Leader: 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. Psalm 16:7,8
THE CONFESSION OF SIN
Leader: Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Silence may be kept.
All: 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.
Leader: 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.
All: Amen.
THE INVITATORY AND PSALTER
Leader: O God, make speed to save us.
All: 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 forever. Amen. Alleluia.
Please recite together.
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
behld 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.
PSALM 18: Part II Et retribuet mihi
21 The Lord rewarded me because of my righteous dealing; *
because my hands were clean he rewarded me;
22 For I have kept the ways of the Lord *
and have not offended against my God;
23 For all his judgments are before my eyes, *
and his decrees I have not put away from me;
24 For I have been blameless with him *
and have kept myself from iniquity;
25 Therefore the Lord rewarded me according to my
righteous dealing, *
because of the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
26 With the faithful you show yourself faithful, O God; *
with the forthright you show yourself forthright.
27 With the pure you show yourself pure, *
but with the crooked you are wily.
28 You will save a lowly people, *
but you will humble the haughty eyes.
29 You, O Lord, are my lamp; *
my God, you make my darkness bright.
30 With you I will break down an enclosure; *
with the help of my God I will scale any wall.
31 As for God, his ways are perfect;
the words of the Lord are tried in the fire; *
he is a shield to all who trust in him.
32 For who is God, but the Lord? *
who is the Rock, except our God?
33 It is God who girds me about with strength *
and makes my way secure.
34 He makes me sure-footed like a deer *
and lets me stand firm on the heights.
35 He trains my hands for battle *
and my arms for bending even a bow of bronze.
36 You have given me your shield of victory; *
your right hand also sustains me;
your loving care makes me great.
37 You lengthen my stride beneath me, *
and my ankles do not give way.
38 I pursue my enemies and overtake them; *
I will not turn back till I have destroyed them.
39 I strike them down, and they cannot rise; *
they fall defeated at my feet.
40 You have girded me with strength for the battle; *
you have cast down my adversaries beneath me;
you have put my enemies to flight.
41 I destroy those who hate me;
they cry out, but there is none to help them; *
they cry to the Lord, but he does not answer.
42 I beat them small like dust before the wind; *
I trample them like mud in the streets.
43 You deliver me from the strife of the peoples; *
you put me at the head of the nations.
44 A people I have not known shall serve me;
no sooner shall they hear than they shall obey me; *
strangers will cringe before me.
45 The foreign peoples will lose heart; *
they shall come trembling out of their strongholds.
46 The Lord lives! Blessed is my Rock! *
Exalted is the God of my salvation!
47 He is the God who gave me victory *
and cast down the peoples beneath me.
48 You rescued me from the fury of my enemies;
you exalted me above those who rose against me; *
you saved me from my deadly foe.
49 Therefore will I extol you among the nations, O Lord, *
and sing praises to your Name.
50 He multiplies the victories of his king; *
he shows loving-kindness to his anointed,
to David and his descendants for ever.
THE FIRST LESSON: A READING FROM THE BOOK OF AMOS 4:6-13
I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities,
and lack of bread in all your places,
yet you did not return to me,
says the LORD.
7 And I also withheld the rain from you
when there were still three months to the harvest;
I would send rain on one city,
and send no rain on another city;
one field would be rained upon,
and the field on which it did not rain withered;
8 so two or three towns wandered to one town
to drink water, and were not satisfied;
yet you did not return to me,
says the LORD.
9
I struck you with blight and mildew;
I laid waste* your gardens and your vineyards;
the locust devoured your fig trees and your olive trees;
yet you did not return to me,
says the LORD.
10 I sent among you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt;
I killed your young men with the sword;
I carried away your horses;*
and I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils;
yet you did not return to me,
says the LORD.
11 I overthrew some of you,
as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
and you were like a brand snatched from the fire;
yet you did not return to me,
says the LORD.
12 Therefore, thus I will do to you, O Israel;
because I will do this to you,
prepare to meet your God, O Israel!
13 For lo, the one who forms the mountains, creates the wind,
reveals his thoughts to mortals,
makes the morning darkness,
and treads on the heights of the earth—
the LORD, the God of hosts, is his name!
Leader: The Word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Please recite together
THE SONG OF SIMEON: NUNC DIMITTIS
Lord, you now have set your servant free * to go in peace as you have promised; For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, * whom you have prepared for all the world to see: A Light to enlighten the nations, * and the glory of your people Israel.
