April 8, 2021 – vespers

monk INTRODUCTION
HYMN –Christians Praise the Paschal Victim
PSALMODY
pope INCENSE PSALM
Ant. Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Psalm 141
O LORD, I call to you; come to me quickly; *
hear my voice when I cry to you.
Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense, *
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Set a watch before my mouth, O LORD,
and guard the door of my lips; *
let not my heart incline to any evil thing.
Let me not be occupied in wickedness with evildoers, *
nor eat of their choice foods.
Let the righteous smite me in friendly rebuke;
let not the oil of the unrighteous anoint my head; *
for my prayer is continually against their wicked deeds.
Let their rulers be overthrown in stony places, *
that they may know my words are true.
As when a plowman turns over the earth in furrows, *
let their bones be scattered at the mouth of the grave.
But my eyes are turned to you, Lord GOD; *
in you I take refuge;
do not strip me of my life.
Protect me from the snare which they have laid for me *
and from the traps of the evildoers.
Let the wicked fall into their own nets, *
while I myself escape.

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. Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Ant. 1. Mary Magdalen and the other Mary came to see the Lord’s tomb, alleluia..
Psalm 110
The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, *
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
The LORD will send the scepter of your power out of Zion, *
saying, “Rule over your enemies round about you.
Princely state has been yours from the day of your birth; *
in the beauty of holiness have I begotten you,
like dew from the womb of the morning.”
The LORD has sworn and he will not recant: *
“You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”
The Lord who is at your right hand
will smite kings in the day of his wrath; *
he will rule over the nations.
He will heap high the corpses; *
he will smash heads over the wide earth.
He will drink from the brook beside the road; *
therefore he will lift high his head.

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.

Psalm Prayer

God of power and mercy, though your Son’s passion and resurrection you have freed us from the bonds of death and the anguish of separation from you. Be ever with us on our pilgrimage; then we shall sing rather than weep. Keep our feet from stumbling, so that we may be able to follow you until we come to eternal rest.
Ant. 1. Mary Magdalen and the other Mary came to see the Lord’s tomb, alleluia.
Ant. 2. Come and see the place where the Lord was buried, alleluia.
Psalm 114
Hallelujah!
When Israel came out of Egypt, *
the house of Jacob from a people of strange speech,
Judah became God’s sanctuary *
and Israel his dominion.
The sea beheld it and fled; *
Jordan turned and went back.
The mountains skipped like rams, *
and the little hills like young sheep.
What ailed you, O sea, that you fled? *
O Jordan, that you turned back?
You mountains, that you skipped like rams? *
you little hills like young sheep?
Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, *
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
Who turned the hard rock into a pool of water *
and flint-stone into a flowing spring.

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.

Psalm Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, you have prepared a quiet place for us in your Father’s eternal home. Watch over our welfare on this perilous journey, shade us from the burning heat of day, and keep our lives free of evil until the end.
Ant. 2. Come and see the place where the Lord was buried, alleluia.
Ant. 3. Jesus said: Do not be afraid, Go and tell my brothers to set out for Galilee; there they will see me, alleluia.
Canticle: Revelation 19:1-7
After these things, I heard something like the voice of many multitudes in heaven, saying: “Alleluia! Praise and glory and power is for our God.

For true and just are his judgments, he who has judged the great harlot that corrupted the earth by her prostitution.
And he has vindicated the blood of his servants from her hands.”

And again, they said: “Alleluia! For her smoke ascends forever and ever.”
And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, sitting upon the throne, saying: “Amen! Alleluia!”

And a voice went out from the throne, saying:
“Express praise to our God, all you his servants, and you who fear him, small and great.”

And I heard something like the voice of a great multitude, and like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of great thunders, saying:
“Alleluia! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, has reigned.

Let us be glad and exult. And let us give glory to him.
For the marriage feast of the Lamb has arrived, and his wife has prepared herself.”
Ant. 3. Jesus said: Do not be afraid, Go and tell my brothers to set out for Galilee; there they will see me, alleluia.
READING
1 Peter 3:18, 22
For Christ also died once for our sins, the Just One on behalf of the unjust, so that he might offer us to God, having died, certainly, in the flesh, but having been enlivened by the Spirit. He is at the right hand of God, devouring death, so that we may be made heirs to eternal life. And since he has journeyed to heaven, the Angels and powers and virtues are subject to him.
CANTICLE OF MARY
Ant. 4. See my hands and my feet and know that I am here among you, alleluia.
Luke 1:46-55
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
And 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 the 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. 4. See my hands and my feet and know that I am here among you, alleluia.
INTERCESSIONS
Christ rose from the dead as the firstfruits of those who sleep. In our joy let us praise him, and say:
Firstborn from the dead, hear our prayer.

Lord Jesus, remember your holy Church, built on the apostles and reaching to the ends of the earth,
– and let your blessing rest on all who believe in you.
Firstborn from the dead, hear our prayer.

You are the healer of soul and body,
– come to our aid, and save us in your love.
Firstborn from the dead, hear our prayer.

Raise up the sick and give them strength,
– free them from their infirmities.
Firstborn from the dead, hear our prayer.

Help those in distress of mind or body,
– and in your compassion lift up those in need.
Firstborn from the dead, hear our prayer.

Through your cross and resurrection you opened for all the way to immortality,
– grant to our deceased brothers and sisters the joys of your kingdom.
Firstborn from the dead, hear our prayer.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
(And now let us pray as the Lord told us:)
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.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Lord our God, help us to prepare for the coming of Christ your Son.
May he find us waiting, eager in joyful prayer.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen
DISMISSAL
May the Lord + bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
– Amen.
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