Evening Prayer on Saturday — Saturday, 22 August 2026

Preparation

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

The Blessing of Light (page 110) may replace the Preparation at Evening Prayer on any occasion.

One or more of the following is said or sung:

A prayer of thanksgiving (page 110),

Blessed are you, Lord God, creator of day and night: to you be praise and glory for ever. As darkness falls you renew your promise to reveal among us the light of your presence. By the light of Christ, your living Word, dispel the darkness of our hearts that we may walk as children of light and sing your praise throughout the world. Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit: Blessed be God for ever.

or a suitable hymn,

or A Song of God’s Light

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

2 Though a host encamp against me, my heart shall not be afraid, and though there rise up war against me, yet will I put my trust in him.

3 One thing have I asked of the Lord and that alone I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

4 To behold the fair beauty of the Lord and to seek his will in his temple.

5 For in the day of trouble he shall hide me in his shelter; in the secret place of his dwelling shall he hide me and set me high upon a rock.

6 Therefore will I offer in his dwelling an oblation with great gladness; I will sing and make music to the Lord.

Psalm 27.1, 3-6, 8

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.

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 104

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live.

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, how excellent is your greatness!

2 You are clothed with majesty and honour, wrapped in light as in a garment.

3 You spread out the heavens like a curtain and lay the beams of your dwelling place in the waters above.

4 You make the clouds your chariot and ride on the wings of the wind.

5 You make the winds your messengers and flames of fire your servants.

6 You laid the foundations of the earth, that it never should move at any time.

7 You covered it with the deep like a garment; the waters stood high above the hills.

8 At your rebuke they fled; at the voice of your thunder they hastened away.

9 They rose up to the hills and flowed down to the valleys beneath, to the place which you had appointed for them.

10 You have set them their bounds that they should not pass, nor turn again to cover the earth.

11 You send the springs into the brooks, which run among the hills.

12 They give drink to every beast of the field, and the wild asses quench their thirst.

13 Beside them the birds of the air make their nests and sing among the branches.

14 You water the hills from your dwelling on high; the earth is filled with the fruit of your works.

15 You make grass to grow for the cattle and plants to meet our needs,

16 Bringing forth food from the earth and wine to gladden our hearts,

17 Oil to give us a cheerful countenance and bread to strengthen our hearts.

18 The trees of the Lord are full of sap, the cedars of Lebanon which he planted,

19 In which the birds build their nests, while the fir trees are a dwelling for the stork.

20 The mountains are a refuge for the wild goats and the stony cliffs for the conies.

21 You appointed the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows the time for its setting.

22 You make darkness that it may be night, in which all the beasts of the forest creep forth.

23 The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God.

24 The sun rises and they are gone to lay themselves down in their dens.

25 People go forth to their work and to their labour until the evening.

26 O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.

27 There is the sea, spread far and wide, and there move creatures beyond number, both small and great.

28 There go the ships, and there is that Leviathan which you have made to play in the deep.

29 All of these look to you to give them their food in due season.

30 When you give it them, they gather it; you open your hand and they are filled with good.

31 When you hide your face they are troubled; when you take away their breath, they die and return again to the dust.

32 When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.

33 May the glory of the Lord endure for ever; may the Lord rejoice in his works;

34 He looks on the earth and it trembles; he touches the mountains and they smoke.

35 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will make music to my God while I have my being.

36 So shall my song please him while I rejoice in the Lord.

37 Let sinners be consumed out of the earth and the wicked be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul. Alleluia.

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live.

Creator God, send your Holy Spirit to renew this living world, that the whole creation, in its groaning and striving, may know your loving purpose and come to reflect your glory; in 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.

2 Kings 2.11-14

As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha kept watching and crying out, ‘Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!’ But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, ‘Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?’ When he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.

Canticle

A Song of God’s Love, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 53 (page 606), may be said

God’s love was revealed among us so that we might live through Jesus. Alleluia.

1 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

2 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.

3 In this the love of God was revealed among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

4 In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins.

5 Beloved, since God loved us so much, we ought also to love one another.

6 For if we love one another, God abides in us, and God’s love will be perfected in us.

1 John 4.7-11, 12b

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.

God’s love was revealed among us so that we might live through Jesus. Alleluia.

Scripture Reading

One or more readings appointed for the day are read.

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

Luke 24.36-end

While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, ‘Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’ And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.

Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.’

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

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

Your salvation is near to those who fear you; that glory may dwell in our land. Your salvation is near to those who fear you; that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. That glory may dwell in our land. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Your salvation is near to those who fear you; that glory may dwell in our land.

from Psalm 85

Gospel Canticle

The Magnificat (The Song of Mary) is normally said, or A Song of Praise (page 627) may be said

You have looked with favour on your lowly servant, from this day all generations will call her blessed.

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.

You have looked with favour on your lowly servant, from this day all generations will call her blessed.

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 362–363

Our homes, families, friends and all whom we love Those whose time is spent caring for others Those who are close to death Those who have lost hope The worship of the Church

One of the forms of prayer found on pages 362–371 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 everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray and to give more than either we desire or deserve: pour down upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask but through the merits and mediation of 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

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)

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

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. 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.