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 SECOND LESSON: A READING FROM THE BOOK OF 2 PETER 3:11-18
11 Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of people ought you
to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, 12waiting for and hastening*
the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? 13But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.
14 Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him
at peace, without spot or blemish; 15and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. So
also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given to
him, 16speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard
to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do
the other scriptures. 17You therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, beware that
you are not carried away with the error of the lawless and lose your own stability. 18But
grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be the
glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.*
Leader: The Word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
A READING FROM THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW 21:33-46
33 ‘Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a
fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watch-tower. Then he leased it to
tenants and went to another country. 34When the harvest time had come, he sent his
slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. 35But the tenants seized his slaves and beat
one, killed another, and stoned another. 36Again he sent other slaves, more than the
first; and they treated them in the same way. 37Finally he sent his son to them, saying,
“They will respect my son.” 38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to
themselves, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.” 39So they
seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40Now when the owner of the
vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ 41They said to him, ‘He will put those
wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him
the produce at the harvest time.’
42 Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the scriptures:
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;*
this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is amazing in our eyes”?
43Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a
people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.* 44The one who falls on this stone will be
broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.’*
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he
was speaking about them. 46They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds,
because they regarded him as a prophet.
Leader: The Word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
** REFLECTIONS ON THE READINGS **
Please recite together.
THE APOSTLES' CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
THE PRAYERS
Leader: The Lord be with you.
All: And also with you.
Leader: Let us pray.
All: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom
come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who
trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from
evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and
ever. Amen.
SUFFRAGE A
V. Show us your mercy, O Lord;
R. And grant us your salvation.
V. Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
R. Let your people sing with joy.
V. Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
R. For only in you can we live in safety.
V. Lord, keep this nation under your care;
R. And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
V. Let your way be known upon earth;
R. Your saving health among all nations.
V. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
R. Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
V. Create in us clean hearts, O God;
R. And sustain us by your Holy Spirit.
A PRAYER FOR PROTECTION:
Leader: O God, the life of all who live, the light of the faithful, the strength of those
who labor, and the repose of the dead: We thank you for the blessings of the
day that is past, and humbly ask for your protection through the coming night.
Bring us in safety to the morning hours; through him who died and rose again
for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ.
All: Amen.
A PRAYER FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE:
Leader: Almighty God, who created us in your image: Grant us grace fearlessly to
contend against evil and to make no peace with oppression; and, that we may
reverently use our freedom, help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice
in our communities and among the nations, to the glory of your holy Name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
All: Amen.
A PRAYER FOR THE HUMAN FAMILY:
All: O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus
your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away
the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls
that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our
struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in
your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around
your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Leader: Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night,
and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord
Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the
afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love's sake.
All: Amen.
** Friends, who can we pray for tonight?
Let us offer up our intercessions & thanksgivings **
Prayers for the repose of the souls of all who have died from Covid-19. We pray
for their grieving families, and for all those who may be suffering in mind, body
and spirit Dr. John Abraham, Generosa Aceveda, Jim Adams, Bernard
Anderson, Cathy Aviolla, Harold Carrington, Matthew Cassone, Gweneth
Chase, Trevor Chase, Juli Collazo, Ondeene Collymore, Carole Cramer,
George Cramer, Paul DeFelice, Michael DeLuca, Jr., Francine Densieski,
Arthur Elwell, Anthony Esposito, Dillon Gonzalez, Henrietta Gowac, Dice
Grigg, Christopher Guarente, Dan Italiano, Teresa Jankowska, Pauline
Johnson, Chris Kilpert, David Kline, Robert Lane, and all those
on our prayer list.
• Prayers for all those who may feel alone, hopeless or in despair
• Prayers for all school students, teachers, principals, school staff and parents
during these challenging times.
• Prayers for all who are without a job, source of income or food insecurity
• Prayers for our St. John’s and Canterbury House family
THE GENERAL THANKSGIVING:
All: Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give
you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and
to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation,
and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable
love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the
means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such
an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may
show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving
up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness
and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to
whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all
ages. Amen.
A PRAYER OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM:
Leader: Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make
our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-
beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you
will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as
may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in
the age to come life everlasting.
All: Amen.
Leader: Let us bless the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Leader: Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can
ask or imagine: Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and
in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Ephesians 3:20, 21
All: Amen.
Have a restful night!