Cantica Gaudia

Season of Epiphany: Wednesday Evening Prayer

Opening:  Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, let the whole world tremble before him.

Canticle: Wisdom freed from a nation of oppressors
A holy people and a blameless race.
She entered the soul of a servant of the Lord,
Withstood dread rulers with wonders and signs.

To the saints she gave the reward of their labors,
And led them by a marvelous way;
She was their shelter by day
And a blaze of stars by night.

Then, Lord, the righteous sang hymns to your Name,
And praised with one voice your protecting hand;
For Wisdom opened the mouths of the mute,
And gave speech to the tongues of a new-born people.

Psalm: Bless the Lord,  O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless his holy Name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all his benefits.
He forgives all your sins
And heals your infirmities
He redeems your life from the grave
And crowns you with mercy and loving-kindness
He satisfies you with good things,
And your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.

Glory to God, Source of all being, Eternal Word, and Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be always.  Amen.

Reading:  In your light I learn how to love.
In your beauty, how to make poems.
You dance inside my chest,
Where no one sees you,
But sometimes I do,
And that sight becomes this art.

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:
Eternal light, shine into our hearts
Eternal goodness, deliver us from evil
Eternal power, be our support
Eternal wisdom, scatter the darkness of our ignorance
Eternal pity, have mercy on us
That with all our heart and mind and soul and strength we may seek your face and be brought to your holy Presence, though Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Collect:
Hidden God, whose wisdom compels our love and unsettles all our values; fill us with desire to search for her truth, that we may transform the world, becoming fools for her sake.  Amen.

Going forth:  May God’s own peace be upon each thing our senses take in,
be upon our bodies which come from earth,
be upon our souls which come from heaven,
evermore and evermore.  Amen.