Prayer for the Evening

Christ is our light and guide:

come, let us give thanks and praise!

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. Alleluia!

HYMN

To do your will is my desire,

To live in you, Lord, is my life,

To spread your love through all the earth,

To find in you the joy of life.

All of my days, I sing your praise.

Through all my nights, you are my light.

You will shine forth through all my years,

And joyously will bring me home.

PSALM 119:1-8

If they obey and serve him,/ they spend their days in prosperity,/ their years in happiness. (Jb 36:11)

Obedience to God’s law seems an unlikely road to happiness. Indeed, at times it seems to bring us conflict, trial, and great loss. What we lose, though, is far less than what we gain if we do the will of the God who wills nothing less for us than the joy of life everlasting in his presence.

They are happy whose life is blameless,

who follow God’s law!

They are happy who do his will,

seeking him with all their hearts,

who never do anything evil

but walk in his ways.

You have laid down your precepts

to be obeyed with care.

May my footsteps be firm

to obey your statutes.

Then I shall not be put to shame

as I heed your commands.

I will thank you with an upright heart

as I learn your decrees.

I will obey your statutes:

do not forsake me.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God (1 Peter 1:22-23)

Since you have purified yourselves by obedience to the truth for sincere mutual love, love one another intensely from a [pure] heart. You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and abiding word of God.

All who inhabit the world shall understand/ That nothing is better than the fear of the Lord,/ nothing more salutary than to obey his commandments.

(Sir 23:27)

CANTICLE OF MARY

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. (1 Sm 3:9)

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 for ever.

Glory to the Father…

INTERCESSIONS 

In hope of God’s promise, we pray:

R/Abide with us always!

In our evening activities:

– grant that we may follow your law. R/

In the day that lies before us tomorrow:

– grant that we may do your will. R/

In the times ahead of us:

– grant that we may never do anything evil. R/

In all the moments of our life:

– grant that we may walk in your ways. R/

(Personal intentions)

Our Father….

May the Lord, our God, bless us in all our works and undertakings. Amen. (cf. Dt 15:10)

MARIAN ANTIPHON 

Antiphon for the Solemnity

of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

August 15

Virgin most prudent, where do you go forth,

shining exceedingly as the dawn?

Daughter of Zion, you are all beautiful and gracious,

fair as the moon, bright as the sun.

Salve, Regina, mater misericordiae;

vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve.

Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evae.

Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes

in hac lacrimarum valle.

Eia ergo, advocata nostra,

illos tuos misericordes oculos

ad nos converte.

Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,

nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.

O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.

Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy,

our life, our sweetness, and our hope.

To you do we cry,

poor banished children of Eve.

To you do we send up our sighs,

mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.

Turn then, O most gracious advocate,

your eyes of mercy toward us,

and after this our exile

show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

V/ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,

R/ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Prayer for the Evening

The Lord feeds us heavenly food.

Let us adore him!

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. Alleluia!

HYMN

How light the bread of angels

Upon the human tongue!

This precious weight of glory

That binds the Church in one.

The flesh with all its passions

Could never match the bliss

Of mind and heart and mem’ry

Caught up in heaven’s kiss.

How blessed is this banquet,

Christ’s sweet and costly meal.

The love within the Godhead

Mysteriously revealed:

When God the Son gives glory

To God the Father high,

As God the Holy Spirit

Effects the sacrifice.

Forth from his wounded body,

The water and the blood,

The glad’ning stream of heaven,

Swells to a mighty flood.

It crosses through the ages

And flows into the hearts

Of saints he makes from sinners

With skillful healing arts.

This food, so light, refreshing,

Shall speed our pilgrim way,

Until that happy morning

When dawn turns into day.

Upon the holy mountain,

Within God’s holy hall,

The Father and the Spirit,

And Christ, our all in all.

CANTICLE (Isaiah 49:9b-13)

This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat. (Ex 16:15)

As Christians, we are blessed to be able to receive Jesus in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. It is truly amazing that he has given himself to us in such an intimate way. Each time we receive the Body and Blood of Christ, may we be truly thankful and experience the joy of true communion with God.

Along the ways they shall find pasture,

on every bare height shall their pastures be.

They shall not hunger or thirst,

nor shall the scorching wind or the sun strike them;

For he who pities them leads them

and guides them beside springs of water.

I will cut a road through all my mountains,

and make my highways level.

See, some shall come from afar,

others from the north and the west,

and some from the land of Syene.

Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth,

break forth into song, you mountains.

