December 25, 2025 :: Evening Prayer

Christmas Day

To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him: neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws which he set before us.

O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.

DEARLY beloved brethren, the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness; and that we should not dissemble nor cloke them before the face of Almighty God our heavenly Father; but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart; to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by his infinite goodness and mercy. And although we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge our sins before God; yet ought we most chiefly so to do, when we assemble and meet together, to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at his hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his most holy Word, and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary as well for the body as the soul. Wherefore I pray and beseech you, as many as are here present, to accompany me with a pure heart, and humble voice, unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying after me:

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 them, O God, which confess their faults: Restore thou them that are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesu 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.

ALMIGHTY God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live; and hath given power and commandment to his Ministers, to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the absolution and remission of their sins: He pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel. Wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true repentance, and his Holy Spirit; that those things may please him which we do at this present, and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy; so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven: Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

O Lord, open thou our lips:
And our mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.

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.

Praise ye the Lord.
The Lord's Name be praised.

Psalm 89. Misericordias Domini.

My song shall be alway of the lovingkindness of the Lord : with my mouth will I ever be shewing thy truth from one generation to another.
For I have said, Mercy shall be set up for ever : thy truth shalt thou stablish in the heavens.
I have made a covenant with my chosen : I have sworn unto David my servant;
Thy seed will I stablish for ever : and set up thy throne from one generation to another.
O Lord, the very heavens shall praise thy wondrous works : and thy truth in the congregation of the saints.
For who is he among the clouds : that shall be compared unto the Lord?
And what is he among the gods : that shall be like unto the Lord?
God is very greatly to be feared in the council of the saints : and to be had in reverence of all them that are round about him.
O Lord God of hosts, who is like unto thee : thy truth, most mighty Lord, is on every side.
Thou rulest the raging of the sea : thou stillest the waves thereof when they arise.
Thou hast subdued Egypt, and destroyed it : thou hast scattered thine enemies abroad with thy mighty arm.
The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine : thou hast laid the foundation of the round world, and all that therein is.
Thou hast made the north and the south : Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy Name.
Thou hast a mighty arm : strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.
Righteousness and equity are the habitation of thy seat : mercy and truth shall go before thy face.
Blessed is the people, O Lord, that can rejoice in thee : they shall walk in the light of thy countenance.
Their delight shall be daily in thy Name : and in thy righteousness shall they make their boast.
For thou art the glory of their strength : and in thy lovingkindness thou shalt lift up our horns.
For the Lord is our defence : the Holy One of Israel is our King.
Thou spakest sometime in visions unto thy saints, and saidst : I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.
I have found David my servant : with my holy oil have I anointed him.
My hand shall hold him fast : and my arm shall strengthen him.
The enemy shall not be able to do him violence : the son of wickedness shall not hurt him.
I will smite down his foes before his face : and plague them that hate him.
My truth also and my mercy shall be with him : and in my Name shall his horn be exalted.
I will set his dominion also in the sea : and his right hand in the floods.
He shall call me, Thou art my Father : my God, and my strong salvation.
And I will make him my firstborn : higher than the kings of the earth.
My mercy will I keep for him for evermore : and my covenant shall stand fast with him.
His seed also will I make to endure for ever : and his throne as the days of heaven.
But if his children forsake my law : and walk not in my judgements;
If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments : I will visit their offences with the rod, and their sin with scourges.
Nevertheless, my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him : nor suffer my truth to fail.
My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips : I have sworn once by my holiness, that I will not fail David.
His seed shall endure for ever : and his seat is like as the sun before me.
He shall stand fast for evermore as the moon : and as the faithful witness in heaven.
But thou hast abhorred and forsaken thine Anointed : and art displeased at him.
Thou hast broken the covenant of thy servant : and cast his crown to the ground.
Thou hast overthrown all his hedges : and broken down his strongholds.
All they that go by spoil him : and he is become a reproach to his neighbours.
Thou hast set up the right hand of his enemies : and made all his adversaries to rejoice.
Thou hast taken away the edge of his sword : and givest him not victory in the battle.
Thou hast put out his glory : and cast his throne down to the ground.
The days of his youth hast thou shortened : and covered him with dishonour.
Lord, how long wilt thou hide thyself, for ever : and shall thy wrath burn like fire?
O remember how short my time is : wherefore hast thou made all men for nought?
What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death : and shall he deliver his soul from the hand of hell?
Lord, where are thy old lovingkindnesses : which thou swarest unto David in thy truth?
Remember, Lord, the rebuke that thy servants have : and how I do bear in my bosom the rebukes of many people;
Wherewith thine enemies have blasphemed thee, and slandered the footsteps of thine Anointed : Praised be the Lord for evermore. Amen, and Amen.
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.

