As explained in my blog for morning prayer, the Catholic Church has no common prayers in the Liturgy of the Hours for married couples (deceased or living). What I am posting here is an Evening Prayer I have put together to be prayed in memory of a married couple who are deceased, or for, or by a living married couple on their wedding anniversary. Most of the language can apply to either. There are two final prayers one for a couple who are deceased and one for a couple who are living. The scripture readings, psalms, and canticles have been taken from The Inclusive Bible, and prayers and adaptations of prayers have been taken from the Liturgy of the Hours done by the International Committee on English in the Liturgy. Copyrights are found at the conclusion of the prayer.
EVENING PRAYER ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF A MARRIED COUPLE
INTRODUCTORY VERSE
O Adonai, come to my assistance.Lord, make haste to help me.Glory toGod our Abba, to Jesus the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning is now and will be for ever. Amen.
HYMN:
We have been told.
We’ve seen his face
and heard his voice alive in our hearts.
“Live in my love with all your heart.
As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you.
1. I am the vine; you are the branches,
and all who live in me will bear great fruit.
2. You are my friends, if you keep my commands,
no longer slaves; I call you friends.
3. No greater love is there than this: to lay down one’s life for a friend.
David Haas © 1983, GIA Publications, Inc.
PSALMODY*
Antiphon 1: God loves us and provides for us.
PSALM 127
If Yahweh doesn’t build the house,
the builders work in vain;
if Yahweh doesn’t guard the city,
the sentries watch in vain.
In vain you get up early and stay up late,
sweating to make a living,
because God loves us and provides for us
even while we sleep.
Children are the heritage God gives us;
our descendants are our rewards.
Having children when you are young
is like equipping an archer
with wonderful new arrows.
Happy are those who have filled their quiver
with such arrows!
When they argue with their enemies at the city gate,
no one will be able to make them feel ashamed.
Glory to …
Antiphon 1: God loves us and provides for us.
Silent prayer
Antiphon 2: Blest are those who go to the House of the Lord!
Psalm 122
How I rejoiced when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of Yahweh!”
And now our feet are standing
within your gates, Jerusalem.
Jerusalem restored!
The city, one united whole!
Here the tribes ascend,
the tribes of Yahweh.
They come to praise Yahweh’s Name,
as God commanded Israel—
Here, where the tribunals of justice are,
the judgment seats of David’s house.
Pray for peace within Jerusalem:
“May those who love you prosper!
May peace be in your walls!
May your citadels be always secure!”
For the sake of my family and friends,
I say, “Peace be within you!”
For the sake of Yahweh our God,
I will seek your good.
Glory to …
Antiphon 2: Blest are those who go to the House of the Lord!
Silent prayer
Antiphon 3: Let us clothe ourselves in God’scompassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
CANTICLE – Colossians. 3:12-17
Because you are God’s chosen ones,
holy and beloved,
clothe yourselves with heartfelt compassion,
with kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Bear with one another;
forgive whatever grievances
you have against one another—
forgive in the same way God has forgiven you.
Above all else, put on love,
which binds the rest together
and makes them perfect.
Let Christ’s peace reign in your hearts since,
as members of one body,
you have been called to that peace.
Dedicate yourselves to thankfulness.
Let the Word of Christ, rich as it is, dwell in you.
Instruct and admonish one another wisely.
Sing gratefully to God from your hearts
in psalms, hymns and songs of the Spirit.
And whatever you do,
whether in speech or in action,
do it in the name of Jesus our Savior,
giving thanks to God through Christ.
Glory to …
Antiphon 3: Let us clothe ourselves in God’scompassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Silent prayer
READING: 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:8a
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts. But I shall show you a still more excellent way. If I speak in human and angelic tonguesbut do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated,it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
RESPONSORY
All holy couples are led into presence of God amid gladness and joy.
All holy couples are led into presence of God amid gladness and joy.
They are led into the presence of God,
Amid gladness and joy.
Glory to God our Abba, to Jesus the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
All holy couples are led into presence of God amid gladness and joy.
CANTICLE OF MARY
Antiphon: We praise your holy name, my God, those who hearts seek you will rejoice (alleluia).
My soul proclaims your greatness, my Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in you my Saviour;
because you have looked upon the humiliation of me, your servant.
Yes, from now onwards all generations will call me blessed,
You, the Almighty, have done great things for me.
Holy is Your name,
Your faithful love extends age after age to those who fear You.
You have used the power of Your arm,
You have routed the arrogant of heart.
You have pulled down princes from their thrones
and raised high the lowly.
You have filled the starving with good things,
sent the rich away empty.
You have come to the help of Israel the servant of God,
mindful of God’s faithful love,
according to the promise God made to our ancestors,
of Your mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.
Glory to …
Antiphon: We praise your holy name, my God, those who hearts seek you will rejoice (alleluia).
INTERCESSIONS
We experience the Lord’s presence in the exchange of a couple’s vows in marriage, we ask you, O Lord, to listen to us, and to bless our words of prayer which we offer for the people
of the world as we say; may we experience the fullness of your love, O Lord.
For N and N, who, every day renewed their desire to grow in love for each other, may they experience the fullness of your love, O Lord.
For N and N, who turned to Christ in all their joys and sorrows and helped each other throughout life to discover their personal gifts and used them to serve you, Lord, may they experience the fullness of your love, O Lord.
For N and N, who received the abundant gifts of the Holy Spirit to make their marriage an ever-more powerful sigh of Christ’s love for the world, may they experience the fullness of your love, O Lord.
For all married couples, may they renew their commitment to love and to share with the world the mystery of God’s friendship and love, may they experience the fullness of your love, O Lord.
For all God’s holy people, may they grow in their desire to serve those in need and love in our world, O Lord.
For our World, in its hunger for love may it turn to Christ and acknowledge him as Lord, may our World experience the fullness of your love, O Lord.
For our relatives and friends, all who walk with us on life’s journey, and for those who have gone before us to the other side of Life, may they experience the fullness of your love, O Lord.
THE PRAYER OF JESUS
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your 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 the Kingdom, the power,
and the glory, is Yours,
now and forever. Amen.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
(for deceased couple)
God,
source of all happiness and love,
You created man and woman in your own likeness.
We humbly pray to you for N. and N.
they both praised you when they were happy
and turned to you in their sorrows.
May they rejoiced that you help them in their work
and knew that you are with them in their need.
They prayed to you in the community of the Church,
and gave witness to you in the world.
as they came together to your table on earth,
so may they have the joy of sharing your feast in heaven. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
(for living couples)
God,
source of all happiness and love,
You created man and woman in your own likeness.
We humbly pray to you for N. and N.
We (they) praise you when we (they) are happy
and turn to you in our (their) sorrows.
We (they) rejoice that you help us (them) in our (their) work and know that you are with us (them) in our need. We (they) pray to you in the community of the Church, and give witness to you in the world.
As we (they) come together to your table on earth,
so may we (they) have the joy of sharing your feast in heaven. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
DISMISSAL
May God bless us, protect us from all evil
and bring us into everlasting life.
Amen.
*Psalms, Canticles and Scripture passages from The Inclusive Bible: The First Egalitarian Bible (2007) by Priests for Equality, Published by Sheed & Ward.
Other prayers and adaptations from the English Translation of the Liturgy of the Hours and the Roman Missal (former) © 1970, 1973,1974,1975 by the International Committee On English In The Liturgy Inc. All rights reserved.
