All Hallows Evening Prayer for Wednesday Evening (June 23, 2021)

Evening Prayer

The Service of Light

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

Open this link in a new tab to hear Rufino Zaragoza’s hymn, “Radiant Light Hymn.”

Radiant Light Divine,
shine throughout this night.
Jesus, Holy One,
praise to you our Light.
As the daylight fades,
and come eventide,
dwell among us, Holy Fire.

Cristo,
Luz del mundo,
Luz y Amor.
Cristo,
Luz del mundo,
Luz y Amor.

Thanksgiving

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

We praise you, O Lord our God, Ruler of the universe!
Your word brings on the dusk of evening,
your wisdom creates both night and day.
You determine the cycles of time,
arrange the succession of the seasons,
and establish the stars in their heavenly courses.
Lord of the starry hosts is your name.
Living and eternal God,
rule over us always.
Blessed be the Lord,
whose word makes evening fall.
Amen.

Psalm 141 is sung and incense may be burned.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Tony Alonso’s responsorial setting of Psalm 141, “Like Burning Incense, O Lord.”

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

Open this link in a new tab to hear Marty Haugen’s responsorial setting of Psalm 113, “Blessed Be the Name.”

Blessed be the name,
Blessed be the name,
Blessed be the name of the LORD
for ever!

Praise, O servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD!
May the name of the LORD be blest
both now and forevermore!

Blessed be the name,
Blessed be the name,
Blessed be the name of the LORD
for ever!

From the rising of the sun to its setting,
praised be the name of the LORD!
High above all nations is the LORD,
above the heavens his glory.

Blessed be the name,
Blessed be the name,
Blessed be the name of the LORD
for ever!

Who is like the LORD, our God,
who dwells on high,
who lowers himself to look down
upon heaven and earth?

Blessed be the name,
Blessed be the name,
Blessed be the name of the LORD
for ever!

From the dust he lifts up the lowly,
from the ash heap he raises the poor,
to set them in the company of princes,
yes, with the princes of his people.

Blessed be the name,
Blessed be the name,
Blessed be the name of the LORD
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 Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

Open this link in a new tab to hear Marty Haugen’s revised setting of the Mass of Creation Gloria, "Glory to God in the Highest."

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good
will.

We praise you,
we bless you,
we adore you,
we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord God, heavenly King,
O God, almighty Father.

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good
will.

Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the
Father,
you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer;
you are seated at the right hand of
the Father, have mercy on us.

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good
will.

For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen. Amen.

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good
will.

The Proclamation of the Word

The Reading

1 Peter 1: 13-25 A Call to Holy Living

Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; for it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God.

Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. For

“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

That word is the good news that was announced to you.

May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.

The Homily

Learning to Love One Another

The followers of Jesus are commanded to love one another, not superficially but deeply, as the apostle Peter points to our attention in today’s reading. Not whenever we feel like it but constantly, all the time.

Yet we whom our Lord has instructed to love one another as he has loved us with a sacrificial love, too often do not love even the fellow members of our own congregation, much less love other followers of Jesus outside our fellowship. Our Lord’s new commandment to love one another is lost on us. We justify our inability or unwillingness to love one another with all kinds of reasons which, while they seem reasonable to us and even to others, are indefensible.

To understand what the apostle Peter means by loving each other, we need to take a close look at our Lord himself taught and what he modeled for us while he was physically here on earth with us. To this end we would do well to read and reread the four gospels and the letters of John and to reflect upon their contents. We would also benefit from reading all the passages in the other books of the New Testament, which touch on the subject of loving our fellow human beings and each other. Visiting biblegateway.com and doing a word search in one the more recent translations of the Bible such as the New Revised Standard Version would be profitable. It would help us identify the passages in the New Testament, which relate to this subject.

What then does it mean to love one another?

Here are some things that I have gleaned from doing what I am recommending to readers of this homily. They are what I believe the Holy Spirit drew to my attention not only as I have reflected upon these passages but also as I have gone about my daily life. They are in no particular order.

Loving one another means not intentionally doing anything to hurt each other. While we may unintentionally hurt someone, when we become aware that we have hurt them, we seek to make amends, to correct the mistake that we have made, to undo the bad situation that we have created. We do our best to avoid doing things that we mistakenly believe spare their feelings, but which really do not. Indeed, they can cause further hurt.

Loving one another means seeing in each other someone who is precious to God, someone whom our Lord loved so much that he made the ultimate sacrifice for them, someone for whom our Lord suffered and died on the cross. We may not find them physically appealing. We may not like their habits. We may not care for the way that they dress. We may see all kinds of flaws and imperfections in them. To us they may horribly dull and boring. Yet God cherishes them, each one of them. God cares for them and protects them. God holds them dear.

Loving each other means that we do not seek to get the best of our fellow Christians, to defeat them or to gain advantage over them. We do not see them as competitors or rivals.

Loving each other means that we treat each other with kindness and respect. We are not cruel or harsh in our treatment of each other. Our words are gentle and not unkind.

Loving each other means that we are forgiving toward our fellow Christians. If they wrong us in any way, we do not hold it against them. We do not bear a grudge or entertain thoughts of getting even with them.

