Prayer in the Evening: Remembering John Donne

The service today is from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer (BCP). It is the Family and Individual Devotion in the Early Evening. Today is the feast of John Donne (1631), so I have added one of the lessons, the collect, and a prayer by Donne. You can read more about him online. As always, these prayer offerings can be used at any time. 

Opening

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 praises, 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.

A Reading

19 Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. 20The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing; and he will show him greater works than these, so that you will be astonished. 21Indeed, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomsoever he wishes. 22The Father judges no one but has given all judgement to the Son, 23so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgement, but has passed from death to life. (John 5:19-24)

Prayers may be offered for ourselves and others.

The Lord's Prayer

A Prayer by John Donne

Keep us, Lord, so awake in the duties of our callings that we may sleep in thy peace and wake in thy glory. Amen.

The Collect for John Donne

Almighty God, the root and fountain of all being: Open our eyes to see, with your servant John Donne, that whatever has any being is a mirror in which we may behold thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.


O God of eternal glory, whom no one living can see and yet whom to see is to live; grant that with your servant John Donne, we may see your glory in the face of your Son, Jesus Christ, and then, with all our skill and wit, offer you our crown of prayer and praise, until by his grace we stand in that last and everlasting day, when death itself will die, and all will live in you, who with the Holy Spirit and the same Lord Jesus Christ are one God in everlasting light and glory. Amen.


The other lessons for Donne are Wisdom 7:24-8:1, and Psalm 16

Daily Prayer: Evening Prayer

Today, I invite you to join me for Evening Prayer at 6:30PM live on Facebook. Note that this is the Cathedral of St. John Facebook, not the Women's Ministry one!

You can find the service on BCP Online, or in the Book of Common Prayer (BCP), starting on page 115.

Other daily streamed services are listed on the Diocesan website. The list is always growing, so keep checking back for a service and time that works for you.

Candles as Prayer aids

To close out our week of meditation aids, let's look at candles. We see them every Sunday in church, but do we really think about candles and what they represent? During the service of Evening Prayer, often the candles are not lit until the recitation of the Phos Hilaron. This canticle is a vivid reminder that Jesus is the Light of the World as represented in the light of the candles-the 'vesper light'. 

O Gracious Light 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 praises, 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. 

Candles can be used as a prayer aid in our own daily prayers and meditations whether as part of the Book of Common Prayer services or as a part of our own devotions. Lighting a candle can be a reminder that we are entering a holy time with God. Meditating on the flickering flame is a way for some people to find that centering and quiet we discussed earlier in the week. We might light a candle for a special intention like an anniversary or birthday, or for someone you are praying specifically for. 

We should remember that each candle we light is representative of the Paschal Candle lighted at Easter to represent Christ's resurrection. During the Great Vigil of Easter a fresh fire is kindled and these prayers are said:

Dear friends in Christ: On this most holy night, in which our
Lord Jesus passed over from death to life, the Church invites
her members, dispersed throughout the world, to gather in
vigil and prayer. For this is the Passover of the Lord, in which,
by hearing his Word and celebrating his Sacraments, we share
in his victory over death.
The Celebrant may say the following prayer
Let us pray.
O God, through your Son you have bestowed upon your
people the brightness of your light: Sanctify this new fire, and
grant that in this Paschal feast we may so burn with heavenly
desires, that with pure minds we may attain to the festival of
everlasting light; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Paschal Candle is then lighted from the newly kindled fire, and the
Deacon (the Celebrant if there is no deacon) bearing the Candle, leads the
procession to the chancel

In the holy kindling of the Paschal candle, we see Christ's triumph over death and sin. In our own lighting of a candle at our prayer time, we bring the Light of Christ into our devotions in a tangible way.