Night Prayer
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12.04am on Sunday 1 June 2025
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Please note: Daily Prayer provided by the official Church of England web site, © The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England, 2002-2004.
O God, make speed to save us.
AllO Lord, make haste to help us.
Send your Holy Spirit upon us,
Alland clothe us with power from on high. Alleluia.
One or more of the following is said or sung:
this or another prayer of thanksgiving
Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,
to you be glory and praise for ever.
Raised to your right hand on high
the ascended Christ shows the prints of love
and bestows on us the gifts of grace.
As your Spirit renews the face of the earth,
may we bring forth the fruit of the Spirit
and reveal your glory in all the world.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
AllBlessed be God for ever.
A Song of God’s Greatness (page 565), the following or another suitable hymn
Creator Spirit, Lord of grace,
come, make in us your dwelling place;
O purest Light, in darkness shine;
fill loveless hearts, O Love Divine.
Consoler, hear your people’s cry;
come down, O Gift of God, Most High.
Descend in peace, O heav’nly Dove;
come Fount of Life; come Flame of Love.
As once on Christ the Servant’s head
the oil of sevenfold grace you shed,
so now anoint from love’s deep springs
your chosen prophets, priests and kings.
Of ev’ry gift the living source,
of mighty deeds the unseen force,
the Father sends his promised One
to speak for all who serve his Son.
Keep far all those who wish us ill,
O Dove of Peace, be with us still,
in ev’ry danger at our side
O Friend, befriend us; be our guide.
Reveal to us the Father’s love,
reveal his Son, who reigns above.
To truth, O Truth, make us all true;
in love, O Love, make all things new.
James Quinn S J, based on Veni, Creator Spiritus
(Tune: LM)
This opening prayer may be said
That this evening may be holy, good and peaceful,
let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As our evening prayer rises before you, O God,
so may your mercy come down upon us
to cleanse our hearts
and set us free to sing your praise
now and for ever.
AllAmen.
The appointed psalmody is said.
Refrain: Sing to God, sing praises to his name.
1 Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered; ♦
let those that hate him flee before him.
2 As the smoke vanishes, so may they vanish away; ♦
as wax melts at the fire,
so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3 But let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; ♦
let them make merry with gladness.
4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
exalt him who rides on the clouds. ♦
The Lord is his name; rejoice before him.
5 Father of the fatherless, defender of widows, ♦
God in his holy habitation!
6 God gives the solitary a home
and brings forth prisoners to songs of welcome, ♦
but the rebellious inhabit a burning desert. R
7 O God, when you went forth before your people, ♦
when you marched through the wilderness,
8 The earth shook and the heavens dropped down rain,
at the presence of God, the Lord of Sinai, ♦
at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 You sent down a gracious rain, O God; ♦
you refreshed your inheritance when it was weary.
10 Your people came to dwell there; ♦
in your goodness, O God, you provide for the poor. R
11 The Lord gave the word;
great was the company of women who bore the tidings: ♦
Kings and their armies they flee, they flee!
and women at home are dividing the spoil.
12 Though you stayed among the sheepfolds, ♦
see now a doves wings covered with silver
and its feathers with green gold.
13 When the Almighty scattered the kings, ♦
it was like snowflakes falling on Zalmon. R
14 You mighty mountain, great mountain of Bashan! ♦
You towering mountain, great mountain of Bashan!
15 Why look with envy, you towering mountains,
at the mount which God has desired for his dwelling, ♦
the place where the Lord will dwell for ever?
16 The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,
even thousands upon thousands; ♦
the Lord is among them, the Lord of Sinai in holy power.
17 You have gone up on high and led captivity captive; ♦
you have received tribute,
even from those who rebelled,
that you may reign as Lord and God. R
18 Blessed be the Lord who bears our burdens day by day, ♦
for God is our salvation.
19 God is for us the God of our salvation; ♦
God is the Lord who can deliver from death.
Refrain: Sing to God, sing praises to his name.
Blessed are you, gracious God;
you make your home among the weak,
you deliver us from death,
you bring us joy beyond our imagining
to the praise of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Each psalm or group of psalms may end with
AllGlory to the Father and
to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
If there are two Scripture readings, the first may be read here, or both may be read after the canticle.
But now hear, O Jacob my servant,
Israel whom I have chosen!
