16th March 2025 Evening Prayer

The Psalter

Psalm 26

Judica me, Domine

BE thou my Judge, O LORD, for I have walked innocently: * my trust hath been also in the LORD, therefore shall I not fall.

Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; * try out my reins and my heart.

For thy loving-kindness is ever before mine eyes; * and I will walk in thy truth.

I have not dwelt with vain persons; * neither will I have fellowship with the deceitful.

I have hated the congregation of the wicked; * and will not sit among the ungodly.

I will wash my hands in innocency, O LORD; * and so will I go to thine altar;

That I may show the voice of thanksgiving, * and tell of all thy wondrous works.

LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, * and the place where thine honour dwelleth.

O shut not up my soul with the sinners, * nor my life with the blood-thirsty;

In whose hands is wickedness, * and their right hand is full of gifts.

But as for me, I will walk innocently: * O deliver me, and be merciful unto me.

My foot standeth right: * I will praise the LORD in the congregations.

Psalm 119

Beati immaculati

BLESSED are those that are undefiled in the way, * and walk in the law of the LORD.

Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, * and seek him with their whole heart;

Even they who do no wickedness, * and walk in his ways.

Thou hast charged * that we shall diligently keep thy commandments.

O that my ways were made so direct, * that I might keep thy statutes!

So shall I not be confounded, * while I have respect unto all thy commandments.

I will thank thee with an unfeigned heart, * when I shall have learned the judgments of thy righteousness.

I will keep thy statutes; * O forsake me not utterly.

WHEREWITHAL shall a young man cleanse his way? * even by ruling himself after thy word.

With my whole heart have I sought thee; * O let me not go wrong out of thy commandments.

Thy word have I hid within my heart, * that I should not sin against thee.

Blessed art Thou, O LORD; * O teach me thy statutes.

With my lips have I been telling * of all the judgments of thy mouth.

I have had as great delight in the way of thy testimonies, * as in all manner of riches.

I will talk of thy commandments, * and have respect unto thy ways.

My delight shall be in thy statutes, * and I will not forget thy word.

The First Lesson

2Sam12:1-10

12 And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.

The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:

But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.

And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.

And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:

And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;

And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.

Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

The Second Lesson

1Cor6:9-20

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.

And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.

Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.

What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.

But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

The Second Sunday in Lent

Almighty God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves; Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Ash Wednesday

Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.