Evening Prayer, Rite Two for Wednesday, January 31, 2024

January 31, 2024

Wednesday In The Week Of 4 Epiphany

Psalm 16:7, 8

I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel; my heart teaches me, night after night. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not fall.

Confession of Sin

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen.

Invitatory and Psalter

Officiant: O God, make speed to save us.
People: O Lord, make haste to help us.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Alleluia.

O Gracious Light Phos hilaron

O gracious Light,

pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,

O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!

Now as we come to the setting of the sun,

and our eyes behold the vesper light,

we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,

O Son of God, O Giver of life,

and to be glorified through all the worlds.

The Psalm or Psalms Appointed

Psalm 119:73-96

The law of your mouth is dearer to me *

than thousands in gold and silver.

Yodh Manus tuæ fecerunt me

Your hands have made me and fashioned me; *

give me understanding, that I may learn your commandments.

Those who fear you will be glad when they see me, *

because I trust in your word.

I know, O LORD, that your judgments are right *

and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

Let your loving-kindness be my comfort, *

as you have promised to your servant.

Let your compassion come to me, that I may live, *

for your law is my delight.

Let the arrogant be put to shame, for they wrong me with lies; *

but I will meditate on your commandments.

Let those who fear you turn to me, *

and also those who know your decrees.

Let my heart be sound in your statutes, *

that I may not be put to shame.

Kaph Defecit in salutare

My soul has longed for your salvation; *

I have put my hope in your word.

My eyes have failed from watching for your promise, *

and I say, "When will you comfort me?"

I have become like a leather flask in the smoke, *

but I have not forgotten your statutes.

How much longer must I wait? *

when will you give judgment against those who ersecute me?

The proud have dug pits for me; *

they do not keep your law.

All your commandments are true; *

help me, for they persecute me with lies.

They had almost made an end of me on earth, *

but I have not forsaken your commandments.

In your loving-kindness, revive me, *

that I may keep the decrees of your mouth.

Lamedh In æternum, Domine

O LORD, your word is everlasting; *

it stands firm in the heavens.

Your faithfulness remains from one generation to another; *

you established the earth, and it abides.

By your decree these continue to this day, *

for all things are your servants.

If my delight had not been in your law, *

I should have perished in my affliction.

I will never forget your commandments, *

because by them you give me life.

I am yours; oh, that you would save me! *

for I study your commandments.

Though the wicked lie in wait for me to destroy me, *

I will apply my mind to your decrees.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

The Lessons

Isa 54:1-17

The Eternal Covenant of Peace

Sing, O barren one who did not bear;
    burst into song and shout,
    you who have not been in labor!
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 judgment.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord
    and their vindication from me, says the Lord.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.