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Evening Prayer

Monday, December 7, 2026 • Saint Ambrose of Milan, Bishop and Doctor
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Opening

O God, come to my assistance.

Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Hymn
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here,
until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come, O Wisdom from on high,
who ordered all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come, thou Dayspring, from on high,
and cheer us by thy drawing nigh;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
and death's dark shadow put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel!
Psalmody
Psalm 11Prayer Against the Faithless
Ant. Come, Lord, and do not delay; have mercy on us, who have sinned against you.
Save me, O Lord, for the holy man has failed, for truths have decreased from among the sons of men.
They have spoken vain things, each one to his neighbor; deceitful lips are in their heart, and in their heart they have spoken evils.
May the Lord destroy all deceitful lips and the tongue that speaks proud things.
Those who say: "We will magnify our tongue; our lips are our own; who is our Lord?"
"Because of the misery of the needy and the groaning of the poor, I will now arise," says the Lord.
"I will place him in salvation; I will deal confidently with him."
The words of the Lord are pure words: silver tried by fire, purged from the earth, refined sevenfold.
You, O Lord, will keep us and preserve us from this generation forever.
The impious walk around; according to your greatness you have multiplied the sons of men.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Ant. Come, Lord, and do not delay; have mercy on us, who have sinned against you.
Psalm 15God Is My Inheritance
Ant. Come, Lord, and do not delay; have mercy on us, who have sinned against you.
Preserve me, O Lord, for I have hoped in you.
I have said to the Lord: "You are my God, for you have no need of my good things."
But for the saints who are in his land, he has made all my desires wonderful in them.
Their infirmities have been multiplied; afterward they hastened.
I will not gather together their convocations of blood, nor will I be mindful of their names through my lips.
The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; it is you who will restore my inheritance to me.
The boundaries have fallen to me in excellent places; for my inheritance is excellent to me.
I will bless the Lord who has given me understanding; moreover my reins have also corrected me, even until night.
I had foresight of the Lord in my sight always; for he is at my right hand, so that I will not be moved.
Because of this, my heart has rejoiced, and my tongue has exulted, and moreover, my flesh will rest in hope.
For you will not abandon my soul to hell, nor will you allow your holy one to see corruption.
You have made known to me the ways of life; you will fill me with joy with your face; at your right hand are delights even to the end.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Ant. Come, Lord, and do not delay; have mercy on us, who have sinned against you.
New Testament Canticle
New Testament Canticle (Revelation 15:3–4)
Great and wonderful are your works, O Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways, O King of the ages.
Who will not fear you, O Lord, and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
For all nations will approach and adore in your sight,
because your judgments have been made manifest.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Gospel Canticle: Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55)
The Canticle of Mary (Magnificat) (Luke 1:46–55)
Ant. The Lord will come; go out to meet him, saying: "Great is his dominion, and his peace will have no end."
My soul magnifies the Lord.
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
Because he has regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold, from henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
Because he who is powerful has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
And his mercy is from generation to generation for those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has deposed the powerful from their seat, and he has exalted the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has received Israel, his servant, being mindful of his mercy.
As he spoke to our fathers: to Abraham and to his offspring forever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Ant. The Lord will come; go out to meet him, saying: "Great is his dominion, and his peace will have no end."
Short Reading
Isaiah 45:8
Let justice descend, O heavens, like dew from above, like gentle rain let the skies drop it down. Let the earth open and salvation bud forth; let justice also spring up.
Responsory
V. Come and set us free, Lord God of power.
R. Let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.
V. Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
R. and grant us your salvation.
Evening Intercessions
As evening falls during this holy season of waiting, let us pray to the Lord who comes, saying:
For the church, that our Advent waiting may be active and hopeful, not passive or fearful: we pray to you, O Lord.
Come, Lord Jesus.
For those who hunger for justice and for peace, that the promise of your kingdom may sustain them: we pray to you, O Lord.
Come, Lord Jesus.
For the sick and those who care for them, that the healing touch of Christ may be near: we pray to you, O Lord.
Come, Lord Jesus.
For all who will travel during this season, that they may journey safely: we pray to you, O Lord.
Come, Lord Jesus.
For those who have died, especially those we remember in our hearts this evening, that they may share in the joy of the Lord's coming: we pray to you, O Lord.
Come, Lord Jesus.
For our parish community, that our Advent journey together may prepare us well for the joy of Christmas: we pray to you, O Lord.
Come, Lord Jesus.
The Lord's Prayer
Let us pray as the Lord himself 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, and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen.
Concluding Prayer
Come, Lord Jesus, as we await your coming in glory. Let the hope of your coming fill our prayers tonight and let us wake tomorrow ready to serve you; who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Marian Antiphon
Alma Redemptoris Mater
Loving Mother of the Redeemer, gate of heaven, star of the sea, assist your people who have fallen, yet strive to rise again. To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator, yet remained a virgin after as before. You who received Gabriel's joyful greeting, have pity on us poor sinners.
Dismissal

The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.

May almighty God bless us: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.