EVENING PRAYER FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY THE RECENT TORNADOES

May 17, 2025

EVENING PRAYER FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY THE RECENT TORNADOES

With Petitions and Prayers for the Salvation of the People Affected by the Tornadoes in London, Kentucky; Bloomington, Indiana; and St. Louis, Missouri

OPENING SENTENCES OF SCRIPTURE

Minister: The Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him. Habakkuk 2:20

Minister: Let my prayer be set forth in thy sight as the incense; and let the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice. Psalm 141:2

CALL TO WORSHIP

Minister: Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and show ourselves glad in him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are all the corners of the earth, and the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it; and his hands prepared the dry land. O come, let us worship and fall down, and kneel before the Lord our Maker. For he is the Lord our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Psalm 95:2–7

CONFESSION OF SIN

Minister: Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.

All: Almighty and most merciful Father; We have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou those, O God, who confess their faults. Restore thou those who are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake; That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.

ABSOLUTION

Minister: The Almighty and merciful Lord grant you absolution and remission of all your sins, true repentance, amendment of life, and the grace and consolation of his Holy Spirit. Amen.

VERSICLE AND RESPONSE

Minister: O Lord, open thou our lips.

Answer: And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.

Minister: O God, make speed to save us.

Answer: O Lord, make haste to help us.

Minister: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

Answer: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Minister: Praise ye the Lord.

Answer: The Lord’s Name be praised.

PSALM

Psalm 46 - God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

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

THE FIRST LESSON

Isaiah 25:8–9 - He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

THE MAGNIFICAT

My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden. For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath magnified me; and holy is his Name. And his mercy is on them that fear him throughout all generations. He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble and meek. He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent empty away. He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel; as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.

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

THE SECOND LESSON

Revelation 21:1–7 - And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

THE NUNC DIMITTIS

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; To be a light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory of thy people Israel.

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

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary: Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead: He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty: From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost: The holy Catholic Church; The Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Amen.

THE LESSER LITANY

Minister: The Lord be with you.

Answer: And with thy spirit.

Minister: Let us pray.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

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, and the power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen.

THE SUFFRAGES

Minister: O Lord, show thy mercy upon us.

Answer: And grant us thy salvation.

Minister: O Lord, save the State.

Answer: And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.

Minister: Endue thy Ministers with righteousness.

Answer: And make thy chosen people joyful.

Minister: O Lord, save thy people.

Answer: And bless thine inheritance.

Minister: Give peace in our time, O Lord.

Answer: For it is thou, Lord, only, that makest us dwell in safety.

Minister: O God, make clean our hearts within us.

Answer: And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

GENERAL PRAYER IN TIME OF DISTRESS

Let us pray.

O Lord our God, who in the day of trouble hearest us, and in the night seasons art present with thy people: We flee unto thee for comfort and help in this hour of sorrow and trial. Be thou our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Stretch forth thine almighty arm to defend the weak, to rescue the perishing, to bind up the brokenhearted, and to save those in danger. Have mercy upon the suffering, the wounded, the homeless, and the bereaved. Spare thy people, O Lord, and let not thy heritage be brought to desolation. Grant unto us hearts of compassion, hands ready for labor, and faith steadfast through storm and shadow. Through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

THE COLLECT FOR THE DAY

Collect for Peace

O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed; Give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by thee we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

COLLECT IN TIME OF CALAMITY

O most mighty and merciful God, in this time of grievous suffering we beseech thee to protect, comfort, and uphold all those afflicted by the tornadoes in London, Kentucky; Bloomington, Indiana; and St. Louis, Missouri. Be thou a light to those in darkness, a strength to the wounded, a shield to the fearful, a balm to the grieving, and a sure refuge to all thy people. Especially we commend to thy care the faithful of St. Joseph’s Oratory in London, Kentucky. Grant them shelter, safety, and peace through thy only Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE LITANY OF SUPPLICATIONS FOR THE AFFLICTED

O God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth;

Have mercy upon us.

O God the Son, Redeemer of the world;

Have mercy upon us.

O God the Holy Ghost, Sanctifier of the faithful;

Have mercy upon us.

O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, one God;

Have mercy upon us.

From lightning and tempest; from earthquake, fire, and flood; from plague, pestilence, and famine;

Good Lord, deliver us.

From sudden death, and from all terror by night and by day;

Good Lord, deliver us.

From hardness of heart, and contempt of thy Word and commandment;

Good Lord, deliver us.

By the mystery of thy holy Incarnation; By thy holy Nativity and submission to the Law; By thy Baptism, Fasting, and Temptation;

Good Lord, deliver us.

By thine Agony and Bloody Sweat; By thy Cross and Passion; By thy precious Death and Burial; By thy glorious Resurrection and Ascension; And by the coming of the Holy Ghost;

Good Lord, deliver us.

In all time of our tribulation; in all time of our prosperity; in the hour of death, and in the day of judgment;

Good Lord, deliver us.

We sinners do beseech thee to hear us, O Lord God;

And that it may please thee to bring mercy, healing, and aid to all afflicted by the recent storms in London, Kentucky; Bloomington, Indiana; and St. Louis, Missouri;