Cantica Gaudia

Ordinary Time, Early Summer: Tuesday Evening Prayer

Opening: Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; let the whole earth tremble before God.

Canticle: Eternal Wisdom, source of our being,
And goal of all our longing,
We praise you and give you thanks
Because you have created us, women and men,
Together in your image
To cherish your world and seek your face.
Divided and disfigured by sin,
While we were yet helpless,
You emptied yourself of power,
And took upon you our unprotected flesh.
You labored with us upon the cross,
And have brought us forth
To the hope of resurrection.

Psalm: The heavens express your fire
The night sky is the work of your hands
Day after day is your spoken language
Night after night your perfect knowing
There is no speech, there are no words
Their voice falls silent
Yet the music plays everywhere
To the end of the earth its clear notes float out
To the end of the worlds the word pronounced
Becomes a tabernacle for the sun
That comes out like a bridegroom from his chamber
A robust runner to run his day’s course
To the ends of the heavens he races
And back again he returns
And there is nothing hidden from his heat.

Glory be to God, who made us, who bears our pain, and who loves us. 
As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever.  Amen.

Reading: Tend only to the birth in you and you will find all goodness and all consolation, all delight, all being and all truth. Reject it and you reject goodness and blessing. What comes to you in this birth brings with it pure being and blessing. But what you seek or love outside of this birth will come to nothing, no matter what you will or where you will it.

The Lord’s Prayer: Creator of all,
Alive in all things and greater than all things,
Your naming be held holy.
Your vision of our goodness be made manifest throughout the universe,
And your desires for us brought to fulfillment.
Give us that which is essential for our growth and work.
Offer forgiveness and healing to us as we forgive and heal those around us.
Protect us from unnecessary suffering and wasteful pain.
For all that is beautiful, strong and glorious has its roots in you
and expresses your will and your nature, which we share in, unendingly.  Amen.

Prayer: That this evening may be holy, good and peaceful, we entreat you, O Lord.

That your holy angels may lead us in paths of peace and goodwill, we entreat you, O Lord.

That we may be pardoned and forgiven for our sins and offenses, we entreat you, O Lord.

That there may be peace to your Church and to the whole world, we entreat you, O Lord.

That we may depart this life in your faith and fear, and not be condemned before the great judgment seat of Christ, we entreat you, O Lord.

That we may be bound together by your Holy Spirit in the communion of Mary the God-bearer, Francis and Clare, and all your saints, entrusting one another and all our life to Christ, we entreat you, O Lord.

Collect: Be present, O merciful God, and protect us through the hours of this night, so that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this life may rest in your eternal changelessness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Going Forth: May holy Wisdom, kind to humanity, steadfast, sure and free, the breath of the power of God: may she who makes all things new, in every age, enter our souls, and make us friends with God, through Jesus Christ. Amen.