lighten our darkness, O Lord, we pray
and in your great mercy defend us
from all perils and dangers of this night;
for the love of your only Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
INTERCESSIONS
Let us pray to the Father through Christ who is our light and life.
Father, your Christ is acclaimed as the glory of Israel:
look in mercy on your Church, sharing his light.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Father, your Christ in his temple brings judgement on the world:
look in mercy on the nations, who long for his justice.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Father, your Christ, who was rich, for our sakes became poor:
look in mercy on the needy, suffering with him.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Father, your Christ is the one in whom faithful servants find their peace:
look in mercy on the departed, that they may see your salvation.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Father, your Christ is revealed as the one destined to be rejected:
look in mercy on us who now turn towards his passion.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord God, you kept faith with Simeon and Anna,
and showed them the infant King.
Give us grace to put all our trust in your promises,
and the patience to wait for their fulfilment;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
OPEN PRAYER
A period of open prayer follows for those who are known to be in need
THE CANDELMAS PRAYER
Lord God, you are the source of everlasting light.
Your son, our beloved Lord Jesus was presented in the temple 40 days after his birth.
He was recognised by Simeon and Anna,
and welcomed as the promised Messiah.
May we like them, behold the glory of the Lord Jesus.
Grant that we may stand before you with hearts cleansed by your forgiving love.
May we serve you all our days and make your name known
as we worship you as our Lord.
So may we come by your grace to eternal life. Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Believing the promises of God,
let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us:
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, the power, and the glory
for ever and ever. Amen.
THE ENDING
We recall Christ’s birth in Bethlehem.
Let us shine with the light of your love.
We turn from the crib to the cross.
Let us shine with the light of your love.
We go to carry his light.
Let us shine with the light of your love.
BLESSING
Christ the Son of God, born of Mary,
fill you with his grace
to trust his promises and obey his will:
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always. Amen.
DISMISSAL
Go in the light and peace of Christ.
Thanks be to God.