Holy Thursday – Watching and Night Prayer

MAUNDY THURSDAY

WATCHING AND NIGHT PRAYER

Watching

During the time of watching at the Altar of Repose, you may read some of the following—from the “Farewell Discourse” at the Last Supper in Saint John’s Gospel. 

Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, “Where I am going, you cannot come.” I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this every- one will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’ 

Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, where are you going?’ Jesus answered, ‘Where I am going, you cannot follow me now; but you will follow after- wards.’ Peter said to him, ‘Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’ Jesus answered, ‘Will you lay down your life for me? Very truly, I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have denied me three times. 

… 

‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them 

and reveal myself to them.’ Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, ‘Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. 

… 

‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I com- mand you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another. 

… 

‘A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me.’ Then some of his disciples said to one another, ‘What does he mean by saying to us, “A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me”; and “Because I am going to the Father”?’ They said, ‘What does he mean by this “a little while”? We do not know what he is talking about.’ Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, ‘Are you discussing among yourselves what I meant when I said, “A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me”? Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. When a woman is in labour, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. On that day you will ask nothing of me.Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

THURSDAY NIGHT PRAYER

Introduction           

Leader: O God, come to my aid.  

All: O Lord, make haste to help me. 

Leader: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, 

All: as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 

Psalm 90 (91) The protection of the Most High 

Antiphon: He will shade you with his wings; You will not fear the terror of the night. 

They who live under the protection of the Most High 

And dwell under the shade of the Almighty.
They will say to the Lord: “You are my shelter and my strength, 

my God, in whom I trust”. 

For he will free you from the hunter’s snare, 

from the voice of the slanderer.
He will shade you with his wings, 

you will hide underneath his wings. 

His faithfulness will be your armour and your shield.
You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day; 

nor the plague that walks in the shadows, 

nor the death that lays waste at noon. 

A thousand will fall at your side, 

at your right hand ten thousand will fall,

but you it will never come near. 

You will look with your eyes and see the reward of sinners.

For the Lord is your shelter and refuge; 

you have made the Most High your dwelling-place. 

Evil will not reach you, harm cannot approach your tent;
for he has set his angels to guard you 

and keep you safe in all your ways. 

They will carry you in their arms in case you hurt your foot on a stone.
You walk on the viper and cobra, 

you will tread on the lion and the serpent. 

Because they clung to me, I shall free them: 

I shall lift them up because they know my name.
They will call upon me and, for my part, I will hear them.
I am with them in their time of trouble.
I shall rescue them and lead them to glory.
I shall fill them with length of days and show them my salvation. 

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. 

Antiphon: He will shade you with his wings; you will not fear the terror of the night.

Scripture Reading: Apocalypse 22:4-5

They will see the face of the Lord, and his name will be marked on their foreheads. There will be no more night: they will not need sunlight or lamp- light, because the Lord God himself will shine upon them. And they will reign for ever and ever. 

Short Responsory:     Leader: Christ humbled himself for us, 

All: and, in obedience, accepted death. 

Canticle (Nunc Dimittis) 

Antiphon:   Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, 

and guard us as we sleep, 

so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest with Him in peace. 

Now, Master, you let your servant go in peace. 

You have fulfilled your promise.
My own eyes have seen your salvation, 

which you have prepared in the sight of all peoples.
A light to bring the Gentiles from darkness; 

the glory of your people Israel. 

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.

Antiphon Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace. 

Concluding Prayer 

P: Visit this house, we pray you, Lord: drive far away from it al the snares of the enemy. May your holy angels stay here and guard us in peace, and let your blessing be always upon us. Through Christ our Lord, 

A: Amen. 

P: May the Lord grant us a quiet night and a perfect end. 

A: Amen