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For other uses, see Vespers (disambiguation).

Vespers is the evening prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Eastern (Byzantine) Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, liturgies of the canonical hours. Prayer is the act of attempting to communicate with a Deity or spirit The Greek Byzantine Catholic Church is a Sui iuris Particular Church within the Catholic Church and uses the Byzantine liturgical rite The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world A liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group according to their particular traditions Canonical hours are divisions of time developed by the Christian Church, serving as increments between the prescribed Prayers of the daily round The word comes from the Greek εσπερινός and the Latin vesper, meaning "evening. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. " The term is also in limited use in some Protestant (especially Lutheran and Seventh-day Adventist) denominations to describe evening services, and in some Anglican circles is used unofficially to refer to Evening Prayer. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther The Seventh-day Adventist (abbreviated " Adventist " Church is a Christian denomination which is distinguished mainly by its observance Evening Prayer is a Liturgy in use in the Anglican Communion (and other churches in the Anglican tradition such as the Continuing Anglican Movement and [1] [2].

Contents

Current use

Roman Catholic

Incensing During Solemn Advent Vespers
Incensing During Solemn Advent Vespers

The general structure of the Latin Rite Catholic service of vespers is as follows:

Eastern/Oriental Catholic & Orthodox

In the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite, there are three forms of Vespers: Great Vespers, Daily Vespers and Small Vespers. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world This article refers to Eastern Churches in full communion with the Holy See The Byzantine Rite, sometimes called the Rite of Constantinople or Constantinopolitan Rite, is the liturgical rite used currently (in various languages Great Vespers is the form served on Sundays and major feast days (those of Polyeleos rank or above); it may be celebrated alone or as part of an All-Night Vigil. The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints The Polyeleos ( Greek: Πολυέλεος lit "much oil" or by connotation "much mercy" is a festive portion of the Matins or All-Night For the musical setting by Rachmaninoff, see All-Night Vigil (Rachmaninoff The All-night vigil is a service of the Eastern Orthodox Daily Vespers is the form served on other days when Great Vespers is not served. Small Vespers is a very abbreviated form of the service which is celebrated only on the afternoon before an All-Night Vigil.

Since the liturgical day begins at sunset, Vespers is the first service of the day, and the hymns of Vespers introduce the themes of the upcoming day. For this reason, "Sunday Vespers" will be celebrated on Saturday evening, and so on throughout the week.

Great Vespers

The general structure of the service is as follows (psalm numbers are according to the Septuagint):

On certain occasions, such as Christmas Eve, Theophany Eve, and Holy Saturday, Vespers is joined to the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great. Christmas Eve, December 24, is the day before Christmas Day, the celebrated birthday of Jesus. Theophany, from the Greek, theophaneia (meaning "appearance/showing of God" refers to the appearance of a Deity to a human or to a divine disclosure Holy Saturday ( Latin: Sabbatum Sanctum) is the day after Good Friday. The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. The Liturgy of Saint Basil or more formally the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great, is a term for several Eastern Christian celebrations of the Divine After the readings from the Old Testament, the Trisagion is chanted, followed by the Epistle and Gospel, allowing the Divine Liturgy to proceed normally from that point. In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. The Trisagion ('Thrice Holy' is a standard hymn of the Divine Liturgy in most of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, Oriental Orthodox Churches and Eastern An epistle (pronounced) ( Greek επιστολη epistolē "letter" is a writing directed or sent to a person or group of persons usually a letter This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. On these occasions, the Little Entrance is made with the Gospel Book instead of the censer. The Gospel Book, or Book of the Gospels ( Greek:, Evangélion) is a Codex or bound volume containing one or more of the four Gospels

The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts during Great Lent works in a similar way, with the first half of Vespers (up to and including the Old Testament readings) making up a significant portion of the service. The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, informally Presanctified Liturgy, is an Eastern Christian liturgical service for the distribution of communion Great Lent, or the Great Fast, is the most important Fasting season in the Church year in Eastern Christianity, which prepares Christians In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon.

Vespers in other Christian churches and religious bodies

Since its inception, the Anglican Communion has maintained an evening office, which is called Evening Prayer (or Evensong). See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches Evening Prayer is a Liturgy in use in the Anglican Communion (and other churches in the Anglican tradition such as the Continuing Anglican Movement and There are prescribed forms of the service in Lutheran and Anglican prayer books. The Anglican Breviary contains Vespers in English according to the pre-1970 Roman Rite. The Anglican Breviary is a privately published Anglo-Catholic edition of the Divine Office translated into English For information on that service, see above, as in the Roman Breviary.

