Cantica Gaudia

Ordinary Time, Late Summer: Thursday Evening Prayer

Opening: The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.

Canticle: Sing joyfully to God, all the earth
Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before God’s presence with exceedingly great joy.
Know that the Lord is God –
The Holy One made us, and not we ourselves.
We are God’s people, and the sheep of God’s pasture.
Go into the Lord’s gates with praise, into the holy courts with hymns,
And give God glory.
Praise God’s name , for the Lord is sweet.
God’s mercy endures for ever, and God’s truth to generation  and generation.

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

Glory 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: Let us leave a little room for reflection in our lives, room too for silence. Let us look within ourselves and see whether there is some delightful hidden place inside where we can be free of noise and argument. Let us hear the Word of God in stillness, and perhaps we will then come to understand it.

The Lord’s Prayer Our Father in heaven, may Your name be sanctified; Your commandment stretches over heaven and earth, may Your compassion come upon earth as it is in heaven.  Forgive us our sin and wrongdoings, You the Lord of all good things; cause Your mercy to descend upon us, Your healing upon this sickness, and it will be healed.  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. Amen.

Collect: Mighty God, most holy and humble, you have chosen to hear our cry and share our poverty. Come close to our world, kindle our hearts and melt our despair, that with all your creatures we may live in hope; through Jesus Christ our King. Amen.

Going Forth: May the blessing of light be upon us, light without and light within. May the blessed sunlight shine upon us and warm our hearts till they glow like a great fire and strangers may warm themselves as well as friends.

And may the light shine from our eyes, like a candle set in the window of a home, bidding the wanderer to come in out of the storm. Amen.