All Hallows Evening Prayer for Saturday Evening (July 11, 2020)



Evening Prayer

The Service of Light

Jesus Christ is the light of the world.
A light no darkness can extinguish.


1. O gracious Light,
pure brightness of the
everliving Father in heaven.
O Jesus, Christ, holy and blessed!

2. Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing thy praises, O God:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

3. Thou art worthy at all times
to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds. Amen.

Thanksgiving

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, ruler of the universe! You led your people Israel by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Enlighten our darkness by the light of your Christ. May his word be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path; for you are full of loving kindness for your whole creation, and we, your creatures, glorify you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

Psalm 141 is sung and incense may be burned.


Like burning incense, O Lord,
let my rise to you.
Like burning incense, O Lord,
let my prayer rise to you.

1 I call out to you,
Come quickly to my aid.
My song cries out to you,
O listen to me now.
I raise my hands in off’ring to you.

Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)

2 Let me speak your truth;
watch over all I say.
Keep my thoughts on you;
let goodness rule my heart.
Keep me far from those who do harm.

Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)

3 Never let me dine
with those who seek to harm.
Keep your holy ones
always at my side.
Plant your wisdom deep in my soul.

Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)

4 I look to you for help;
I seek your loving eyes.
Guard my life for you;
Spare me from all wrong.
Keep all evil far from my heart.

Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)

5 Glory be to God
and to God’s only Son,
glory to the Spirit,
three in one,
now and for ever. Amen.

Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)
Like burning incense, O Lord,
(Like burning incense, O Lord,)
let my prayer rise to you.
(let my prayer rise to you.)

Silence is kept.

Let the incense of our repentant prayer ascend before you, O Lord, and let your loving kindness descend upon us, that with purified minds we may sing your praises with the Church on earth and the whole heavenly host, and may glorify you forever and ever. Amen.

The Psalms


Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever, for ever.

1 Praise, you servants of the Lord
praise the name of the Lord.
Blessed be the name of the Lord
both now and for ever.

Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever, for ever.

2 From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the Lord to be praised.
High above all the nations is the Lord;
above the heavens is his glory.

Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever, for ever.

3 Who is like the Lord, our God,
who is enthroned on high
and looks upon the heavens
and the earth below?

Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever, for ever.

4 He raises up the lowly from the dust;
from the dunghill he lifts up the poor
to seat them with princes,
with princes of his own people.

Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever, for ever.

Silence is kept.

Lord Jesus, surrendering the brightness of your glory, you became mortal so that we might be raised from the dust to share your very being. May the children of God always bless your name from the rising of the sun to its going down, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spiri, now and forever. Amen.

The Proclamation of the Word

The Reading

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’ When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

The Gospel of Christ
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

A Trusting Fisherman and an Amazing Catch of Fish

This miracle—for it is a miracle—would have been more amazing to Simon Peter and his partners than it is to us today. We are prone to dismiss the miraculous—to treat what the New Testament records as miracles as coincidence or due to some explainable natural phenomena.

Simon Peter, James, and John had been fishing the waters of Lake Gennaseret for most of their lives. They knew the habits of its fish, where to fish, and what time of day to fish. Nonetheless they had not been successful in catching anything. The day had been extremely disappointing. For them catching fish was their livelihood. No day’s catch meant no food on the table. They not only ate the fish but also sold it and used the money from its sale to buy wheat and olive oil for the bread that was the mainstay of their diet.

It required a measure of faith on Simon Peter’s part to do what Jesus told him to do. The fishermen had just washed their nets. They were through for the day.

Since Jesus had been teaching from Simon Peter’s boat, we can safely assume that Simon Peter had been listening to Jesus. As the apostle Paul would later write in his letter to the church at Rome, “faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” Simon Peter had been listening to the man himself. Jesus’ words may have stirred faith in his heart or nourished the faith that was already there. Simon Peter allowed Jesus to use his boat and addresses him as “master.” These two things suggest that Simon Peter was as already acquainted with Jesus. He recognized him as a teacher.

How did Jesus know that a school of fish was feeding off the shore of the lake? How did that school of fish get there? The answers to those questions as fascinating as they may be are not the most important thing in this passage. What is most important is Simon Peter trusted Jesus and his words and did what Jesus told him.

Whatever we may think of the Old Testament account of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden, it introduces a key theme in the Bible. Humanity became alienated from God due to a lack of trust in God and his words. It is a theme that is repeated in the story of the people of Israel’s relationship with God. Over and over again they put their trust elsewhere—in alien gods, in human kings, in false prophets, and in foreign princes.

