Daily Advent Evening Prayer: First Saturday

The sunset above is not as beautiful as the other ones posted over these daily Evening Prayers. It's a photo of sunset at the North Pole, in late August near the equinox (September 23), after which there are 176 sunless days at the top of the world! Since today is the feast of St. Nicholas (who lives at the North Pole with his wife and the elves) I thought this would be an appropriate graphic for this evening's prayer. And, for more on St. Nicholas, you can check my three posts from last December.

As you know, "you'd better watch out, you'd better not cry, you'd better not pout, I'm tellin' you why..." The admonition to watch was given by Jesus long before Santa Claus came on the scene - and we heard it in last Sunday's gospel. Here's a beautiful motet (H/T to NLM) on that same scripture from Mark 13 (Latin text and translation below the video).



Vigilate,
Watch, therefore;
nescitis enim quando dominus domus veniat,
for you do not know when the lord of the house is coming,
sero, an media nocte,
whether in the evening, or at midnight,
an gallicantu, an mane.
or at cockcrow, or in the morning.
Vigilate ergo, ne cum venerit repente,Watch, therefore, lest he come suddenly
inveniat vos dormientes.and find you sleeping.
Quod autem dico vobis, omnibus dico:
What I say to you, I say to all:
Vigilate!Watch!

Teach me, Lord, to watch...

Teach me watch for your approach,
your advent, your arrival...

Teach me to watch for signs of your grace
in my life and in the lives of those around me...

Teach me to watch for the light of your word,
for your hand upon my shoulder,
for your offer of healing...

Teach me, Lord, to watch
for the warm fingerprints of your presence
on everything I see and touch...

Teach me to watch for you
especially when I've missed you,
when I cannot find you,
when you seem to have disappeared...

Teach me to watch
with eyes of faith and hope and trust...

Teach me to watch for you, Lord,
because I know you watch for me,
night and day, awake or asleep...


The following may be played only AFTER
Evening Prayer has been prayed!



Our Father...
-ConcordPastor