Evening Prayer - St. Thomas

Evening Prayer
Feast of St. Thomas

O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.

Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One.
Have mercy on us (3x)

To some, his gift was that they should be apostles; to some, prophets; to some, evangelists; to some, pastors and teachers; so that the saints together make a unity in the work of service, building up the body of Christ. In this way we are all to come to unity in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God, until we become the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself. - Ephesians 4:11-13

Their sound is gone out into all lands, and their words into the ends of the world. (Psalm 19:4)

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 praised, 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.

The Psalter

Psalm 27
Dominus illuminatio

Ant. 1: Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way? Jesus replied: I am the way, the truth and the life.

¹ The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom then shall I fear? :
the Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

² When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes,
come upon me to devour me :
they shall stumble and fall.

³ If an army encamp against me, my heart shall not be afraid :
and if war should rise against me, yet will I trust.

⁴ One thing I have asked from the Lord, which I will require :
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

⁵ To see the fair beauty of the Lord :
and to seek his will in his temple.

⁶ For he will hide me under his shelter in the day of trouble :
and conceal me in the shadow of his tent,
and set me high upon a rock.

Ant. 1: Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way? Jesus replied: I am the way, the truth and the life.

Ant. 2: Thomas, who was called the Twin, was not present when Jesus appeared to the apostles; so they told him: we have seen the Lord, alleluia.

⁷ And now he will lift up my head :
above my enemies round about me.

⁸ And I will offer sacrifices in his sanctuary with exultation :
I will sing, I will sing praises to the Lord.

⁹ O Lord, hear my voice when I cry :
have mercy upon me and answer me.

¹⁰ My heart has said of you, 'Seek his face' :
your face, Lord, I will seek.

¹¹ Do not hide your face from me :
or thrust your servant aside in displeasure;

¹² For you have been my helper :
do not cast me away or forsake me,
O God of my salvation.

Ant. 2: Thomas, who was called the Twin, was not present when Jesus appeared to the apostles; so they told him: we have seen the Lord, alleluia.

Ant. 3: With your hand, touch the mark of the nails; doubt no longer, but believe, alleluia.

¹³ Though my father and my mother forsake me :
the Lord will take me up.

¹⁴ Teach me your way, O Lord :
and lead me in an even path,
for they lie in wait for me.

¹⁵ Do not give me over to the will of my enemies :
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and those who breathe out violence.

¹⁶ But I believe that I shall surely see the goodness of the Lord :
in the land of the living.

¹⁷ O wait for the Lord;
stand firm and he will strengthen your heart :
and wait, I say, for the Lord.

Ant. 3: With your hand, touch the mark of the nails; doubt no longer, but believe, alleluia.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

First Reading
Isaiah 43:8-13

Bring forth the people who are blind, yet have eyes,
who are deaf, yet have ears!
Let all the nations gather together,
and let the peoples assemble.
Who among them declared this,
and foretold to us the former things?
Let them bring their witnesses to justify them,
and let them hear and say, 'It is true.'
You are my witnesses, says the Lord,
and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor shall there be any after me.
I, I am the Lord,
and besides me there is no saviour.
I declared and saved and proclaimed,
when there was no strange god among you;
and you are my witnesses, says the Lord.
I am God, and also henceforth I am He;
there is no one who can deliver from my hand;
I work and who can hinder it?

Canticle
Benedictus es, Domine

Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers; *
you are worthy of praise; glory to you.

Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name; *
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

Glory to you in the splendor of your temple; *
on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.

Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim; *
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

Glory to you, beholding the depths; *
in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.

Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; *
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Second Reading
John 14:1-7

'Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling-places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.' Thomas said to him, 'Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?' Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.'

Second Canticle
Magnificat

Antiphon: I touched the mark of the nails + with my fingers; I put my hand into his side and said: My Lord and my God, alleluia.

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 will 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 be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Antiphon: I touched the mark of the nails + with my fingers; I put my hand into his side and said: My Lord and my God, alleluia.

Collect
Everliving God, who strengthened your apostle Thomas with firm and certain faith in your Son's resurrection: Grant us so perfectly and without doubt to believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God, that our faith may never be found wanting in your sight; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Intercessions

The Apostles are the foundation and we are built on them. Let us pray to the almighty Father for his holy people:
- Lord, remember your Church.
Father, by your will the Apostles were the first to see your resurrected Son:
  -  may we be his witnesses, to the very ends of the earth. (R.)
Father, you sent your Son into the world to bring the Good News to the poor:
  -  may the Gospel be preached to every created thing. (R.)
Father, you sent your Son to sow the seed of the word:
  -  as we sow the Word with great labour, so may we reap its fruits with joy. (R.)
Father, you sent your Son to reconcile the world to you with his blood:
  -  grant that we may all work together for reconciliation. (R.)
Father, you have seated your Son at your right hand in heaven:
  -  receive the dead into your blessed kingdom. (R.)

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 that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Closing Prayer
Almighty Father, as we honor Thomas the apostle,
Let us always experience the help of his prayers.
May we have eternal life by believing in Jesus,
whom Thomas acknowledged as Lord,
for he lives and reign with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.