30th March 2025 Evening Prayer

The Psalter

Psalm 116

Dilexi, quoniam

MY delight is in the LORD; * because he hath heard the voice of my prayer;

Because he hath inclined his ear unto me; * therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.

The snares of death compassed me round about, * and the pains of hell gat hold upon me.

I found trouble and heaviness; then called I upon the Name of the LORD; * O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.

Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; * yea, our God is merciful.

The LORD preserveth the simple: * I was in misery, and he helped me.

Turn again then unto thy rest, O my soul; * for the LORD hath rewarded thee.

And why? thou hast delivered my soul from death, * mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

I will walk before the LORD * in the land of the living.

I believed, and therefore will I speak; but I was sore troubled: * I said in my haste, All men are liars.

What reward shall I give unto the LORD * for all the benefits that he hath done unto me?

I will receive the cup of salvation, * and call upon the Name of the LORD.

I will pay my vows now in the presence of all his people: * right dear in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

Behold, O LORD, how that I am thy servant; * I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid; thou hast broken my bonds in sunder.

I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, * and will call upon the Name of the LORD.

I will pay my vows unto the LORD, in the sight of all his people, * in the courts of the LORD'S house; even in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD.

The First Lesson

Isa55

55 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

The Second Lesson

John6:41-51

The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.

And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?

Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.

No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.

Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

I am that bread of life.

Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.

This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.

I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

The Fourth Sunday in Lent

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 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.