Loving each other means that we build each other up and not tear each other down. We do not belittle each other or insult each other. When a fellow Christian makes a mistake, we do not rub it in. We do not keep drawing it to their attention or to the attention of others.

Loving each other means that we show concern and sympathy for each other and do things that have a good effect on each other. We are mindful of what may be helpful or beneficial to each other. We take care of each other. We lend each other a helping hand when we need one. We make time for each other. When we fall down, we help each other up. We do all that we can to ensure each other’s wellbeing.

These are not all the things that loving each other means. As you reflect upon these passages and go about your daily life, the Holy Spirit may draw other things to your attention. I am learning every day new things about what it means to love my fellow Christians. I am learning new things about what it means not only love other followers of Jesus but also my neighbors, my fellow human beings.

Sounds hard?

The apostle Paul has a helpful word for us, “for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13, NRSV) God enable us to desire what pleases him and when we desire it, works with us to do what pleases him. What pleases God is that we love each other as Jesus loves us, as God himself loves us, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. God fills our lives to overflowing with an abundance of his grace. He enables us to open our hearts and minds to his grace and to benefit from it. What better way to start each day than to pray, “Heavenly Father, help me to be more loving, not only to love those who are dear to me but also to love all people.” As loving and gracious as he is, God is sure to supply us with the help that we need.

Silence is kept.

The Gospel Canticle

Open this link in a new tab to hear John Michael Talbot and Jackie Francois’ adaptation of the Magnificat, “My Soul Proclaims the Greatness of the Lord.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
and my spirit exalts in God my Savior.
For he has looked with mercy on my lowliness,
and my name will be forever exalted.
For the mighty God has done great things for me,
and his mercy will reach from age to age.

And holy, holy, holy is his name.
And holy, holy, holy is his name.

He has mercy in ev’ry generation.
He has revealed his power and his glory.
He has cast down the mighty in their arrogance,
and has lifted up the meek and the lowly.
He has come to help his servant Israel;
he remembers his promise to our fathers.

And holy, holy, holy is his name.
And holy, holy, holy is his name.

Intercessions

Let us complete our evening prayer to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.

For peace from on high and our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.

For the welfare of all churches and for the unity of the human family, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.

For (name), our bishop, and (name), our pastor, and for all ministers of the Gospel, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.

For our nation, its government, and for all who serve and protect us, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.

For this city (town, university, monastery…). For every city and community, and for all those living in them, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.

For the good earth which God has given us and for the wisdom and will to conserve it, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.

For the safety of travelers, the recovery of the sick, the care of the destitute and the release of prisoners, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.

For an angel of peace to guide and protect us, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.

For a peaceful evening and a night free from sin, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.

For a Christian end to our lives and for all who have fallen asleep in Christ, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.

In the communion of the Holy Spirit (and of all the saints), let us commend ourselves and one another to the living God through Christ our Lord.
To you, O Lord.

Free Prayer

In silent or spontaneous prayer all bring before God the concerns of the day.

The Collect

Almighty and everlasting God,
you are always more ready to hear than we to pray,
and give more than either we desire or deserve:
pour down upon us the abundance of your mercy,
forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid,
and giving us those good things
which we are not worth to ask,
save through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ,
your Son our Lord. Amen.

The Lord's Prayer

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

Open this link in a new tab to hear Karen Schneider Kirner and Steven C. Warner’s "Come to the Living Stone."

Come to the living stone,
Christ our Lord, who is our strength.
Rejected by others but chosen by God!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

1 Built up as living stones
into a holy house,
a holy house,
we are a priesthood
created for praise
of our God above.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 

Come to the living stone,

Come to the living stone,
Christ our Lord, who is our strength.
The Lord is our strength, he lives!
Rejected by others but chosen by God!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

2 We are a nation made
to glorify the Lord,
the living God;
ours is the joy to
resound and proclaim
the glorious works of God.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 

Come to the living stone,

Come to the living stone,

Christ our Lord, who is our strength.
The Lord is our strength, he lives!
Rejected by others but chosen by God!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

3 Out of the darkness God
has called us into light,
a glorious light;
once we were lost and
alone in this world,
now we belong to God!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Come to the living!
Sing alleluia!
Come to the living!
Sing alleluia!

Come to the living stone,

Come to the living stone,
Christ our Lord, who is our strength.
The Lord is our strength, he lives!
Rejected by others but chosen by God!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

*4 Once we were not within
the mercy of our God,
the loving God,
now is the gift of
a promise unfurled;
God’s mercy for the world!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 

Come to the living stone,

Come to the living stone,
Christ our Lord, who is our strength.
The Lord is our strength, he lives!
Rejected by others but chosen by God!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

*5 Give praise to God above,
and Jesus Christ the Lord,
Redeemer Lord,
and to the Spirit
who dwells in our hearts,
now and forever more:
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Come to the living stone,
Come to the living stone,
Christ our Lord, who is our strength.
The Lord is our strength, he lives!
Rejected by others but chosen by God!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

*Omitted on the video.

The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.
Let us praise the Lord,
Thanks be to God.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all evermore.
Amen.