The Black Vespers
THE BLACK VESPERS
Evening Prayer for the Dead
Adapted from All Hallows Eve Prayers and Devotions by Ancilla Press, 2019.
V. Come unto my help, O God.
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
V. Glory to the Father, and to the +Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Alleluia.
The saints judge the nations, and rule over people: and the Lord their God shall reign forever. Rejoice in the Lord, ye just: praise becometh the upright. Let us pray.
O Lord our God, multiply Thy graces upon us, and grant that joy may follow in the holy praise of those whose glorious festival we anticipate. Through our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
A lesson from the book of the Apocalypse:
Then I saw between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders a Lamb standing as if it had been slaughtered, with seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He went and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne. When he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. They sing a new song:
“You are worthy to take the scroll and to break its seals, for you were slaughtered and by your blood you ransomed for God saints from every tribe and language and people and nation; you have made them a kingdom and priests serving our God, and they will reign on earth.”
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, singing with full voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea and all that is in them, singing,
“To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
The Word of the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.
Gradual: The saints shall rejoice in glory; they shall be joyful in their beds. Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle; let his praise be in the assembly of the saints.
The Holy Gospel according to St Luke:
R. Glory to You, O Lord.
He came down with them and stood on a level place with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases, and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.
Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
R. Praise to You, O Christ.
Hymn:
O Christ Thy guilty people spare! Lo, bending at Thy gracious throne,
Thy Virgin Mother pours her prayer, imploring pardon for her own.
Ye angels, happy evermore, who in your circles nine ascend,
as ye have guarded us before, so still from harm our steps defend.
Ye prophets and apostles high, behold our penitential tears;
and plead for us when death is nigh and our all-searching Judge appears.
Ye martyrs all, a purple band, and confessors’ white-robed train,
O call us to our native land, from this our exile, back again.
And ye, O choirs of virgins chaste, receive us to your seats on high,
with hermits whom the desert waste sent up of old into the sky.
Drive from the flock, O spirits blest, the false and faithless fears away;
that all within one fold may rest, secure beneath one Shepherd’s sway.
To God the Father glory be, and to His sole-begotten Son;
the same, O Holy Ghost, to Thee, while everlasting ages run. Amen.
Ant: O ye angels, ye archangels, ye thrones and dominions, ye principalities and powers, ye mighty ones of the heavens, ye cherubim and seraphim—O ye patriarchs and prophets, ye holy teachers of the Law—O ye apostles, O all ye martyrs of Christ, ye holy confessors, ye virgins of the Lord, ye hermits—O all ye holy children of God, pray for us.
V. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous.
R. And shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
Let us pray. O almighty eternal God, Who has granted us to venerate the merits of all Thy saints in one solemnity, vouchsafe to us, we beseech Thee, through the multitude of our intercessors, that abundance of Thy mercy for which we have ever hoped. Through our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
St Patrick’s Breastplate:
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through the belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.
I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with his baptism,
Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,
Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,
Through the strength of his descent for the judgment of Doom.
I arise today
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In prayers of patriarchs, In predictions of prophets,
In preaching of apostles, In faith of confessors,
In innocence of holy virgins, In deeds of righteous men.
I arise today
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun, Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire, Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind, Depth of sea,
Stability of earth, Firmness of rock.
I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to save me
From snares of devils, From temptations of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear, Alone and in multitude.
I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power
that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom
Against false laws of heretics, Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul.
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me abundance of reward.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness, Through confession of the oneness,
Of the Creator of Creation. Amen.
V. From the gates of the grave,
R. deliver their souls, O Lord!
V. May they rest in peace.
R. Amen.
V. Hear my prayer, O Lord,
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.
Let us pray. O God, Who forgives iniquity, and wouldst that all men should be saved, we beseech Thee to grant in the tenderness of Thy mercy that all the members of our congregation, all our kinsfolk, and all who have done us good, yea, even our enemies, who have departed from this world, and for whom the Blessed Mary and all Thy holy ones do plead with Thee, may be joined unto the company of the same in everlasting blessedness.
V. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
R. and may the perpetual light shine upon them.
V. May they rest in peace.
R. Amen.
Gradual: The saints shall rejoice in glory; they shall be joyful in their beds. Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle; let his praise be in the assembly of the saints.
The Holy Gospel according to St Luke:
R. Glory to You, O Lord.
He came down with them and stood on a level place with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases, and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.
Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
R. Praise to You, O Christ.
Hymn:
O Christ Thy guilty people spare! Lo, bending at Thy gracious throne,
Thy Virgin Mother pours her prayer, imploring pardon for her own.
Ye angels, happy evermore, who in your circles nine ascend,
as ye have guarded us before, so still from harm our steps defend.
Ye prophets and apostles high, behold our penitential tears;
and plead for us when death is nigh and our all-searching Judge appears.
Ye martyrs all, a purple band, and confessors’ white-robed train,
O call us to our native land, from this our exile, back again.
And ye, O choirs of virgins chaste, receive us to your seats on high,
with hermits whom the desert waste sent up of old into the sky.
Drive from the flock, O spirits blest, the false and faithless fears away;
that all within one fold may rest, secure beneath one Shepherd’s sway.
To God the Father glory be, and to His sole-begotten Son;
the same, O Holy Ghost, to Thee, while everlasting ages run. Amen.
Ant: O ye angels, ye archangels, ye thrones and dominions, ye principalities and powers, ye mighty ones of the heavens, ye cherubim and seraphim—O ye patriarchs and prophets, ye holy teachers of the Law—O ye apostles, O all ye martyrs of Christ, ye holy confessors, ye virgins of the Lord, ye hermits—O all ye holy children of God, pray for us.
V. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous.
R. And shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
Let us pray. O almighty eternal God, Who has granted us to venerate the merits of all Thy saints in one solemnity, vouchsafe to us, we beseech Thee, through the multitude of our intercessors, that abundance of Thy mercy for which we have ever hoped. Through our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
St Patrick’s Breastplate:
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through the belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.
I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with his baptism,
Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,
Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,
Through the strength of his descent for the judgment of Doom.
I arise today
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In prayers of patriarchs, In predictions of prophets,
In preaching of apostles, In faith of confessors,
In innocence of holy virgins, In deeds of righteous men.
I arise today
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun, Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire, Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind, Depth of sea,
Stability of earth, Firmness of rock.
I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to save me
From snares of devils, From temptations of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear, Alone and in multitude.
I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power
that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom
Against false laws of heretics, Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul.
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me abundance of reward.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness, Through confession of the oneness,
Of the Creator of Creation. Amen.
V. From the gates of the grave,
R. deliver their souls, O Lord!
V. May they rest in peace.
R. Amen.
V. Hear my prayer, O Lord,
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.
Let us pray. O God, Who forgives iniquity, and wouldst that all men should be saved, we beseech Thee to grant in the tenderness of Thy mercy that all the members of our congregation, all our kinsfolk, and all who have done us good, yea, even our enemies, who have departed from this world, and for whom the Blessed Mary and all Thy holy ones do plead with Thee, may be joined unto the company of the same in everlasting blessedness.
V. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
R. and may the perpetual light shine upon them.
V. May they rest in peace.
R. Amen.
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