Blessed are you, O Lord our God, for you have granted us to pass through this day and to reach the beginning of the night. Hear our prayers and those of all your people. Forgive our sins and hear our evening requests. Send down on us the fullness of your mercy. Arm us with the armor of your righteousness, fence us round with your truth, guard us with your power. Deliver us from every assault and device of evil, and grant that we may pass this evening, and the approaching night, and all the days of our life, in the fullness of peace and holiness; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Usually, A Collection of Prayers does not feature hymns, since another fine website, Hymnary.org, has extensive information, multiple translations, and charts on hymns appearance in hymnals. “O Gracious Light” is an exception because of its liturgical use.
“O Gracious Light” was first recorded by an unknown author in the Apostolic Constitutions, which was written in the late 3rd or early 4th century. Basil of Caesarea (329–379) spoke of the singing of the Phos Hilaron as a cherished tradition of the church, the hymn being already considered old in his day (though some attribute the composition of the song to Basil himself). (See article on Wikipedia.) It is an evening hymn, often used as part of the Lucernarium, the Service of Light. Ideally, candles would be lit as the hymn is sung. Several versions of Vespers (Evening Prayer) include some version of “O Gracious Light” as an opening hymn.
O gracious light, pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven, O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun, and our eyes behold the vesper light, we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices, O Son of God, O Giver of Life, and to be glorified through all the worlds.
Source: Book of Common Prayer (U. S.), 1979, p. 112.
Joyous light of glory of the immortal Father, Heavenly, holy, blessed Jesus Christ, We have come to the setting of the Sun And we look to the evening light. We sing to God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. You are worthy of being praised with pure voices forever. O Son of God, O Giver of life, The universe proclaims your glory.
O gladsome light, O grace of God the Father’s face, the eternal splendour wearing; celestial, holy, blest, our Savior Jesus Christ, joyful in thine appearing.
Now, ere day fadeth quite, we see the evening light, our wonted hymn outpouring; Father of might unknown, thee, his incarnate Son, and Holy Spirit adoring.
To thee of right belongs all praise of holy songs, O Son of God, Lifegiver; thee, therefore, O Most High, the world doth glorify, and shall exalt forever.
Joyous light of heavenly glory, loving glow of God’s own face, you who sing creation’s story, shine on every land and race. Now as evening falls around us, we shall raise our songs to you. God of daybreak, God of shadows, come and light our hearts anew.
In the stars that grace the darkness, in the blazing sun of dawn, in the light of peace and wisdom, we can hear your quiet song. Love that fills the night with wonder, love that warms the weary soul, love that bursts all chains asunder, set us free and make us whole.
You who made the heaven’s splendor, every dancing star of night, make us shine with gentle justice, let us each reflect your light. Mighty God of all creation, gentle Christ who lights our way, loving Spirit of salvation, lead us on to endless day.
The hymn, “Joyous Light of Heavenly Glory” begins at 0:38.
At evening, morning and noon, It is right, O Lord, that we should praise you.
Lord God almighty, you have made one day of the evening, the morning, and noon. You have ordered the sun in its rising and setting. Make your way through the darkness of our hearts, that being enlightened by you, we may know you as the true God and our eternal light. Amen.
Through your mercy, O our God, you are blessed, and live and govern all things, now and forever. Amen.
Hear us,
never-fading Light, Lord our God,
our only Light, Fountain of light,
Light of your angels,
thrones, dominions, principalities, powers,
and of all intelligent beings.
You created the light of your saints.
May our souls be your lamps,
kindled and enlightened by you.
May they shine and burn with the truth,
and never go out in darkness and ashes.
May we be your house,
shining from you, shining in you.
May we shine without fail.
May we ever worship you.
In you may we be kindled and not be extinguished.
Being filled with the splendor
of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
may we shine forth inwardly.
May the gloom of sins be cleared away,
and the light of constant faith abide within us.
Source: Mozarabic Sacramentary, 7th Century
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954. (New Ancient Collects, #158)
O God,
by making the evening to follow the day
you have given the gift of rest for human weakness.
Grant that as we enjoy your timely blessings,
we may acknowledge you
from whom they come;
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Source: Mozarabic Liturgy
Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1953. The New Ancient Collects, #32
O Lord,
in the name of Jesus Christ your Son our God,
give us that love which can never cease,
that will kindle our lamps but not extinguish them,
that they may burn in us and enlighten others.
O Christ, our dearest Savior,
kindle our lamps,
that they may evermore shine in your temple,
that they may receive unquenchable light from you
that will enlighten our darkness,
and lessen the darkness of the world.
Lord Jesus, we pray,
give your light to our lamps,
that in its light
the most holy place may be revealed to us
in which you dwell as the Eternal Priest,
that we may always see you,
desire you, look on you in love,
and long after you;
for your sake. Amen.
Source: An Ancient Collect, sixth century
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Early Church, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1953
O God,
by making the evening to succeed the day,
you bestowed the gift of rest
on human weakness.
Grant that while we enjoy
these continuing gifts of your goodness,
we may trust and thank you
from whom they come;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
O God, who by making the evening to succeed the day, hast bestowed the gift of repose on human weakness: Grant we beseech thee that while we enjoy these continuing gifts of thy goodness, we may trust and thank him from whom they come; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Accept our evening thanksgiving,
Fountain of every blessing,
for you have led us in safety through the length of the day.
You daily bless us with so many temporal mercies,
and have given us the hope of resurrection to eternal life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Source: An Ancient Collect, fifth century
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Early Church, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1953
A Collection of Prayers 