Leader: O God, come to our aid
All: O Lord, make haste to help us. Glory be to the Father
and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be,
world without end, Amen. Alleluia.
Please join in the refrain for the litany which honours all the saints including the apostles.
(Bernadette Farrell – God beyond all names. Tr12)
Saints of God in glory, be with us, rejoice with us, sing praise with us & pray with us now
Please sing Psalm 115 as indicated after the cantor has sung the Antiphon
Cantor: I will freely boast of my weakness,
So that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
Cantors: I believe even when I say:
‘I am completely crushed’
All: In my dismay I declared:
‘No one can be relied on.’
Cantors: What return can I make to you, Lord
For all your goodness to me?
All: I will take up the cup of salvation,
Invoking the name of the Lord.
Cantors: I will pay what I vowed to the Lord God.
May the whole nation be present!
All: Precious in your eyes
Is the death of your faithful.
Cantors: Lord, I am your servant,
You have freed me from my bonds
All: I will offer you the thanksgiving sacrifice,
Invoking your name, Lord.
Cantors: I will fulfil what I vowed to you
In the presence of all the people.
All: In the courts of the house of the Lord,
In your midst, Jerusalem.
All: Glory be to the Father and to the Son,
And to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be,
World without end, Amen.
All: I will freely boast of my weakness,
So that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
Please sing the second psalm as indicated.
Cantors: I planted, Apollo watered,
But it is God who gave the increase.
Side 1: When God brought back the captives of Zion, we were like those who dream.
Then our mouths were filled with laughter and our tongues with rejoicing;
Side 2: Then they said among the nations, ‘The Lord God has done great things for them.’
The Lord has done great things for us; we are truly glad.
Side 1: Restore our fortunes, Lord, like the streams in the Negeb!
May those who sow in tears reap with songs of joy!
Side 2: Those that go forth weeping, carrying seed for sowing,
Shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing the sheaves with them.
All: Glory be to the Father and to the Son,
And to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, World without end, Amen.
All: I planted, Apollo watered,
But it is God who gave the increase.
Reading: 1 Cor 15. 9&10
I am the least of the apostles & do not even deserve to be called Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am & his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them – yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
Pause for reflection.
Leader: I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart.
All: I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart.
Leader: I will tell of your name among the peoples
All: I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart.
Leader: Glory be to the Father, & to the Son & to the Holy Spirit
All: I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart.
Please sing the Magnificat & its antiphon as indicated.
Cantors: Saint Paul, apostle, preacher of the truth & teacher of the nations,
Pray for us to God, who chose you.
Side 1: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.
Side 2: For he has looked with favour on his lowly handmaid,
And from this day all generations will call me blessed.
Side 1: The Almighty has done great things for me:
Holy is his name.
Side 2: He has mercy on those who fear him
In every generation.
Side 1: He has shown the strength of his arm;
He has scattered the proud in their conceit.
Side 2: He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
And has lifted up the lowly.
Side 1: He has filled the hungry with good things,
And has sent the rich away empty.
Side 2: He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
For he has remembered his promise of mercy.
Side 1: The promise he made to our fathers,
To Abraham and his children for ever.
All: Glory be the Father & to the Son,
And to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now & ever shall be,
World without end, Amen.
All: St Paul, apostle, preacher of the truth & teacher of nations,
Pray for us to God, who chose you.
Intercessions:
Reader: Tonight let us pray for all who strive to spread the
gospel as apostles of the Lord …………….. pause
……………….. we ask,
All: Lord of all, give us energy & courage.
Reader: Let us pray for the apostles of our day, & especially
those working amongst our local community. ………
pause …… we ask,
All: Lord of all, encourage & sustain us all.
Reader: Let us pray for anyone we know who shares the name
Paul…… (mention names) ………… pause ……………….. we ask,
All: Lord of all, hear our prayers.
Reader: We pray for people who have died today – for those who will die tonight, and we remember those whose anniversaries occur tomorrow, remembering especially:
Pause for people to add silently or aloud any further intentions.
Leader begins the Our Father….
Leader: Today, Lord, we celebrate the conversion of St Paul. Help us to make our way to you, through continual conversion & courageous witness to your name & values. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.
All: Amen.
All: May God who made the world protect us this evening –
May Christ who redeemed the world give us peace this evening-
May the Spirit who sustains the world be with us through this night –
May almighty God bless us – the Father Son and Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.
As we end our prayer together, let us listen to some music.
( Bruissement d’un Souffle – Tr13 Volutes d’ete.)