Evening Prayer (Evensong) in Contemporary Language

¶ Evening Prayer
Advent
Tuesday, 23 December 2025

Preparation

O God, make speed to save us.
AllO Lord, make haste to help us.

Reveal among us the light of your presence
Allthat we may behold your power and glory.

One or more of the following is said or sung:

this or another prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Sovereign God,
creator of light and darkness,
to you be glory and praise for ever.
As evening falls, you renew your promise
to reveal among us the light of your presence.
May your word be a lantern to our feet
and a light upon our path
that we may behold your coming among us.
Strengthen us in our stumbling weakness
and free our tongues to sing your praise.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
AllBlessed be God for ever.

A Song of Mercy and Truth (page 559), the following or another suitable hymn

Creator of the stars of night,
thy people’s everlasting light,
O Jesu, Saviour of us all,
regard thy servants when they call.

Thou, grieving at the bitter cry
of all creation doomed to die,
didst come to save a ruined race
with healing gifts of heavenly grace.

Thou camest, Bridegroom of the bride,
as drew the world to evening-tide,
proceeding from a virgin shrine,
the Son of Man, yet Lord divine.

At thy great name, exalted now,
all knees must bend, all hearts must bow,
and things in heaven and earth shall own
that thou art Lord and King alone.

To thee, O holy One, we pray
our judge in that tremendous day,
preserve us, while we dwell below,
from every onslaught of the foe.

All praise, eternal Son, to thee,
whose advent sets thy people free,
whom with the Father we adore,
and Spirit blest, for evermore.

Latin, tr: J M Neale
(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 Word of God

Psalmody

The appointed psalmody is said.

Psalm 89.1-37

Refrain: Truly the Lord is our shield.

1 My song shall be always of the loving-kindness of the Lord: ♦
with my mouth will I proclaim your faithfulness
throughout all generations.

2 I will declare that your love is established for ever; ♦
you have set your faithfulness as firm as the heavens.

3 For you said: ‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one; ♦
I have sworn an oath to David my servant:

4 ‘ “Your seed will I establish for ever ♦
and build up your throne for all generations.” ’ R

5 The heavens praise your wonders, O Lord, ♦
and your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones;

6 For who among the clouds can be compared to the Lord? ♦
Who is like the Lord among the host of heaven?

7 A God feared in the council of the holy ones, ♦
great and terrible above all those round about him.

8 Who is like you, Lord God of hosts? ♦
Mighty Lord, your faithfulness is all around you. R

9 You rule the raging of the sea; ♦
you still its waves when they arise.

10 You crushed Rahab with a deadly wound ♦
and scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.

11 Yours are the heavens; the earth also is yours; ♦
you established the world and all that fills it.

12 You created the north and the south; ♦
Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your name. R

13 You have a mighty arm; ♦
strong is your hand and high is your right hand.

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; ♦
steadfast love and faithfulness go before your face.

15 Happy are the people who know the shout of triumph: ♦
they walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance.

16 In your name they rejoice all the day long ♦
and are exalted in your righteousness.

17 For you are the glory of their strength, ♦
and in your favour you lift up our heads.

18 Truly the Lord is our shield; ♦
the Holy One of Israel is our king.

19 You spoke once in a vision and said to your faithful people: ♦
‘I have set a youth above the mighty;
I have raised a young man over the people.

20 ‘I have found David my servant; ♦
with my holy oil have I anointed him.

21 ‘My hand shall hold him fast ♦
and my arm shall strengthen him.

22 ‘No enemy shall deceive him, ♦
nor any wicked person afflict him.

23 ‘I will strike down his foes before his face ♦
and beat down those that hate him.

24 ‘My truth also and my steadfast love shall be with him, ♦
and in my name shall his head be exalted.

25 ‘I will set his dominion upon the sea ♦
and his right hand upon the rivers.

26 ‘He shall call to me, “You are my Father, ♦
my God, and the rock of my salvation;”

27 ‘And I will make him my firstborn: ♦
the most high above the kings of the earth.

28 ‘The love I have pledged to him will I keep for ever, ♦
and my covenant will stand fast with him.

29 ‘His seed also will I make to endure for ever ♦
and his throne as the days of heaven. R

30 ‘But if his children forsake my law ♦
and cease to walk in my judgements,

31 ‘If they break my statutes ♦
and do not keep my commandments,

32 ‘I will punish their offences with a rod ♦
and their sin with scourges.

33 ‘But I will not take from him my steadfast love ♦
nor suffer my truth to fail.

34 ‘My covenant will I not break ♦
nor alter what has gone out of my lips.

35 ‘Once for all have I sworn by my holiness ♦
that I will not prove false to David.

36 ‘His seed shall endure for ever ♦
and his throne as the sun before me;

37 ‘It shall stand fast for ever as the moon, ♦
the enduring witness in the heavens.’