From its traditional usage, the term Vespers has come to be used more broadly for various evening services of other churches, some of which model their evening services on the traditional Roman Catholic form. Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists, as well as non-Christian religious bodies such as Unitarian Universalism, often include congregational singing, readings, and a period of silent meditation, contemplation, or prayer. Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations Unitarian Universalism ( UUism) is a theologically liberal Religion characterized by its support for a "free and responsible search for truth

Some regular community vespers services are completely areligious (or at least are not sponsored by any church) and serve simply as a time for quiet contemplation in the evening hours.

Historical development of Vespers in the Latin Church before the Second Vatican Council

This section incorporates information from the Catholic Encyclopedia of 1917. The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, was the twentieth century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. References to psalms follow the numbering system of the Septuagint, and said in the Latin of the Vulgate. Psalms ( Hebrew: Tehilim, תהילים, or "praises" is a book of the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament) included The Septuagint (ˈsɛptuədʒɪnt or simply " LXX " is the Koine Greek version of the Hebrew Bible, translated in stages between the Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. The Vulgate is an early Fifth Century version of the Bible in Latin, and largely the result of the labours of Jerome, who was commissioned by

Vespers in the 6th century

In the sixth century the Office of Vespers in the Latin Church was almost the same as it has been throughout the Middle Ages and up to the present day. The Latin Rite is one of the 23 Sui iuris Particular Churches within the Catholic Church. In a document of unquestionable authority of that period the Office is described as follows: The evening hour, or vespertina synaxis, is composed of four psalms, a capitulum, a response, a hymn, a versicle, a canticle from the Gospel, litany (Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison), Pater with the ordinary finale, oratio, or prayer, and dismissal (Regula Sancti Benedicti, xvii). Canonical hours are divisions of time developed by the Christian Church, serving as increments between the prescribed Prayers of the daily round Psalms ( Hebrew: Tehilim, תהילים, or "praises" is a book of the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament) included A hymn is a type of Song, usually religious specifically written for the purpose of praise adoration or Prayer, and typically addressed to a deity/deities A canticle (from the Latin canticulum, a diminutive of canticum, song is a Hymn (strictly excluding the Psalms taken from the Bible This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament A litany, in Christian worship, is a form of Prayer used in Church services and Processions and consisting of a number of petitions Kýrie is from the Greek word κύριε (kyrie the Vocative case of κύριος (kyrios meaning O Lord. The Lord's Prayer, also known as the Our Father or Pater noster, is probably the best-known Prayer in Christianity. The psalms recited are taken from the series of psalms from Pss. Psalms ( Hebrew: Tehilim, תהילים, or "praises" is a book of the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament) included 109 to 147 (with the exception of the groups 117 to 127 and 133 to 142); Pss. 138, 143, 144 are each divided into two portions, whilst the Pss. 115 and 116 are united to form one. This disposition is almost the same as that of the "Ordo Romanus", except that the number of psalms recited is five instead of four. They are taken, however, from the series 109 to 147. Here, too, we find the capitulum, versicle, and canticle of the "Magnificat". The Magnificat (also known as the Song of Mary) is a Canticle frequently sung (or spoken liturgically in Christian church services The hymn is a more recent introduction in the Roman Vespers; the finale (litanies, Pater, versicles, prayers) seems all to have existed from this epoch as in the Benedictine cursus. A hymn is a type of Song, usually religious specifically written for the purpose of praise adoration or Prayer, and typically addressed to a deity/deities Benedictine refers to the Spirituality and Consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in Like the other hours, therefore, Vespers is divided into two parts; the psalmody, or singing of the psalms, forming the first part, and the capitulum and formulæ the second. Vesper time varied according to the season between the tenth hour (4 p. m. ) and the twelfth (6 p. m. ). As a matter of fact it was no longer the evening hour, but the sunset hour, so that it was celebrated before the day had departed and consequently before there was any necessity for artificial light (Regula S. Benedicti, xli). This is a point to be noted, as it was an innovation. Before this epoch this evening synaxis was celebrated with all the torches alight. The reason of this is that St. Benedict introduced in the cursus, another hour--that of Compline--which was prescribed to be celebrated in the evening, and which might be considered as a kind of doubling of the Office of Lucernarium. "Saint Benedict" redirects here This article is about the founder of Western monasticism for other saints named Benedict see Benedict. Compline (ˈkɒmplɪn also Complin, Night Prayer, Prayers at the End of the Day) is the final church service (or Office) of the day in the

