Sacred Heart
Evening Prayer I
 
GREETING
O God, send us your Spirit, that the fire of love may burn within us.
Lover of us all,
make our hearts like yours.
 
DOXOLOGY
 
PSALM 68: 2–12, 18–20
We praise you, defender of those who are poor. Your love is boundless.
God rises up,
enemies of heaven scatter:
they disperse like smoke,
they melt like wax, they perish before God.

But the just are glad,
they rejoice before God
and celebrate with song.

Sing to God’s name, play hymns!
God rides the clouds. Send up a song!
“Lord” is God’s name. Rejoice!
Father to the fatherless,
defender of widows:
God in the temple!

God gives the homeless a home,
sets prisoners free to prosper,
but the rebellious
are banished to the wild.

God, when you led your people,
when you marched in the desert,
earth shook, heaven rained before you,
Israel’s God, the Lord of Sinai.

You gave us downpours
to refresh the promised land
where you nourish your flock.
Gracious God, you strengthen the weak.

God speaks a word;
a company of women
spreads the good news.

With thousands and thousands
of uncounted chariots
the Lord came from Sinai
to Zion’s holy temple.

You ascended to the heights,
you took captives
and accepted tribute from those resisting you.

Bless the Lord each day
who carries our burden,
who keeps us alive.
 
1Peter 2: 21–24
We love you, O Jesus Christ, for by your wounds we have been healed.

Christ suffered for us
leaving us an example,
that we might walk in his footsteps.

He did nothing wrong;
no false word ever passed his lips. 

When they cursed him
he returned no curse.
Tortured, he made no threats
but trusted in the perfect judge.

He carried our sins
in his body to the cross,
that we might die to sin
and live for justice.
When he was wounded,
we were healed.
 
READING
Romans 5:5b – 9a
God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person — though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him.
 
CANTICLE OF MARY
Forever will I sing of your love and tender mercy, O God.

I acclaim the greatness of the Lord,
I delight in God my savior,
who regarded my humble state.
Truly from this day on all ages
will call me blest.
For God, wonderful in power,
has used that strength for me.
Holy the name of the Lord!
Whose mercy embraces the faithful,
one generation to the next.
The mighty arm of God
scatters the proud in their conceit,
Pulls tyrants from their thrones,
and raises up the humble.
The Lord fills the starving
and lets the rich go hungry.
God rescues lowly Israel,
recalling the promise of mercy,
the promise made to our ancestors,
to Abraham’s heirs forever.

INTERCESSIONS
O Christ, you have filled us with love for you and have drawn us to yourself. Hear us as we place our needs before you.
Open our hearts to receive your abundant gifts:
~ Make our hearts like yours.
Open our hearts to welcome as your beloved friends all our brothers and sisters:
~ Take away from us all prejudice and hardness of heart.
Open our hearts to feel the pain of your suffering people:
~ Turn our good intentions into acts of justice and mercy.
Open our hearts that we may speak for those who have no voice:
~ Give us the courage to challenge those systems and behaviors that compromise the dignity of persons.
Open our hearts to forgive those who have caused us injury:
~ Let us grant pardon to others as God has granted pardon to us.
 
THE LORD’S PRAYER
 
Prayer
Your love is beyond our understanding, O Christ. You hold us in loving regard and cherish our tears. You are like a mother who tenderly cradles her child against the pain and suffering of life. May your love poured out so freely upon us flow through us to all in need of mercy. Fill our hearts with your great love. Amen.
 
BLESSING
May the love of Christ enfold us. Amen.
May the love of Christ transform us. Amen.
May the love of Christ empower us to love. Amen.