For the Lord comforts his people

and shows mercy to his afflicted.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God (Genesis 14:18-20)

Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine, and being a priest of God Most High, he blessed Abram with these words:/ “Blessed be Abram by God Most High,/ the creator of heaven and earth;/ And blessed be God Most High,/ who delivered your foes into your hand.”/ Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.

(Jn 6:51)

CANTICLE OF MARY 

Give them some food yourselves. (Mt 14:16)

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 for ever.

Glory to the Father…

INTERCESSIONS 

The Eucharist is the foundation of our lives. So we pray:

R/Give us the bread of life.

We are called to live lives of thanksgiving,

– that we may spread the joy of Christ everywhere. R/

We are called to feed the hungry,

– and give spiritual food to empty hearts. R/

We are called to bring others to Christ,

– and live lives of witness to him. R/

(Personal intentions)

Our Father….

May we be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Amen. (cf. 2 Tm 2:1)

MARIAN ANTIPHON

Antiphon for the Solemnity

of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

August 15

Virgin most prudent, where do you go forth,

shining exceedingly as the dawn?

Daughter of Zion, you are all beautiful and gracious,

fair as the moon, bright as the sun.

Salve, Regina, mater misericordiae;

vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve.

Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evae.

Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes

in hac lacrimarum valle.

Eia ergo, advocata nostra,

illos tuos misericordes oculos

ad nos converte.

Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,

nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.

O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.

Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy,

our life, our sweetness, and our hope.

To you do we cry,

poor banished children of Eve.

To you do we send up our sighs,

mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.

Turn then, O most gracious advocate,

your eyes of mercy toward us,

and after this our exile

show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

V/ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,

R/ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Prayer for the Evening

Vigil of the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

God gives us the water of life.

Let us give him thanks and praise!

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. Alleluia!

HYMN

Come to me, all pilgrims thirsty,

Drink the water I will give.

If you knew what gift I offer,

You would come to me and live.

Jesus, ever-flowing fountain,

Give us water from your well.

In the gracious gift you offer

There is joy no tongue can tell.

Come to me, all trav’lers weary,

Come that I may give you rest.

Drink the cup of life I offer;

At this table be my guest.

Jesus, ever-flowing fountain,

Give us water from your well.

In the gracious gift you offer

There is joy no tongue can tell.

PSALM 42:2-3, 8-9

God gives rain upon the earth/ and sends water upon the fields. (cf. Jb 5:10)

God’s grace is like cool water quenching our thirst. We don’t often think of the importance of good water for sustaining our lives. We can also forget how grace sustains our spiritual lives in such a wonderful way. Let us always give thanks for the health of our bodies and souls and not forget to drink of God’s spiritual fountain of grace.

Like the deer that yearns

for running streams,

so my soul is yearning

for you, my God.

My soul is thirsting for God,

the God of my life;

when can I enter and see

the face of God?

Deep is calling on deep,

in the roar of waters:

your torrents and all your waves

swept over me.

By day the Lord will send

his loving kindness;

by night I will sing to him,

praise the God of my life.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God (John 4:13-14)

Jesus […] said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

I will pour out water upon the thirsty ground,/
and streams upon the dry land;/ I will pour out my spirit upon your offspring,/ and my blessing upon your descendants. (Is 44:3)

CANTICLE OF MARY 

To the thirsty I will give a gift from the spring of life-giving water. (Rv 21:6b)

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 for ever.

Glory to the Father…

INTERCESSIONS

We are thirsty for God’s love. So we pray:

R/Give us the water of life!

When the journey seems long and we grow weary: R/

When we seek to help our brothers and sisters: R/

When we thirst for your love: R/

(Personal intentions)

Our Father….

May the Lord be kind and faithful to us. Amen. (cf. 2 Sm 2:6)

MARIAN ANTIPHON

Antiphon for the Solemnity

of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

August 15

Virgin most prudent, where do you go forth,

shining exceedingly as the dawn?

Daughter of Zion, you are all beautiful and gracious,

fair as the moon, bright as the sun.

Salve, Regina, mater misericordiae;

vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve.

Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evae.

Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes

in hac lacrimarum valle.

Eia ergo, advocata nostra,

illos tuos misericordes oculos

ad nos converte.

Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,

nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.

O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.

Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy,

our life, our sweetness, and our hope.

To you do we cry,

poor banished children of Eve.

To you do we send up our sighs,

mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.

Turn then, O most gracious advocate,

your eyes of mercy toward us,

and after this our exile

show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

V/ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,

R/ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.