Prayer for the Evening
Let us thank the Lord for his love!
Glory to the Father…. Alleluia!
Hymn
Immortal love, forever full,
Forever flowing free,
Forever shared, forever whole,
A never ebbing sea!
We may not climb the heavenly steeps
To bring the Lord Christ down;
In vain we search the lowest deeps,
For him no depths can drown.
The healing of his seamless dress
Is by our beds of pain;
We touch him in life’s throng and press
And we are whole again.
Psalm 107:1, 17-22
I will heal them, and reveal to them an abundance of lasting peace. (Jer 33:6b)
Even in a season of joy, we are reminded of the cross. The delights of Christmas and Epiphany do not spare us from sickness, suffering, and death. Instead, they illuminate the shadows of our pain with the abiding love of Jesus Christ, revealed in human flesh as our Healer and Savior. Seeking as the Magi sought, we find him not in a splendid palace, isolated from all ills, but in the very midst of the sick, the poor, the suffering, and the dying.
“O give thanks to the Lord for he is good;
for his love endures for ever.”
Some were sick on account of their sins
and afflicted on account of their guilt.
They had a loathing for every food;
they came close to the gates of death.
Then they cried to the Lord in their need
and he rescued them from their distress.
He sent forth his word to heal them
and saved their life from the grave.
Let them thank the Lord for his love,
for the wonders he does for men.
Let them offer a sacrifice of thanks
and tell of his deeds with rejoicing.
Glory to the Father….
Word of God. Isaiah 57:15, 18
On high I dwell, and in holiness,/ and with the crushed and dejected in spirit,/ To revive the spirits of the dejected,/ to revive the hearts of the crushed./ I saw their ways,/ but I will heal them and lead them;/ I will give full comfort/ to them and to those who mourn for them.
If you will to do so, you can cure me.
(cf. Mk 1:40)
Canticle of Mary
Heal me, Lord, that I may be healed;/ save me, that I may be saved,/ for it is you whom I praise. (Jer 17:14)
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
God dwells with the crushed and dejected in spirit. For them, let us pray:
R/Lord, hear the cry of the poor.
For those who suffer chronic illness:
– grant them patient endurance. R/
For those who suffer mental or emotional illness:
– grant them peace of mind. R/
For those who suffer terminal illness:
– grant them hope as they approach you. R/
For all who love and care for the sick:
– grant them the reward of your love. R/
Personal intentions
Our Father….
May the Lord treat and assuage all wounds, heal us, and reveal to us an abundance of lasting peace. Amen. (cf. Jer 33:6)
Marian Antiphon
Blessed Mother of God, Mary, perpetual Virgin,
temple of the Lord, shrine of the Holy Spirit,
you alone without compare were pleasing
to the Lord Jesus Christ;
pray for the people, intervene for the clergy;
intercede for devout women.
Alma Redemptoris Mater
Alma Redemptoris Mater, quae pervia caeli
porta manes, et stella maris, succurre cadenti,
surgere qui curat, populo: tu quae genuisti,
natura mirante, tuum sanctum Genitorem,
Virgo prius ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore
sumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere.
Loving mother of the Redeemer
Loving mother of the Redeemer,
gate of heaven, star of the sea,
assist your people who have fallen yet strive to rise again.
To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator,
yet remained a virgin after as before.
You who received Gabriel’s joyful greeting,
have pity on us, poor sinners.
V/ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
R/ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Salve Regina
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.
