Page images
PDF
EPUB

A FORM OF

EVENING PRAYER,

PROPER TO BE DAILY SAID THROUGHOUT THE

YEAR.

+

IN the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Blessed be the Holy and undivided Trinity, now and for ever. Amen.

Our Father, &c.

Hail, Mary, &c.

I believe in God, &c.

¶Invoke the Assistance of the Holy Ghost, saying: COME, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of thy faithful, and kindle in them the fire of thy love. V. Send forth thy spirit, and our hearts will be regenerated.

R. And thou wilt renew the face of the earth.

¶Place yourself in the Presence of God, and give him Thanks for all the Benefits you have received from him, particularly this Day.

O MY God, I firmly believe thou art here, and perfectly seest me, and that thou observest all my actions, all my thoughts, and the most secret motions of my heart. Thou watchest over me with an incomparable love, every moment bestowing favours, and preserving me from evil. Blessed be thy holy name, and may all creatures bless thy goodness for the benefits I have ever received from thee, and particularly this day. May the saints and angels supply my defect in rendering thee due thanks, Never permit me to be so base and wicked as to repay thy bounties with ingratitude, and thy blessings with offences and injuries.

Ask our Lord Jesus Christ Grace to discover the Sins you have committed this day, and beg of him a true sorrow for them.

O MY Lord Jesus Christ, Judge of the living and the dead, before whom I must appear one day to give an exact account of my whole life: enlighten me, I beseech thee, and give me an humble and contrite heart, that I may see wherein I have offended thy infinite Majesty, and judge myself now, with such a just severity, that then thou mayest judge me with mercy and clemency.

Here examine what sins you have committed this day, by thought, word, deed, or omission. But if nothing occurs to your mind wherein you have, offended, reflect again on the chief sins of your life past: then conceive a great sorrow for having offended God, and say:

O MY God, I detest these and all other sins which I have committed against thy divine Majesty. I am extremely sorry that I have offended thee, because thou art infinitely good, and sin displeases thee. I love thee with my whole heart, and firmly purpose, by the help of thy grace never more to offend thee. I resolve to avoid the occasions of offending thee. I will confess my sins, and will endeavour to make satisfaction for them. Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy, and pardon me a wretched sinner. In the name of thy beloved Son Jesus, I humbly beg of thee, so to wash me with his precious blood, that my sins may be entirely remitted. ¶ Endeavour as much as possible, to put yourself in the condition in which you desire to be found at the hour of your death.

O MY God, I accept of death as a homage and adoration which I owe to thy divine Majesty, and as a punishment justly due to my sins, in union with the death of my dear Redeemer, and as the

only means of coming to thee, my beginning and last end.

I firmly believe all the sacred truths the Catholic Church believes and teaches, because thou hast revealed them. And by the assistance of thy holy grace, I am resolved to live and die in the communion of this thy Church.

Relying upon thy goodness, power, and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, and life everlasting, thro' the merits of thy Son Jesus Christ, my only Redeemer, and by the intercession of his blessed Mother and all the saints.

I love thee with all my heart and soul, and desire to love thee as the blessed in heaven: I adore all the designs of thy divine providence, resigning myself entirely to thy will.

I also love my neighbour for thy sake, as I love myself: I sincerely forgive all that have injured me, and ask pardon of all I have injured.

I renounce the devil with all his works, the world with all its pomps, the flesh with all its temptations.

I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ. Father, into thy hands I recommend my spirit, Lord Jesus, receive my soul.

May the blessed Vigin Mary, St. Joseph, and all the Saints, pray for us to our Lord, that we may be preserved this night from sin and all evils.

May blessed St. Michael defend us in the day of battle, that we may not be lost at the dreadful judgment.

May my good Angel, whom God by his divine mercy has appointed to be my guardian, enlighten and protect me, direct and govern me this night. Amen.

Almighty God, have mercy on us; and our

sins being forgiven, bring us to life everlasting. Amen.

The almighty and merciful Lord give us pardon, absolution, and remission of our sins. Amen.

Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this night without sin.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be poured upon us, according to the hopes we have placed in thee. Lord hear my prayer. And let my supplication come unto thee.

Let us pray.

VISIT, we beseech thee, O Lord, this habitation, and drive far from it all snares of our enemy; let thy angels dwell herein, who may keep us in peace, and may thy blessing be always upon us: Thro' our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

May our Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evils, and bring us to life everlasting: and may the souls of the faithful departed, thro' the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

The Office at VESPERS on Sundays may be said
as follows.

Our Father, &c. Hail Mary, &c.
V. Incline unto my aid, O God.
R. O Lord make haste to help me.

V. Glory be to the Father, &c.

R. As it was in the beginning, &c. Allel.
Anth. The Lord, &c.

Dixit Dominus. Psal. cix.

THE Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou at my right-hand.

Until I make thy enemies thy footstool.

The Lord will send forth the sceptre of thy power out of Sion: rule thou in the midst of thy enemies.

With thee is the principality in the day of thy strength, in the brightness of the saints, from the womb before the day-star, I begot thee..

The Lord hath sworn, and he will not repent: thou art a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedech.

The Lord at thy right-hand hath broken kings in the day of his wrath.

He shall judge among nations, he shall fill ruins he shall crush the heads in the land of many.

He shall drink of the torrent in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

Anth. The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right-hand.

Anth. Faithful.

Confitebor tibi. Psal. cx.

I WILL praise thee, O Lord with my whole heart; in the council of the just, and in the congregation.

Great are the works of the Lord, sought out according to all his wills.

His work is praise and magnificence, and his justice continueth for ever and ever.

He hath made a remembrance of his wonderful works, being a merciful and gracious Lord; he hath given food to them that fear him.

He will be mindful for ever of his covenant: he will shew forth to his people the power of his works.

That he may give them the inheritance of the Gentiles; the works of his hands are truth and judgment.

« PreviousContinue »