Evening Prayer — from All Saints’ Day until — the day before the First Sunday of Advent — Thursday, 5 November 2026

Preparation

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

Your faithful servants bless you. They make known the glory of your kingdom. Alleluia.

One or more of the following is said or sung:

this or another prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Sovereign God, our light and our salvation, to you be glory and praise for ever. Now, as darkness is falling, wash away our transgressions, cleanse us by your refining fire and make us temples of your Holy Spirit. By the light of Christ, dispel the darkness of our hearts and make us ready to enter your kingdom, where songs of praise for ever sound. Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Blessed be God for ever.

A Song of Tobit (page 596), the following or another suitable hymn

Give me the wings of faith to rise within the veil, and see the saints above, how great their joys, how bright their glories be.

Once they were mourning here below, and wet their couch with tears; they wrestled hard, as we do now, with sins and doubts and fears.

I ask them whence their victory came: they, with united breath, ascribe their conquest to the Lamb, their triumph to his death.

They marked the footsteps that he trod, his zeal inspired their breast, and, following their incarnate God, possess the promised rest.

Our glorious Leader claims our praise for his own pattern given; while the long cloud of witnesses show the same path to heaven.

Isaac Watts (Tune: CM)

This opening prayer may be said

That this evening may be holy, good and peaceful, let us pray with one heart and mind.

Silence is kept.

As our evening prayer rises before you, O God, so may your mercy come down upon us to cleanse our hearts and set us free to sing your praise now and for ever. Amen.

The Word of God

Psalmody

The appointed psalmody is said.

Psalm 118

I will give thanks to you, for you have become my salvation.

1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; ♦ his mercy endures for ever.

2 Let Israel now proclaim, ♦ ‘His mercy endures for ever.’

3 Let the house of Aaron now proclaim, ♦ ‘His mercy endures for ever.’

4 Let those who fear the Lord proclaim, ♦ ‘His mercy endures for ever.’

5 In my constraint I called to the Lord; ♦ the Lord answered and set me free.

6 The Lord is at my side; I will not fear; ♦ what can flesh do to me?

7 With the Lord at my side as my saviour, ♦ I shall see the downfall of my enemies.

8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord ♦ than to put any confidence in flesh.

9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord ♦ than to put any confidence in princes.

10 All the nations encompassed me, ♦ but by the name of the Lord I drove them back.

11 They hemmed me in, they hemmed me in on every side, ♦ but by the name of the Lord I drove them back.

12 They swarmed about me like bees; they blazed like fire among thorns, ♦ but by the name of the Lord I drove them back.

13 Surely, I was thrust to the brink, ♦ but the Lord came to my help.

14 The Lord is my strength and my song, ♦ and he has become my salvation.

15 Joyful shouts of salvation ♦ sound from the tents of the righteous:

16 ‘The right hand of the Lord does mighty deeds; the right hand of the Lord raises up; ♦ the right hand of the Lord does mighty deeds.’

17 I shall not die, but live ♦ and declare the works of the Lord.

18 The Lord has punished me sorely, ♦ but he has not given me over to death.

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, ♦ that I may enter and give thanks to the Lord.

20 This is the gate of the Lord; ♦ the righteous shall enter through it.

21 I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me ♦ and have become my salvation.

22 The stone which the builders rejected ♦ has become the chief cornerstone.

23 This is the Lord’s doing, ♦ and it is marvellous in our eyes.

24 This is the day that the Lord has made; ♦ we will rejoice and be glad in it.

25 Come, O Lord, and save us we pray. ♦ Come, Lord, send us now prosperity.

26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; ♦ we bless you from the house of the Lord.

27 The Lord is God; he has given us light; ♦ link the pilgrims with cords right to the horns of the altar.

28 You are my God and I will thank you; ♦ you are my God and I will exalt you.

29 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; ♦ his mercy endures for ever.

I will give thanks to you, for you have become my salvation.

Saving God, open the gates of righteousness, that your pilgrim people may enter and be built into a living temple on the cornerstone of our salvation, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Each psalm or group of psalms may end with

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.

If there are two Scripture readings, the first may be read here, or both may be read after the canticle.