Origin of Vespers: Period anterior to the 6th century

The Rule of St. Benedict was written about 530-43 and represents the Office of Vespers drawn up in the manner shown above. Much earlier than this we find an evening Office corresponding to both that of Vespers and that of Compline. Its name varies. In St. Benedict we find the name vespera which has prevailed, whence the French word vêpres and the English vespers. John Cassian calls it Vespertina synaxis, or Vespertina solemnitas (P. Saint John Cassian (ca 360 – 435 ( Latin: Jo(hannes Eremita Cassianus, Joannus Cassianus, or Joannes Massiliensis) John the L. , XLIX, 88-9). The name, however, by which it was most widely known during that period was Lucernalis or Lucernaria hora (l. c. , 126). This name is characteristic. It was so called because at this hour a number of candles were lighted, not only to give light, but also for symbolical purposes. The "Peregrinatio", which gives the liturgical order as practised at Jerusalem and the date of which is probably the 4th century, calls it Lichnicon. Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the This is the Latin transcription of the Greek word lychnikon, which corresponds to the word Lucernarium (cf. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly AMBROSIAN LITURGY AND RITE). This article is about the history and the current form of Ambrosian Rite for an explanation of the form of this Rite used before the Vatican-II see Traditional Ambrosian Rite The author tells us that this Office took place at the tenth hour (four o'clock in the evening); it is really the Office des lumières, i. e. of the lights; it was celebrated in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre; all the lamps and torches of the church were lighted, making, as the author says, "an infinite light". The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Sanctum Sepulchrum also called the Church of the Resurrection, ( Greek: Ναός της Αναστάσεως Naos tis Anastaseos The Lucernal psalms were sung, after which followed the recitation of the supplication and commemorations or litanies, then the prayers, and finally the blessing and dismissal. A litany, in Christian worship, is a form of Prayer used in Church services and Processions and consisting of a number of petitions In the "Antiphonary of Bangor", an Irish document of the 6th century, Vespers are called hora duodecima, which corresponds to six o'clock in the evening, or hora incensi, or again ad cereum benedicendum. The Antiphonary of Bangor is an ancient Latin manuscript supposed to have been originally written at Bangor Abbey in modern day Northern Ireland. All these names are interesting to note. The hora incensi recalls the custom of burning incense at this hour, while at the same time the candles were lighted. The term ad cereum benedicendum presents a still greater interest because it reminds us that the ceremony of the lights at Vespers was symbolic and very solemn. In Prudentius (4th century) we find a hymn entitled "Ad incensum lucernæ" which, according to some critics, would appear to have been composed for the hour of the Lucernarium (Arevalo, "Prudenti carmina", I, 124, ed. Aurelius Prudentius Clemens was a Roman Christian Poet, born in the Roman Province of Tarraconensis (now Northern 1788; cf. also Cabrol, "Les églises de Jérusalem, la discipline et la liturgie au IVe siècle", 47). Others see in this an allusion to the ceremony of the paschal candle. This article describes the Paschal candle of the Western Churches However, the Lucernarium may have had, at that time, some analogy with the ceremony of Holy Saturday, and the hymn could thus be adapted to one or the other. Holy Saturday ( Latin: Sabbatum Sanctum) is the day after Good Friday. In the "Old Gallican Sacramentary" (Thomasi, "Opera", VI, 395) we find for Holy Saturday an oratio ad duodecima, designed to celebrate the light as well as the Resurrection, which would seem thus to favour our hypothesis. St. Basil also speaks of a hymn being sung at the moment when the torches were lighted, doubtless the famous hymn--"Lumen hilare" (cf. Basil of Caesarea, also called Saint Basil the Great (c 330 – January 1, 379) (Άγιος Βασίλειος ο Μέγας Latin Cabrol, l. c. , 47-8).

