Sunday Devotions
Please find below the order of service for Sunday Vespers (the official evening prayer of the Church) and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
Vespers and Benediction will be available to watch on our webcam at 4pm on Sunday.
Sunday Vespers
Evening Prayer of the Church
O God, come to our aid.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen. Alleluia.
Hymn
Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven;
To His feet thy tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Who like thee His praise should sing
Praise Him ! Praise Him!
Praise the everlasting King.
Praise Him for His grace and favour
To our fathers in distress.
Praise Him still the same for ever,
Slow to chide, and swift to bless
Praise Him! Praise Him!
Glorious in His faithfulness.
Father-like He tends and spares us;
Well our feeble frame He knows.
In His hands He gently bears us,
Rescues us from all our foes.
Praise Him ! Praise Him !
Widely as His mercy flows.
Angels, help us to adore Him
Ye behold Him face to face;
Sun and moon, bow down before Him,
Dwellers all in time and space.
Praise Him ! Praise Him !
Praise with us the God of grace.
Psalm 109 (110)
In holy splendour I begot you before the dawn, alleluia.
The Lord’s revelation to my Master:
‘Sit on my right:
your foes I will put beneath your feet.’
The Lord will wield from Sion
your sceptre of power:
rule in the midst of all your foes.
A prince from the day of your birth
on the holy mountains;
from the womb before the dawn I begot you.
The Lord has sworn an oath he will not change.
‘You are a priest for ever,
a priest like Melchizedek of old.’
The Master standing at your right hand
will shatter kings in the day of his wrath.
He shall drink from the stream by the wayside
and therefore he shall lift up his head.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
In holy splendour I begot you before the dawn, alleluia.
Psalm 111 (112)
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall have their fill.
Happy the man who fears the Lord,
who takes delight in all his commands.
His sons will be powerful on earth;
the children of the upright are blessed.
Riches and wealth are in his house;
his justice stands firm for ever.
He is a light in the darkness for the upright:
he is generous, merciful and just.
The good man takes pity and lends,
he conducts his affairs with honour.
The just man will never waver:
he will be remembered for ever.
He has no fear of evil news;
with a firm heart he trusts in the Lord.
With a steadfast heart he will not fear;
he will see the downfall of his foes.
Open-handed, he gives to the poor;
his justice stands firm for ever.
His head will be raised in glory.
The wicked man sees and is angry,
grinds his teeth and fades away;
the desire of the wicked leads to doom.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall have their fill.
Canticle - Apocalypse 19
Praise God, all you his servants, both great and small. Alleluia.
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, alleluia.
his judgements are true and just. Alleluia, alleluia.
Praise our God, all you his servants, alleluia.
you who fear him, small and great. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns, alleluia.
let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory. Alleluia, alleluia.
The marriage of the Lamb has come, alleluia.
and his bride has made herself ready. Alleluia, alleluia.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son, alleluia
and to the Holy Spirit. Alleluia, alleluia.
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be, alleluia.
world without end, Amen. Alleluia, alleluia.
Praise God, all you his servants, both great and small. Alleluia.
Short Reading
Hebrews 12:22-24
What you have come to is Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem where the millions of angels have gathered for the festival, with the whole Church in which everyone is a ‘first-born son’ and a citizen of heaven. You have come to God himself, the supreme Judge, and been placed with spirits of the saints who have been made perfect; and to Jesus, the mediator who brings a new covenant and a blood for purification which pleads more insistently than Abel’s.
Short Responsory
Great is our Lord; great is his might.
– Great is our Lord; great is his might.
His wisdom can never be measured.
– Great is our Lord; great is his might.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– Great is our Lord; great is his might.
The Magnificat
They hustled him out of the town; intending to throw him down the cliff, but he slipped through the crowd and walked away.
They hustled him out of the town; intending to throw him down the cliff, but he slipped through the crowd and walked away.
Prayers & Intercessions
In the Church, God has made known to us his hidden purpose: to make all things one in Christ. Let us pray that his will may be done.
– Father, unite all things in Christ.
We give you thanks for the presence and power of your Spirit in the Church:
give us the will to search for unity, and inspire us to pray and work together.
– Father, unite all things in Christ.
We give you thanks for all whose work proclaims your love:
help us to serve the communities in whose life we share.
– Father, unite all things in Christ.
Father, care for all who serve in the Church as ministers of your word and sacraments:
may they bring your whole family to the unity for which Christ prayed.
– Father, unite all things in Christ.
Your people have known the ravages of war and hatred:
grant that they may know the peace left by your Son.
– Father, unite all things in Christ.
Fulfil the hopes of those who sleep in your peace:
bring them to that final resurrection when you will be all in all.
– Father, unite all things in Christ.
Our Father
Grant us, Lord our God,
that we may honour you with all our mind,
and love everyone in truth of heart.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
BENEDICTION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
O salutaris Hostia,
Quae caeli pandis ostium:
Bella premunt hostilia,
Da robur, fer auxilium.
Uni trinoque Domino
Sit sempiterna gloria,
Qui vitam sine termino
Nobis donet in patria. Amen.
Tantum ergo Sacramentum
Veneremur cernui:
Et antiquum documentum
Novo cedat ritui:
Praestet fides supplementum
Sensuum defectui.
Genitori, Genitoque
Laus et iubilatio,
Salus, honor, virtus quoque
Sit et benedictio:
Procedenti ab utroque
Compar sit laudatio. Amen.
V. Panem de caelo praestitisti eis, alleluia.
R. Omne delectamentum in se habentem, alleluia.
The Divine Praises
Blessed be God.
Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man.
Blessed be the Name of Jesus.
Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be His Most Precious Blood.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most Holy.
Blessed be her Holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her Glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints. Amen.
Anthem to Our Lady
Mother of Christ! hear thou thy people’s cry,
Star of the deep, and Portal of the sky!
Mother of Him who thee from nothing made,
Sinking we strive, and call to thee for aid:
Oh, by that joy which Gabriel brought to thee,
Thou Virgin first and last, let us thy mercy see.