Thus says the Lord who made you,
who formed you in the womb and will help you:
Do not fear, O Jacob my servant,
Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my spirit upon your descendants,
and my blessing on your offspring.
They shall spring up like a green tamarisk,
like willows by flowing streams.
This one will say, I am the Lords,
another will be called by the name of Jacob,
yet another will write on the hand, The Lords,
and adopt the name of Israel.
Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel
and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
I am the first and I am the last;
besides me there is no god.
Who is like me? Let them proclaim it,
let them declare and set it forth before me.
Who has announced from of old the things to come?
Let them tell us what is yet to be.
Do not fear, or be afraid;
have I not told you from of old and declared it?
You are my witnesses!
Is there any god besides me?
There is no other rock; I know not one.
A Song of God’s Children, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 60 or number 63, may be said
Refrain:
AllThe Spirit of the Father,
who raised Christ Jesus from the dead,
gives life to the people of God. Alleluia.
1The law of the Spirit
of life in Christ Jesus ♦
has set us free from the law of sin and death.
2All who are led by the
Spirit of God are children of God; ♦
for we have received the Spirit that enables us to cry, ‘Abba, Father’.
3The Spirit himself bears
witness that we are children of God ♦
and if God’s children, then heirs of God;
4If heirs of God, then
fellow-heirs with Christ; ♦
since we suffer with him now, that we may be glorified with him.
5These sufferings that
we now endure ♦
are not worth comparing to the glory that shall be revealed.
6For the creation waits
with eager longing ♦
for the revealing of the children of God.
Romans 8.2, 14, 15b-19
AllGlory to the Father and
to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
AllThe Spirit of the Father,
who raised Christ Jesus from the dead,
gives life to the people of God. Alleluia.
One or more readings appointed for the day are read.
The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.
But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christs gift.
Therefore it is said,
When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive;
he gave gifts to his people.
(When it says, He ascended, what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth?
He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.)
The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,
to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.
We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by peoples trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming.
But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the bodys growth in building itself up in love.
A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow
When you send forth your Spirit, we are created;
you renew the face of the earth.
AllWhen you send forth
your Spirit, we are created;
you renew the face of the earth.
O Lord, how manifold are your works;
in wisdom you have made them all.
AllYou renew the face of
the earth.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
AllWhen you send forth
your Spirit, we are created;
you renew the face of the earth.
from Psalm 104
The Magnificat (The Song of Mary) is normally said, or Great and Wonderful may be said
Refrain:
AllHow excellent is your name
in all the world,
you have set your glory above the heavens. Alleluia.
1My soul proclaims the
greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour; ♦
he has looked with favour on his lowly servant.
2From this day all generations
will call me blessed; ♦
the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his name.
3He has mercy on those
who fear him, ♦
from generation to generation.
4He has shown strength
with his arm ♦
and has scattered the proud in their conceit,
5Casting down the mighty
from their thrones ♦
and lifting up the lowly.
6He has filled the hungry
with good things ♦
and sent the rich away empty.
7He has come to the aid
of his servant Israel, ♦
to remember his promise of mercy,
8The promise made to our
ancestors, ♦
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Luke 1.46-55
AllGlory to the Father and
to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Refrain:
AllHow excellent is your name
in all the world,
you have set your glory above the heavens. Alleluia.
Thanksgiving may be made for the day.
Intercessions are offered
¶ for peace
¶ for individuals and their needs
Prayers may include the following concerns from the cycle on pages 364–365
¶ God’s royal priesthood, for empowerment
by the Spirit
¶ Those who wait on God, that they may find
renewal
¶ All people, that they may acknowledge the
kingdom of the ascended Christ
¶ The earth, for productivity and for fruitful
harvests
¶ All who are struggling with broken relationships
A form of prayer found on page 383 may be used.
These responses may be used
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer
(or)
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.
Silence may be kept.
The Collect of the day is said
O God the King of glory,
you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ
with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven:
we beseech you, leave us not comfortless,
but send your Holy Spirit to strengthen us
and exalt us to the place where our Saviour Christ is gone before,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
AllAmen.
The Lord’s Prayer is said
Being made one by the power of the Spirit,
as our Saviour taught us, so we pray
AllOur Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
(or)
Being made one by the power of the Spirit,
let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
AllOur 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.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
May the Spirit kindle in us the fire of God’s love.
AllAmen.
Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.
AllThanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.
©
The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England, 2000–2005
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