EVENING PRAYER I, 4TH SUNDAY OF EASTER

INVITATORY

HYMN
The Lamb's High Banquet We Await
THE Lamb's high banquet we await
in snow-white robes of royal state:
and now, the Red Sea's channel past,
to Christ our Prince we sing at last.
Upon the Altar of the Cross
His Body hath redeemed our loss:
and tasting of his roseate Blood,
our life is hid with Him in God.
That Paschal Eve God's arm was bared,
the devastating Angel spared:
by strength of hand our hosts went free
from Pharaoh's ruthless tyranny.
Now Christ, our Paschal Lamb, is slain,
the Lamb of God that knows no stain,

the true Oblation offered here,

our own unleavened Bread sincere.
O Thou, from whom hell's monarch flies,
O great, O very Sacrifice,
Thy captive people are set free,
and endless life restored in Thee.
For Christ, arising from the dead,
from conquered hell victorious sped,
and thrust the tyrant down to chains,
and Paradise for man regains.
We pray Thee, King with glory decked,
in this our Paschal joy, protect
from all that death would fain effect
Thy ransomed flock, Thine own elect.
To Thee who, dead, again dost live,
all glory Lord, Thy people give;
all glory, as is ever meet,
to Father and to Paraclete. Amen.

PSALMODY
Ant. 1 May the peace of Christ reign in your hearts. Alleluia.

Psalm 122
Holy City Jerusalem
You have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews
12:12)
I rejoiced when I heard them say: *
Let us go to Gods house.
And now our feet are standing.
Within your gates, O Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is built as a city

Strongly compact.
It is there that the tribes go up,
The tribes of the Lord
For israels law it is,
There to praise the Lords name.
There were set the thrones of judgment
Of the house of David.
For the peace of Jerusalem pray:
Peace be to your homes!
May peace reign in your walls,
In your palaces, peace!
For love of my brethren and friends
I say: Peace upon you.
For love of the house of the Lord
I will ask for your good.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. May the peace of Christ fill your hearts with joy, alleluia
Ant. 2 With your own blood, you have redeemed us for God. Alleluia.

Psalm 130
A cry from the depth
He himself will save people from their sins (Matthew 1:21)
Out of the depth I cry to you, O Lord,*
Lord, hear my voice!
O let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleading.
If you, O lord, should mark our guilt,
Lord, who would survive?
But with you is found forgiveness:
for this we revere you.

My soul is waiting for the Lord,

I count on his word.
My soul is longing for the Lord
more than watchman count on daybreak
Let the watchman count on daybreak
and Israel on the Lord.
Because with the Lord there is mercy
and fullness of redemption,
Israel indeed he will redeem
from all its iniquity.
Glory to the Father, and to Son,and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now and will be, for ever. Amen.
Ant. 2 With your own blood, you have redeemed us for God, alleluia.
Ant. 3 Was it not necessary for Christ to suffer and so enter into his glory? Alleluia.

Canticle: Philippians 2:6-11

Christ, Gods holy servant
Though he was in the form of God,+
Jesus did not deem equality with God
Something to be grasped at.
Rather, he emptied himself +
And took the form of a slave,
being born in the likeness of men.
He was known to be of human state,
and it was thus he humbled himself,
obediently accepting even death,
death on the cross!

Because of this, God has highly exalted him

and bestow on him the name above every other name.
So that at Jesus name every knee must bend
in the heaves, on the earth, and under the earth
and every tongue proclaim to the glory of God the Father:
JESUS CHRIST IS LORD.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Was it not necessary for Christ to suffer and so enter into his glory? Alleluia.
READING
1 Peter 2:9-10
You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people he claims for his own
to proclaim the glorious works of the One who called you from darkness into his marvelous
light. Once you were no people, but now you are Gods people; once there was no mercy for
you, but now you have found mercy.
A brief conference on the topic

RESPONSORY

GOSPEL CANTICLE
Antiphon 4. I am the gate, says the Lord; whoever enters through me shall be saved and find pasture,
alleluia.

Luke 1:46-55
The soul rejoices in the Lord
My soul + proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor
on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations
will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,

he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Ant. To destroy the power of hell Christ died upon the cross; clothed in strength and glory, he
triumphed over death on the third day, alleluia.
INTERCESSION
In rising from the dead, Christ destroyed death and restored life. Let us cry out to him, saying:
Lord Jesus, you live forever, hear our prayer.
You are the corner stone rejected by the builders which became the chief cornerstone,
- make us living stones in the temple of your Church. (R.)
You are faithful and true witness, the firstborn from the dead,
- make your church bear constant witness to yourself. (R.)
You alone are the Bridegroom of the Church, born from your wounded side,
- make us reveal to the world the love of Bridegroom and Bride. (R.)
You are the first and the last, you were dead and are alive,
- keeping those who have been baptized faithful until death, that they may receive the crown of
victory. (R)
Light and lamp of Gods holy city,
- shine on our friends who have died, that they may reign for ever. (R.)

OUR FATHER
(Gathering our prayers into one, let us offer the prayer Christ himself taught us)
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done on earth
as 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.

CONCLUDING PRAYER
Almighty and ever living God,
give us new strength
from the courage of Christ our shepherd,
and lead us to join the saints in heaven,
where He lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
- Amen.
DISMISSAL

May almighty God bless you,

the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
-Amen

AVE MARIS STELLA