Common of Several Martyrs - Evening Prayer I

COMMON OF SEVERAL MARTYRS

Evening Prayer I

God, come to my assistance.
- Lord, make haste to help me.
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. Alleluia.

HYMN

For all the saints, who from their labors rest,
who thee by faith before the world confessed,
thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might;
thou, Lord, their Captain in the well fought fight;
thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

O blest communion, fellowship divine!
we feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
all are one in thee, for all are thine.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day;
the saints triumphant rise in bright array;
the King of glory passes on his way.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Melody: Sine Nomine 10.10. 10 44; Music Ralph Vaughan Williams; Text: William W. How

PSALMODY

Antiphon 1: The saints endured many torments to gain the martyr's crown.

Psalm 118

I
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good,
for his love endures for ever.

Let the sons of Israel say:
His love endures for ever.
Let the sons of Aaron say:
His love endures for ever.
Let those who fear the Lord say:
His love endures for ever.

I called to the Lord in my distress;
he answered and freed me.
The Lord is at my side; I do not fear.
what can man do against me?
The Lord is at my side as my helper;
I shall look down on my foes.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in men;
it is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.

The nations all encompassed me;
in the Lord's name I crushed them.
They compassed me, compassed me about;
in the Lord's name I crushed them.
They compassed me about like bees;
they blazed like a fire among thorns.
In the Lord's name I crushed them.

I was thrust down, thrust down and falling,
but the Lord was my helper.
The Lord is my strength and my song;
he is my savior.
There are shouts of joy and victory
in the tents of the just.

The Lord's right hand has triumphed;
his right hand raised me.
The Lord's right hand has triumphed;
I shall not die, I shall live
and recount his deeds.
I was punished, I was punished by the Lord,
but not doomed to die. Glory...

Antiphon 1 The saints endured many torments to gain the martyr's crown.

Antiphon 2 Triumphant, the saints reach the kingdom, to be wreathed in splendor by the hand of God.

II
Open to me the gates of holiness:
I will enter and give thanks.
This is the Lord's own gate
where the just may enter.
I will thank you for you have answered
and you are my savior.

The stone which the builders rejected
has become the corner stone.
This is the work of the Lord,
a marvel in our eyes.
This day was made by the Lord;
we rejoice and are glad.

O Lord, grant us salvation;
O Lord, grant success.
Blessed in the name of the Lord
is he who comes.
We bless you from the house of the Lord;
the Lord God is our light.

Go forward in procession with branches
even to the altar.
You are my God, I thank you.
My God, I praise you.
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good;
for his love endures for ever. Glory...

Antiphon 2 Triumphant, the saints reach the kingdom, to be wreathed in splendor by the hand of God.

Antiphon 3 The martyrs died for Christ and received the gift of eternal life.

Canticle - 1 Peter 2:21-24

Christ suffered for you,
and left you an example
to have you follow in His footsteps.

He did no wrong;
no deceit was found in His mouth.
When He was insulted,
He returned no insult.

When He was made to suffer,
He did not counter with threats.
Instead He delivered Himself up
to the One who judges justly.

In His own body
He brought your sins to the Cross,
so that all of us, dead to sin,
could live in accord with God's will.

By His wounds you were healed. Glory...

Antiphon 3 The martyrs died for Christ and received the gift of eternal life.

READING Romans 8:35,37-39
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Trial, or distress, or persecution, or hunger, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword? Yet in all this we are more than conquerors because of him who has loved us. For I am certain that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor powers, neither height nor depth nor any other creature, will be able to separate us from the love of God that comes to us in Christ Jesus our Lord.

RESPONSORY
These are the friends of God; they lie safe in his hands.
- These are the friends of God; they lie safe in his hands.
Nothing can harm them now;
- they lie safe in his hands.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
- These are the friends of God; they lie safe in his hands.

MAGNIFICAT (Canticle of Mary)
Antiphon: Renouncing all this world could offer, these martyrs are now in God's kingdom; with their robes washed clean in the blood of the Lamb, they share his joy for ever.

INTERCESSIONS
This is the hour when the King of martyrs offered his life in the upper room and laid it down on the cross. Let us thank him and say:
We praise you, O Lord.

We praise you, O Lord, our Savior, inspiration and example for every martyr, for loving us to the end:
We praise you, O Lord.

For calling all repentant sinners to the rewards of life:
We praise you, O Lord.

For entrusting to your Church the blood of the new and everlasting covenant poured out for the remission of sin:
We praise you, O Lord.

For our perseverance in your grace today:
We praise you, O Lord.

For incorporating our dead brothers and sisters into your own death today:
We praise you, O Lord.

Our Father...

PRAYER

If there is no proper prayer, one of the following is said:

All-powerful, ever-living God,
turn our weakness into strength.
As you gave your martyrs N. and N.
the courage to suffer death for Christ,
give us the courage to live in faithful witness to you.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

Or:

Lord, hear the prayers of the martyrs N. and N.
and give us the courage to bear witness to your truth.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

For virgin martyrs:
God our Father,
you give us joy each year
in honoring the memory of Saints N. and N.
May their prayers be a source of help for us,
and may their example of courage and chastity be our inspiration.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

For holy women:
Father,
in our weakness your power reaches perfection.
You gave Saints N. and N. the strength
to defeat the power of sin and evil.
May we who celebrate their glory share in their triumph.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

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