Evening Prayer with Devotional Address for Tuesday of Holy Week

Preparation

O God, make speed to save us.

O Lord, make haste to help us.

Let your ways be known upon earth

your saving power among the nations.

Blessed are you, Lord God of our salvation,
to you be glory and praise for ever.
As we behold your Son, enthroned on the cross,
stir up in us the fire of your love,
that we may be cleansed from all our sins,
and walk with you in newness of life
singing the praise of him who died
for us and our salvation.

Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Blessed be God for ever.

Hymn

Silent, surrendered, calm and still,
open to the word of God.
Heart humbled to his will,
offered is the servant of God.

Words: Pamela Hayes (b. 1933)
Music: Margaret Rizza (b. 1929)

That this week may be holy, good and peaceful,
let us pray with one heart and mind.

Silence is kept.

As our evening prayer rises before you, O God,
so may your mercy come down upon us
to cleanse our hearts
and set us free to sing your praise
now and for ever.

Amen.

The Word of God

Psalm 71

In you, O Lord, do I seek refuge; 

let me never be put to shame.

In your righteousness, deliver me and set me free; 

incline your ear to me and save me.

Be for me a stronghold to which I may ever resort; 

send out to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, 

from the grasp of the evildoer and the oppressor.

For you are my hope, O Lord God, 

my confidence, even from my youth.

Upon you have I leaned from my birth,
when you drew me from my mother’s womb; 

my praise shall be always of you.

I have become a portent to many, 

but you are my refuge and my strength.

Let my mouth be full of your praise 

and your glory all the day long.

Psalm 71.1-8

Faithful Lord, living Saviour,
in youth and old age,
from the womb to the grave,
may we know your protection
and proclaim your great salvation
to the glory of God the Father.

Old Testament Reading

A reading from the prophecy of Isaiah.

Listen to me, O coastlands,
    pay attention, you peoples from far away!
The Lord called me before I was born,
    while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.
He made my mouth like a sharp sword,
    in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow,
    in his quiver he hid me away.
And he said to me, “You are my servant,
    Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”
But I said, “I have laboured in vain,
    I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my cause is with the Lord,
    and my reward with my God.”

And now the Lord says,
    who formed me in the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him,
    and that Israel might be gathered to him,
for I am honoured in the sight of the Lord,
    and my God has become my strength—
he says,
“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
    to raise up the tribes of Jacob
    and to restore the survivors of Israel;
I will give you as a light to the nations,
    that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Thus says the Lord,
    the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations,
    the slave of rulers,
“Kings shall see and stand up,
    princes, and they shall prostrate themselves,
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
    the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

Isaiah 49.1-7

Canticle

Christ Jesus was in the form of God, 

but he did not cling to equality with God.

He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, and was born in our human likeness.

Being found in human form he humbled himself,

and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.

Therefore God has highly exalted him,

and bestowed on him the name above every name,

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth;

And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2.5–11

New Testament Reading

A reading from St. John’s Gospel.

Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour.

“Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. The crowd answered him, “We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” Jesus said to them, “The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.”

After Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them.

John 12.20-36

Address

The Very Reverend Richard Giles

The Magnificat

My soul doth magnify the Lord:
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

For he hath regarded:
the lowliness of his hand-maiden.

For behold, from henceforth:
all generations shall call me blessèd.

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 shewèd 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 fillèd 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.

Luke 1.46–55

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.

 Prayers of Intercession

The Response to the bidding:

Lord in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

At the end.

Let us commend the world, for which Christ died,
to the mercy and protection of God.

Silence is kept.

The Collect

Almighty and everlasting God,
who in your tender love towards the human race
sent your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ
to take upon him our flesh
and to suffer death upon the cross:
grant that we may follow the example of his patience and humility,
and also be made partakers of his resurrection;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Standing at the foot of the cross,
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 Conclusion

May Christ, who bore our sins on the cross,
set us free to serve him with joy.

Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.

Thanks be to God.