SUNDAY
EVENING PRAYER I
Throughout the Advent Season, use the Morning and Evening Prayer as in the Psalter, substituting the readings, intercessions and Prayers for Advent. Supplemental psalms and canticles appropriate for Advent may also be chosen.
READING
1 Thessalonians 5:19 – 24
Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil. May the God of peace sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. God who calls you is faithful, and will do this.
CANTICLE OF MARY
May we be kept blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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
God has given us Mary as mother and model, and so we pray.
For all mothers and expectant mothers:
~ Mary, help them to receive God’s Word and act upon it.
For all women seeking fullness of life and equality in church and society:
For women in prison, trapped in prostitution and addiction, or held down by poverty, illiteracy, and unjust laws:
For the Sisters of Mercy, all women religious, their associates and companions in ministry:
For women discerning a call to Mercy:
For the members of our families:
PRAYER
Loving God, you came to set us free from the bonds of sin and division. Show us the way, so that we, like Mary, may live wisely and proclaim your will through our lives. Protect us this night and give us peaceful rest. We make our Prayer through the intercession of Mary, our mother and advocate before you. Amen.
MORNING PRAYER
READING
Romans 13:11 – 14
You know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day. Let us put on the Lord Jesus Christ.
CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH
With eager longing, we await your coming.
Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
who shepherds the people
and sets them free.
God raises from David’s house
a child with power to save. --
--Through the holy prophets
God promised in ages past
to save us from enemy hands,
from the grip of all who hate us.
The Lord favored our ancestors
recalling the sacred covenant,
the pledge to our ancestor Abraham,
to free us from our enemies,
so we might worship without fear
and be holy and just all our days.
And you child, will be called
Prophet of the Most High,
for you will come to prepare
a pathway for the Lord
by teaching the people salvation
through forgiveness of their sin.
Out of God’s deepest mercy
a dawn will come from on high,
light for those shadowed by death,
a guide for our feet on the way to peace.
INTERCESSIONS
Light of the World, we celebrate this Advent with hearts full of longing for your coming:
~ Come and do not delay.
In the darkness of our world, give us courage to search for truth:
In the darkness of our world, give us humility to acknowledge what keeps us from you:
In the darkness of our world, give us insight to recognize the needs of our neighbors:
In the darkness of our world, give us passion to create a more just society:
In the darkness of our world, help us bring hope to those who despair:
PRAYER
O Jesus, it is the hour for us to wake from the sleep of selfishness and doubt. Help us greet this new day with eager longing for your message and confident hope of your future coming. This we ask with confidence in your promises. Amen.
EVENING PRAYER II
READING
Philippians 4:4 – 7
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by Prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
CANTICLE OF MARY
Rejoice in the Lord always.
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
God of joy and celebration, we rejoice and pray:
~ Praise and thanks to you, our God!
For the beauty of the earth:
For all animals, birds of the air, and fishes in the sea:
For fertile farmlands and abundant forests: For oceans, lakes, rivers, and streams:
For mountains, deserts, prairies, and wetlands: For flowers, fruits, and all the abundance of the land:
PRAYER
O God, all creation sings your praise and proclaims your marvelous deeds. As the moon and stars illuminate this night, we thank you for the gift of life and beg your protection for all you have made. We make this request through the intercession of Christ Jesus who knows our every need. Amen.