Prince Charles and Pope Benedict discussed environmental issues Monday in the pope’s private library at the Vatican, while the Duchess of Cornwall looked uncomfortably away.
On this day the Lord has acted; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24
INVITATORY & PSALTER
O God, make speed to save us.
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.
(You may wish to light a candle here.)
Hymn: 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 behold 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 37:19-42
The LORD cares for the lives of the godly, *
and their inheritance shall last for ever.
They shall not be ashamed in bad times, *
and in days of famine they shall have enough.
As for the wicked, they shall perish, *
and the enemies of the LORD, like the glory of the meadows, shall vanish;
they shall vanish like smoke.
The wicked borrow and do not repay, *
but the righteous are generous in giving.
Those who are blessed by God shall possess the land, *
but those who are cursed by him shall be destroyed.
Our steps are directed by the LORD; *
he strengthens those in whose way he delights.
If they stumble, they shall not fall headlong, *
for the LORD holds them by the hand.
I have been young and now I am old, *
but never have I seen the righteous forsaken,
or their children begging bread.
The righteous are always generous in their lending, *
and their children shall be a blessing.
Turn from evil, and do good, *
and dwell in the land for ever.
For the LORD loves justice; *
he does not forsake his faithful ones.
They shall be kept safe for ever, *
but the offspring of the wicked shall be destroyed.
The righteous shall possess the land *
and dwell in it for ever.
The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, *
and their tongue speaks what is right.
The law of their God is in their heart, *
and their footsteps shall not falter.
The wicked spy on the righteous *
and seek occasion to kill them.
The LORD will not abandon them to their hand, *
nor let them be found guilty when brought to trial.
Wait upon the LORD and keep his way; *
he will raise you up to possess the land,
and when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.
I have seen the wicked in their arrogance, *
flourishing like a tree in full leaf.
I went by, and behold, they were not there; *
I searched for them, but they could not be found.
Mark those who are honest; observe the upright; *
for there is a future for the peaceable.
Transgressors shall be destroyed, one and all; *
the future of the wicked is cut off.
But the deliverance of the righteous comes from the LORD; *
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
The LORD will help them and rescue them; *
he will rescue them from the wicked and deliver them,
because they seek refuge in him.
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 LESSON
Luke 5:1-11 (TEV)
One time Jesus was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret while the people pushed their way up to him to listen to the word of God. He saw two boats pulled up on the beach; the fishermen had left them and were washing the nets. Jesus got into one of the boats – it belonged to Simon – and asked him to push off a little from the shore. Jesus sat in the boat and taught the crowd.
When he finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Push the boat out further to the deep water, and you and your partners let your nets down for a catch.”
“Master,” Simon answered, “we worked hard all night long and caught nothing. But if you say so, I will let down the nets.” They let the nets down and caught such a large number of fish that the nets were about to break. So they motioned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats so full of fish that they were about to sink. When Simon Peter saw what had happened, he fell on his knees before Jesus and said, “Go away from me, Lord! I am a sinful man!”
He and the others with him were all amazed at the large number of fish they had caught. The same was true of Simon’s partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”
They pulled the boats on the beach, left everything and followed Jesus.
Canticle: The Song of Mary
Magnificat
Luke 1:46-55
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations shall call me blessed: *
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
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 APOSTLES’ CREED
(You may omit the Creed if you said it this morning.)
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
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.
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 all your saints,
entrusting one another and all our life to Christ,
We entreat you, O Lord.
Collect of the Day: Third Sunday of Easter
O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
For Mission
O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Please add your own prayers here.)
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.++
