welcome to canterbury cathedral as we come together on the afternoon of passion sunday to say a short evening prayer this is the day when we change our direction from the wilderness to the journey to the cross and the eucharist this morning gave the story of the raising of lazarus but now this afternoon we're getting nearer to jerusalem on jesus's journey so we begin our even song o lord open thou our lips and our mouth shall show forth thy praise oh 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 this is a time when our mind is full of the way in which our world nation by nation is trying to combat the spread of the coronavirus and our hearts and minds in our prayers are very much taken up with those who are suffering so much at this time those who have to make hard decisions we're going to use a few verses from psalm 30 as our son this afternoon as we think of the cry of the people's hearts for god's help in their difficulties and dangers i will magnify thee o lord for thou has set me up and not made my foes to triumph over me o lord my god i cried unto thee and thou hast healed me thou lord has brought my soul out of hell thou hast kept my life from them that go down to the pit sing praises unto the lord o ye saints of his and give thanks unto him for a remembrance of his holiness for his wrath but the twinkling of an eye and in his pleasure is life heaviness may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning without hope we read our lesson this afternoon which is a lesson from the gospel of saint mark just before he gets to jerusalem jesus has to pass through jericho he has been talking to the disciples about what lies ahead for him in terms of suffering and darkness and danger and they seem not to understand however much he explains they still seem to talk about the glory and the greatness of what is going on and then suddenly in jericho there is someone who seems to attain a clearer sight and they came to jericho and as jesus was leaving jericho with his disciples and a great multitude bartimaeus a blind beggar the son of timaeus was sitting by the roadside and when he heard that it was jesus of nazareth he began to cry out and say jesus son of david have mercy on me and many rebuked him telling him to be silent but bartimaeus cried out all the more son of david have mercy on me and jesus stopped and said call him and they called the blind man saying to him take heart rise he is calling you and throwing off his mantle he sprang up and came to jesus and jesus said to him what do you want me to do for you and the blind man said to jesus master let me receive my sight and jesus said to him go your way your faith has made you well and immediately he received his sight and followed jesus on the way it's easy to see who in the story of that whole chapter with the disciples who at that time were not seeing but would soon see when they got to jerusalem and the blind man who cried out for jesus help gave him signs of recognition and when he received his sight followed jesus on the way followers of the way was the first title given to christians in the early church and we also would be followers on the way of the one who came to serve not to be served and to give his life as a ransom for many we say the magnificat as always at evening prayer my soul doth magnify the lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in god my savior for he hath regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed for he that is mighty has magnified me and holy is his name and his mercy is on them that fear him throughout all generations he has shared strength with his arm he has 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 has filled the hungry with good things and the rich he has sent empty away he remembering his mercy has opened his servant israel as he promised to our forefathers abraham and his seed forever 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 so as our first prayer this afternoon we use the prayer on our cathedral website for today praying for those suffering from covid19 at this time and especially for those who are isolated from their loved ones and feel apart and separated from each other god of all love in whom we are all united and from whom we can never be separated strengthen all those far from loved ones on this day help us to know your presence with us and with them and strengthen our hearts by your spirit that they and we may know the consolation of our fellowship in you and may hope in due time for the joy of reunion through jesus christ our lord amen so we say the prayer our savior taught us in whatever language we would normally use our father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy 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 thine is the kingdom the power and the glory forever and ever are men we keep silent for a moment and make any prayers special to us for those for whom we would pray christ crucified draw you to himself to find in him a sure ground for faith a firm support for hope and the assurance of sins forgiven and the blessing of god almighty the father the son and the holy spirit be among you and remain with you always amen