Refrain: Truly the Lord is our shield.

As we sing of your love, O Lord,
anoint us with the Spirit’s seal,
that we may praise your faithfulness
and proclaim your truth from age to age;
through 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.

Isaiah 54

Sing, O barren one who did not bear;
   burst into song and shout,
   you who have not been in labour!
For the children of the desolate woman will be more
   than the children of her that is married, says the Lord.
Enlarge the site of your tent,
   and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;
do not hold back; lengthen your cords
   and strengthen your stakes.
For you will spread out to the right and to the left,
   and your descendants will possess the nations
   and will settle the desolate towns.

Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed;
   do not be discouraged, for you will not suffer disgrace;
for you will forget the shame of your youth,
   and the disgrace of your widowhood you will remember no more.
For your Maker is your husband,
   the Lord of hosts is his name;
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
   the God of the whole earth he is called.
For the Lord has called you
   like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit,
like the wife of a man’s youth when she is cast off,
   says your God.
For a brief moment I abandoned you,
   but with great compassion I will gather you.
In overflowing wrath for a moment
   I hid my face from you,
but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,
   says the Lord, your Redeemer.

This is like the days of Noah to me:
   Just as I swore that the waters of Noah
   would never again go over the earth,
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you
   and will not rebuke you.
For the mountains may depart
   and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
   and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,
   says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted,
   I am about to set your stones in antimony,
   and lay your foundations with sapphires.
I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
   your gates of jewels,
   and all your wall of precious stones.
All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
   and great shall be the prosperity of your children.
In righteousness you shall be established;
   you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
   and from terror, for it shall not come near you.
If anyone stirs up strife,
   it is not from me;
whoever stirs up strife with you
   shall fall because of you.
See, it is I who have created the smith
   who blows the fire of coals,
   and produces a weapon fit for its purpose;
I have also created the ravager to destroy.
   No weapon that is fashioned against you shall prosper,
   and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgement.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord
   and their vindication from me, says the Lord.

Canticle

A Song of the Spirit, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 57 (page 614) or number 72 (page 630), may be said

Refrain:

AllSurely I am coming soon.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! Alleluia.

1‘Behold, I am coming soon’, says the Lord,
‘and bringing my reward with me, ♦
to give to everyone according to their deeds.

2‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, ♦
the beginning and the end.’

3Blessed are those who do God’s commandments,
that they may have the right to the tree of life, ♦
and may enter into the city through the gates.

4‘I, Jesus, have sent my angel to you, ♦
with this testimony for all the churches.

5‘I am the root and the offspring of David, ♦
I am the bright morning star.’

6‘Come!’ say the Spirit and the Bride; ♦
‘Come!’ let each hearer reply.

7Come forward, you who are thirsty, ♦
let those who desire take the water of life as a gift.

Revelation 22.12-14, 16, 17

AllTo the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb ♦
be blessing and honour and glory and might,
for ever and ever. Amen.

AllSurely I am coming soon.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! Alleluia.

Scripture Reading

One or more readings appointed for the day are read.

The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.

2 Peter 1.16 - 2.3

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honour and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.

So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive opinions. They will even deny the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Even so, many will follow their licentious ways, and because of these teachers the way of truth will be maligned. And in their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. Their condemnation, pronounced against them long ago, has not been idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow

My soul is waiting for you, O Lord:
in your word is my hope.
AllMy soul is waiting for you, O Lord:
in your word is my hope.
There is forgiveness with you,
so that you shall be feared.
AllIn your word is my hope.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
AllMy soul is waiting for you, O Lord:
in your word is my hope.

from Psalm 130

 

Gospel Canticle

The Magnificat (The Song of Mary) is normally said, or The Song of Christ's Glory (page 619) may be said

O Emmanuel, our king and our lawgiver,
the hope of the nations and their Saviour:
Come and save us, O Lord our God.

cf Isaiah 7.14

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.

O Emmanuel, our king and our lawgiver,
the hope of the nations and their Saviour:
Come and save us, O Lord our God.

cf Isaiah 7.14

Prayers

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

¶ The Church, that she may be ready for the coming of Christ
¶ The leaders of the Church
¶ The nations, that they may be subject to the rule of God
¶ Those who are working for justice in the world
¶ The broken, that they may find God’s healing

A form of prayer found on page 377 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

God our redeemer,
who prepared the Blessed Virgin Mary
to be the mother of your Son:
grant that, as she looked for his coming as our saviour,
so we may be ready to greet him
when he comes again as our judge;
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

Awaiting his coming in glory,
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)

Awaiting his coming in glory,
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.

The Conclusion

May the Lord, when he comes,
find us watching and waiting.
AllAmen.

Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.
AllThanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.