Pentecost – Vespers

Vespers (Evening Prayer)

Introduction

O God, come to our aid.

 O Lord, make haste to help us.

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. Alleluia.

Hymn

This very well known hymn was probably composed by Rhabanus Maurus, OSB (†856). It asks that the Lord God bestow on us the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is used on many different occasions in the Liturgy.

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator, come,
From thy bright heav’nly throne,
Come take possession of our souls,
And make them all thy own.

Thou who art called the Paraclete,
Best gift of God above,
The living spring, the living fire,
Sweet unction and true love.

Thou who art sevenfold in thy grace,
Finger of God’s right hand
His promise teaching little ones
To speak an understand.

O guide our minds with thy blessed light,
With love our hearts inflame;
And with thy strength, which never decays
Confirm our mortal frame.

Far from us drive our deadly foe;
True peach unto us bring;
And through all perils lead us safe
Beneath thy sacred wing.

Through thee may we the Father know,
Through thee the eternal Son,
And thee, the Spirit of them both,
Thrice-blessed Three in One.

All glory to the Father be,
With his coequal Son;
The same to thee, great Paraclete,
While endless ages run.

Amen.

Psalm 109 (110)

The Messiah, king and priest

“He must be king so that he may put all his enemies under his feet” (1 Cor 15:25).

The Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole world. Alleluia.

The Lórd’s revelátion to my Máster: †

 ‘Sít on my ríght: *

 your fóes I will pút beneath your féet.’

The Lórd will wíeld from Síon †

 your scéptre of pówer: *

 rúle in the mídst of all your fóes.

A prínce from the dáy of your bírth †

 on the hóly móuntains; *

 from the wómb before the dáwn I begót you.

The Lórd has sworn an óath he will not chánge. †

 ‘You are a príest for éver, *

 a príest like Melchízedek of óld.’

The Máster stánding at your ríght hand *

 will shatter kíngs in the dáy of his wráth.

He shall drínk from the stréam by the wáyside *

 and thérefore he shall líft up his héad.

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.

The Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole world. Alleluia.

Psalm 113A (114)

Israel set free from Egypt

“You, who have renounced this world, have also been led forth from Egypt” (St Augustine).

Send forth your power, Lord, from your holy temple in Jerusalem, and bring to perfection your work among us. Alleluia.

When Ísrael came fórth from Égypt, *

 Jacob’s sóns from an álien péople,

Júdah becáme the Lord’s témple, *

 Ísrael becáme his kíngdom.

The séa fléd at the síght: *

 the Jórdan turned báck on its cóurse,

the móuntains léapt like ráms *

 and the hílls like yéarling shéep.

Whý was it, séa, that you fléd, *

 that you túrned back, Jórdan, on your cóurse?

Móuntains, that you léapt like ráms; *

 hílls, like yéarling shéep?

Trémble, O éarth, before the Lórd, *

 in the présence of the Gód of Jácob,

who túrns the róck into a póol *

 and flínt into a spríng of wáter.

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.

Send forth your power, Lord, from your holy temple in Jerusalem, and bring to perfection your work among us. Alleluia.

Canticle

(Apocalypse 19)

The wedding of the Lamb

They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak. Alleluia.

Alleluia.

Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, Alleluia. *

 his judgements are true and just.

Alleluia. Alleluia. 

Alleluia.

Praise our God, all you his servants, Alleluia. *

 you who fear him, small and great.

Alleluia. Alleluia. 

Alleluia.

The Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns, Alleluia. *

 let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory.

Alleluia. Alleluia. 

Alleluia.

The marriage of the Lamb has come, Alleluia. *

 and his bride has made herself ready.

Alleluia. Alleluia. 

Alleluia. 

Glory be to the Father and to the Son

 and to the Holy Spirit, Alleluia,

as it was in the beginning,

 is now, and ever shall be,

 world without end.

Amen. Alleluia. Alleluia. 

They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak. Alleluia.

Short Reading

Ephesians 4:3-6

Do all you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together. There is one Body, one Spirit, just as you were all called into one and the same hope when you were called. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is Father of all, over all, through all and within all.

Short Responsory

The Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole world, alleluia, alleluia.

The Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole world, alleluia, alleluia.

It is he who holds all things in being and understands every word that is spoken.

The Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole world, alleluia, alleluia.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole world, alleluia, alleluia.

Canticle

Magnificat

My soul rejoices in the Lord

This is the day of Pentecost, alleluia. Today the Holy Spirit appeared to the disciples in the form of fire and gave to them his special gifts; he sent them into the world to proclaim that whoever believes and is baptized will be saved. Alleluia.

My soul glórifies the Lórd, *

 my spirit rejóices in Gód, my Sáviour.

He looks on his sérvant in her lówliness; *

 henceforth all áges will cáll me bléssed.

The Almíghty works márvels for me. *

 Hóly his náme!

His mércy is from age to áge, *

 on thóse who féar him.

He púts forth his árm in stréngth *

 and scátters the proud-héarted.

He casts the míghty from their thrónes *

 and ráises the lówly.

He fills the stárving with good thíngs, *

 sends the rích away émpty.

He protects Ísrael, his sérvant, *

 remémbering his mércy,

the mercy prómised to our fáthers, *

 to Ábraham and his sóns for éver.

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.

This is the day of Pentecost, alleluia. Today the Holy Spirit appeared to the disciples in the form of fire and gave to them his special gifts; he sent them into the world to proclaim that whoever believes and is baptized will be saved. Alleluia.

Prayers and intercessions

We know that the Father is with us because of the Spirit he has given us. With this confidence we turn to you in prayer.

Father, send your Spirit into the Church!

Father, you want to unite all men by baptism in the Spirit;

 draw all believers together in mind and heart.

Father, send your Spirit into the Church!

You sent the Spirit to fill the earth with your love;

 let men build the human city in justice and peace.

Father, send your Spirit into the Church!

Lord God, Father of all men, bring to your scattered children unity of faith:

 make the world alive with the power of your Spirit.

Father, send your Spirit into the Church!

By the work of the Spirit you create all minds afresh:

 heal the sick, comfort the afflicted, and bring all men to salvation.

Father, send your Spirit into the Church!

Through the Holy Spirit you raised your Son from the dead.

 Raise us by the power of your Spirit when we come to your kingdom.

Father, send your Spirit into the Church!

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.

Lord God,

 you sanctify your Church in every race and nation

 by the mystery we celebrate on this day.

Pour out the gifts of the Holy Spirit on all mankind,

 and fulfil now in the hearts of your faithful

 what you accomplished when the Gospel was first preached on earth.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

 who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

 one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.

Amen.