Psalm 110. Dixit Dominus.

The Lord said unto my Lord : Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
The Lord shall send the rod of thy power out of Sion : be thou ruler, even in the midst among thine enemies.
In the day of thy power shall the people offer thee free-will offerings with an holy worship : the dew of thy birth is of the womb of the morning.
The Lord sware, and will not repent : Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech.
The Lord upon thy right hand : shall wound even kings in the day of his wrath.
He shall judge among the heathen; he shall fill the places with the dead bodies : and smite in sunder the heads over divers countries.
He shall drink of the brook in the way : therefore shall he lift up his head.
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.

Psalm 132. Memento, Domine.

Lord, remember David : and all his trouble;
How he sware unto the Lord : and vowed a vow unto the Almighty God of Jacob;
I will not come within the tabernacle of mine house : nor climb up into my bed;
I will not suffer mine eyes to sleep, nor mine eyelids to slumber : neither the temples of my head to take any rest;
Until I find out a place for the temple of the Lord : an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.
Lo, we heard of the same at Ephrata : and found it in the wood.
We will go into his tabernacle : and fall low on our knees before his footstool.
Arise, O Lord, into thy resting place : thou, and the ark of thy strength.
Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness : and let thy saints sing with joyfulness.
For thy servant David's sake : turn not away the presence of thine Anointed.
The Lord hath made a faithful oath unto David : and he shall not shrink from it;
Of the fruit of thy body : shall I set upon thy seat.
If thy children will keep my covenant, and my testimonies that I shall learn them : their children also shall sit upon thy seat for evermore.
For the Lord hath chosen Sion to be an habitation for himself : he hath longed for her.
This shall be my rest for ever : here will I dwell, for I have a delight therein.
I will bless her victuals with increase : and will satisfy her poor with bread.
I will deck her priests with health : and her saints shall rejoice and sing.
There shall I make the horn of David to flourish : I have ordained a lantern for mine Anointed.
As for his enemies, I shall clothe them with shame : but upon himself shall his crown flourish.
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.

Here beginneth the 10th verse of the 7th chapter of Isaiah.

Moreover the Lord spake again unto Ahaz, saying,
Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.
But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord.
And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.

Here endeth the first lesson.

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 shewed 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.

Here beginneth the 4th verse of the 3rd chapter of Titus.

But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

Here endeth the second lesson.

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.

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 Catholick Church; The Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body; And the Life everlasting. Amen.

The Lord be with you:
And with thy spirit.

Let us pray:

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven: Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.

O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us;
And grant us thy salvation.

O Lord, save the State;
And mercifully hear us, when we call upon thee.

Endue thy Ministers with righteousness;
And make thy chosen people joyful.

O Lord, save thy people;
And bless thine inheritance.

Give peace in our time, O Lord;
Because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God.

O God, make clean our hearts within us;
And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

Almighty God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure Virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit, through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

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 both 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.

Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night, for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Almighty and everlasting God, who alone workest great marvels; Send down upon our Bishops, and Curates, and all Congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of thy grace; and that they may truly please thee, pour upon them the continual dew of thy blessing: Grant this, O Lord, for the honour of our Advocate and Mediator Jesus Christ. Amen.

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we thine unworthy servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving-kindness to us, and to all men: We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all, for thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful; and that we may shew forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives; by giving up ourselves to thy service, and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days, through Jesus Christ our Lord; to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

Almighty God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name, thou wilt grant their requests; Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.