Ecumenical Vespers of St John Ogilvie
2018 

On the vigil of the feast of St John Ogilvie, representatives from Glasgow Churches Together
gather with the Archbishop and the community at St Aloysius, for an Evening Prayer, during which we honour the saint and all those whose lives have been or are marked with
courage and faithfulness, and we pray for the well-being of our country.  St John Ogilvie was born in the north ofScotland and died in Glasgow
May he pray for us.

Musically the service is led by Isla the Piper, Noel the Harpist, Jacqueline the organist, and by the St Mungo Singers.
A special welcome is extended to the Knights of St Columba and to those who are working to establish a memorial of the saint
at Glasgow Cross

 

 

At the start of the service, as the candles at the shrine of St John are lit
we sing a Litany – a reminder that God’s  gifts of courage and faithfulness
are poured out into the lives of many of the children of God, from ancient times to the present day.

After asking for the support of the saints, we acknowledge God’s power in all our lives:

“We thank you for what we have in common: Lord, guide your people
We ask pardon for selfishness: Lord, guide your people
Fill us with faith and hope: Lord, guide your people
Fill us with mutual love: Lord, guide your people”

and it all concludes with :

Jesus, Son of the Living God: Lord, hear our prayer.
Lord, Jesus, hear our prayer.

 

The candles are blessed:

Yours is the day and yours the night, Lord God.
You called St John Ogilvie
To preach the Gospel and serve your people.
Hear us as we gather at his shrine
honouring him and all witnesses to faith and courage
and let us all be encouraged by his life and work.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
AMEN

 

Representatives of the churches pray after Psalm 114 and the Canticle from the Letter to the Philippians:

Lord God, your Son Jesus walked among us
and shared the hardships and pain of your people.
Give each of us the strength we need
to walk with him each day,
accepting with love the companions you give us for our journey.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen

and

Lord God, your Son Jesus emptied himself and shared our life.
Let us follow him
in generous love for you and our neighbour,
looking forward to the coming of your Kingdom.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen

 

We hear a reading from the 1st Letter of Peter 4: 13-14

Beloved, if you can have some share in the sufferings of Christ, be glad, because you will enjoy a much greater gladness when his glory is revealed.
It is a blessing for you when they insult you for bearing the name of Christ, because it means that you have the Spirit of glory,
the Spirit of God resting on you.

 

Address: Fr Dermot Preston SJ introduces The Rev William Young of the United Reformed Church,
who speaks on the contemporary evil of human trafficking.

The Intercessions cover a broad band of human need and are punctuated by a line from Psalm 76:
I cry aloud to God that he may hear me.

and the church representatives pray together:

Lord God,
you reveal your power most clearly in human weakness.
As we thank you for the grace and goodness
seen in the lives of St John Ogilvie and in so many of your children
we ask you to give us all the strength we need
to serve your people whole heartedly as we follow your Son,
and to show the generosity that he showed
no matter the difficulties that afflict us
and the weakness that we may feel.
We ask this though our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.
Amen