Exodus 23.1-9

You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with the wicked to act as a malicious witness. You shall not follow a majority in wrongdoing; when you bear witness in a lawsuit, you shall not side with the majority so as to pervert justice; nor shall you be partial to the poor in a lawsuit.

When you come upon your enemy’s ox or donkey going astray, you shall bring it back.

When you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden and you would hold back from setting it free, you must help to set it free.

You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in their lawsuits. Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent or those in the right, for I will not acquit the guilty. You shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the officials, and subverts the cause of those who are in the right.

You shall not oppress a resident alien; you know the heart of an alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.

Canticle

A Song of God’s Assembled, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 70 (page 628) or number 73 (page 631), may be said

We have come before the throne of God to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. Alleluia.

1 We have come before God’s holy mountain, ♦ to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God.

2 We have come before countless angels making festival, ♦ before the assembly of the firstborn citizens of heaven.

3 We have come before God, who is judge of all, ♦ before the spirits of the just made perfect.

4 We have come before Jesus, ♦ the mediator of the new covenant.

5 We are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken: ♦ so let us give thanks and offer to God acceptable worship,

6 Full of reverence and awe; ♦ for our God is a consuming fire.

Hebrews 12.22-24a, 28, 29

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.

We have come before the throne of God to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. Alleluia.

Scripture Reading

One or more readings appointed for the day are read.

The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.

Matthew 19.1-15

When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. Large crowds followed him, and he cured them there.

Some Pharisees came to him, and to test him they asked, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?’ He answered, ‘Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning “made them male and female”, and said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh”? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’ They said to him, ‘Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?’ He said to them, ‘It was because you were so hard-hearted that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but at the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery.’

His disciples said to him, ‘If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.’ But he said to them, ‘Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.’

Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’ And he laid his hands on them and went on his way.

A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow

Lord, you will guide me with your counsel and afterwards receive me with glory. Lord, you will guide me with your counsel and afterwards receive me with glory. For I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. And afterwards receive me with glory. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Lord, you will guide me with your counsel and afterwards receive me with glory.

from Psalm 73

Gospel Canticle

The Magnificat (The Song of Mary) is normally said, or the Nunc dimittis (The Song of the Simeon) (page 613) may be said

The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

1 My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour; ♦ he has looked with favour on his lowly servant.

2 From this day all generations will call me blessed; ♦ the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his name.

3 He has mercy on those who fear him, ♦ from generation to generation.

4 He has shown strength with his arm ♦ and has scattered the proud in their conceit,

5 Casting down the mighty from their thrones ♦ and lifting up the lowly.

6 He has filled the hungry with good things ♦ and sent the rich away empty.

7 He has come to the aid of his servant Israel, ♦ to remember his promise of mercy,

8 The promise made to our ancestors, ♦ to Abraham and his children for ever.

Luke 1.46-55

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.

The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

Prayers

Thanksgiving may be made for the day.

Intercessions are offered for peace for individuals and their needs

Prayers may include the following concerns from the cycle on pages 364–365

The saints on earth, that they may live as citizens of heaven All people, that they may hear and believe the word of God All who fear the winter months All sovereigns and political leaders, that they may imitate the righteous rule of Christ All who grieve or wait with the dying

A form of prayer found on page 384 may be used.

These responses may be used

Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer

(or)

Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.

Silence may be kept.

The Collect of the day is said

Almighty and eternal God, you have kindled the flame of love in the hearts of the saints: grant to us the same faith and power of love, that, as we rejoice in their triumphs, we may be sustained by their example and fellowship; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer is said

Uniting our prayers with the whole company of heaven, as our Saviour taught us, so we pray

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. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen.

(or)

Uniting our prayers with the whole company of heaven, let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us

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 who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Conclusion

May Christ, who has opened the kingdom of heaven, bring us to reign with him in glory. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia. Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.

© The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England, 2000–2005 Official Common Worship apps, books and eBooks are available from Church House Publishing.

The Bible readings (other than the psalms) are from The New Revised Standard Version Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Implemented by Simon Kershaw at Crucix. Implementation copyright © Simon Kershaw, 2002–2021.