Jesus is described in the Bible as the second Adam. Unlike the first Adam he was obedient but most importantly he trusted God and his words. He trusted God to the point of suffering an excruciatingly painful death. Some of us may question the need for Jesus to have suffered and died in such a manner. For us, whether may realize it, Jesus’ suffering and death are a test of how much we trust God, of how much we trust his words, of how much we trust his mercy and goodwill toward us. We can follow Jesus’ example and trust that, through what may appear to be an act of unkindness, God is actually working for our good and the good of all humankind. Or we can conclude that God is not trustworthy and remain alienated from God. The choice is ours.

Simon Peter trusted Jesus and his words. He trusted that what Jesus was telling him was for the good of his partners and himself. He did what Jesus told him. He let down his nets where Jesus had told him and caught so many fish that his nets were beginning to break. He and the other fishermen on his boat signalled to their partners to come and help them. Soon both boats were so full of fish that they began to sink beneath the weight of the fish.

Simon Peter fell down at Jesus’ knees. His reaction is the only appropriate reaction in the presence of the divine. He acknowledged his unworthiness. Jesus told Simon-Peter, James, and John not to fear. From that day on they will be fishing for people.

Our God, the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, is a gracious God. Indeed, he is the God of all grace. While we may not always understand what he has done and what he is doing, we can trust his mercy and goodwill toward us. Jesus revealed God’s graciousness and he himself trusted God’s graciousness. 

Simon Peter sensed in Jesus God’s mercy and goodwill toward us and responded with faith and obedience. He trusted what Jesus told him and did it. He and his partners would experience God’s grace in the form of a miraculous catch of fish and in Jesus’ call to discipleship. 

As the apostle Paul would write the church at Philippi, God is at work in us, enabling us both to will and to work for his good pleasure. What is God’s good pleasure? It is to join him in his mission to the world. What is God’s mission? To restore the broken relationship between Creator and creature so that we may live in harmony as God had originally intended—a loving God and his loving children.  

Silence is kept.

The Gospel Canticle


My soul proclaims your greatness, O Lord;
I sing my Savior’s praise!
Great wonders you have done for me,
and holy is your name.

My soul proclaims your greatness, Lord;
I sing my Savior’s praise!
You looked upon my lowliness,
and I am full of grace.
Now ev’ry land and ev’ry age
this blessing shall proclaim—
great wonders you have done for me,
and holy is your name.

My soul proclaims your greatness, O Lord;
I sing my Savior’s praise!
Great wonders you have done for me,
and holy is your name.

To all who live in holy fear
Your mercy ever flows.
With mighty arm you dash the proud,
Their scheming hearts expose.
The ruthless you have cast aside,
the lonely throned instead;
the hungry filled with all good things,
the rich sent off unfed.

My soul proclaims your greatness, O Lord;
I sing my Savior’s praise!
Great wonders you have done for me,
and holy is your name.

To Israel, your servant blest,
your help is ever sure;
the promise to our parents made
their children will secure.
Sing glory to the Holy One,
give honor to the Word,
and praise the Pow’r of the Most High,
one God, by all adored.

My soul proclaims your greatness, O Lord;
I sing my Savior’s praise!
Great wonders you have done for me,
and holy is your name,
and holy is your name.

Intercessions

That this evening may be holy, good and peaceful:
we entreat you, O Lord.

That your holy angels may lead us in the paths of peace and goodwill:
we entreat you, O Lord.

That we may be pardoned and forgiven for our sins and offences:
we entreat you, O Lord.

That there may be peace in your Church and for the whole world:
we entreat you, O Lord.

That we may be bound together by your Holy Spirit,
in communion with the ever-blessed Virgin Mary and with all your saints,
entrusting one another and all our life to Christ:
we entreat you, O Lord.

Let us commend ourselves, and all for whom we pray,
to the mercy and protection of God.

Open prayer may be offered and silence is kept.

The Collect

Lighten our darkness,
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.

The Lord’s Prayer is said

And now, as our Saviour has taught us,
we are bold to say,

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.

Dismissal


Let all things now living a song of thanksgiving
To God the creator triumphantly raise.
Who fashioned and made us, protected and stayed us,
Who still guides us on to the end of our days.
His banners are o'er us, His light goes before us,
A pillar of fire shining forth in the night.
Till shadows have vanished and darkness is banished
As forward we travel from light into light.

His law he enforces, the stars in their courses
And sun in its orbit obediently shine;
The hills and the mountains, the rivers and fountains,
The deeps of the ocean proclaim him divine.
We too should be voicing our love and rejoicing;
With glad adoration a song let us raise
Till all things now living unite in thanksgiving:
To God in the highest, Hosanna and praise!

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The Lord bless us and keep us.
The Lord make his face to shine upon us
and be gracious to us.
The Lord lift up his countenance upon us
and give us peace. Amen

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