Vespers, then, was the most solemn Office of the day and was composed of the psalms called Lucernales (Psalm 140 is called psalmus lucernalis by the Apostolic Constitutions, VIII, xxxv; cf. II, lix; also Cabrol, l. c. ). The "Peregrinatio" does not mention the number of psalms sung at this hour, but Cassian, who, a short time after the "Peregrinatio", describes this Office as it was celebrated by the monks of Egypt, says they recited twelve psalms as at Vigils (Matins). Saint John Cassian (ca 360 – 435 ( Latin: Jo(hannes Eremita Cassianus, Joannus Cassianus, or Joannes Massiliensis) John the MONK is a Monte Carlo software package for simulating nuclear processes particularly for the purpose of determining the neutron multiplication factor or k-effective This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Vigils is a term for night prayer in ancient Christianity. See Vespers, Compline, Nocturns, Matins, and Lauds Matins (also known as Orthros or Oútrenya in Eastern Churches) is the early morning or night Prayer service in the Roman Catholic Then two lessons were read as at Vigils, one from the Old, and the other from the New Testament. Each psalm was followed by a short prayer (P. L. , XLIX, 83-4, 88-9). For the rest Cassian agrees with the "Peregrinatio". He says the Office was recited towards five or six o'clock and that all the lights were lighted. This evening synaxis is looked upon as a souvenir of the evening sacrifice of the Old Law. The use of incense, candles, and other lights would seem to suggest the Jewish rites which accompanied the evening sacrifice (Exodus 29:39; Numbers 28:4; Psalm 140:2; Daniel 9:21; 1 Chronicles 23:30; cf. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Exodus ( Greek: έξοδος eksodos = "departure" is the second book of the Jewish Torah and of the Christian Old Testament. The Book of Numbers, ( Bamidbar, meaning in the wilderness) is the fourth book of the Torah, the Tanakh, and the Old Testament. The Book of Daniel (דניאל, originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic, is a Book in both the Hebrew Bible ( Tanakh) and the Christian The Books of Chronicles ( Hebrew Divrei Hayyamim, דברי הימים Greek Paraleipomêna) are part of the Hebrew Bible (Jewish Haneberg, "Die relig. Alterth. der Bibel", Munich, 1869, p. 362). It may thus be seen that the Lucernarium was, together with Vigils, the most important part of the Offices of the day, being composed of almost the same elements as the latter, at least in certain regions. Vigils is a term for night prayer in ancient Christianity. See Vespers, Compline, Nocturns, Matins, and Lauds Its existence in the fourth century is also confirmed by St. Augustine, St. Ambrose, St. Basil, St. Ephraem, and, a little later, by several councils in Gaul and Spain, and by the various monastic rules (see texts in Bäumer-Biron, l. Saint Ambrose (c 338 &ndash 4 April 397) was a bishop of Milan who became one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the fourth century Basil of Caesarea, also called Saint Basil the Great (c 330 – January 1, 379) (Άγιος Βασίλειος ο Μέγας Latin Ephrem the Syrian ( Syriac: ܐܦܪܝܡ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ Mor Afrêm Sûryāyâ; Greek:; Latin Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism. c. , 78, 80, 118-27, 188-98, 208, etc. ). The "Apostolic Constitutions" (VIII, xxi, 34, 35) describe it in almost the same terms as the "Peregrinatio". Before the fourth century we find allusions to the evening prayer in the earlier Fathers, Clement I of Rome (Clemens Romanus), St. Ignatius, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen, the Canons of St. Hippolytus, St. Cyprian (for texts see Bäumer-Biron, l. Saint Saint Ignatius of Antioch (also known as Theophorus) (ca 35-110 was the third Bishop and Patriarch of Antioch and possibly a student of the Apostle John Saint Clement of Alexandria (born Titus Flavius Clemens) (c150 - 211/216 was the first notable member of the Church of Alexandria, and one of its most Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, Anglicised as Tertullian, (ca Origen ( Greek: Ōrigénēs, or Origen Adamantius, ca 185–ca For places named after the saint see Saint-Hippolyte Saint Hippolytus of Rome (c This page is about Cyprian bishop of Carthage For other Cyprians see Cyprian (disambiguation. c. , I, 20 sqq. , 73-4, 76, 78). Pliny the Younger, in his famous letter at the beginning of the 2nd century, speaks of liturgical reunions of the Christians in the morning and in the evening: "coetus antelucani et vespertini" (Ep. Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, born Gaius Caecilius or Gaius Caecilius Cilo (61/63 - ca , x, 97). Vespers is, therefore, together with Vigils, the most ancient Office known in the Church. Vigils is a term for night prayer in ancient Christianity. See Vespers, Compline, Nocturns, Matins, and Lauds

Office of Vespers in the Middle Ages: Variations

We have already remarked that the institution of the Office of Compline transformed the Lucernarium by taking from it something of its importance and symbolism, the latter at the same time losing its original sense. Compline (ˈkɒmplɪn also Complin, Night Prayer, Prayers at the End of the Day) is the final church service (or Office) of the day in the We have seen that St. Benedict calls it only Vespera, the name which has prevailed over that of Lucernarium (cf. "Saint Benedict" redirects here This article is about the founder of Western monasticism for other saints named Benedict see Benedict. Ducange, "Glossarium med. et inf. lat. ", s. v. Vesperae). The Gallican Liturgy, the Mozarabic Liturgy, and, to a certain extent, the Milanese, have preserved the Lucernarium (cf. The Gallican Rite is a historical sub-grouping of the Roman Catholic Liturgy in Western Europe; it is not a single rite but actually a family of Rites The Mozarabic, Visigothic, or Hispanic Rite is a form of Catholic Worship within the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church and in the This article is about the history and the current form of Ambrosian Rite for an explanation of the form of this Rite used before the Vatican-II see Traditional Ambrosian Rite Bäumer-Biron, l. c. , 358). The Eastern Orthodox Church retains the "Lumen hilare" and some other traces of the ancient Lucernarium in the Offices of Vespers and Compline (cf. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Smith, "Dict. Christ. Antiq. ", s. v. Office, Divine). In the Rule of St. Columbanus, dated about 590, Vespers still has twelve psalms, amongst which are Pss. Not to be confused with St Columba, also Irish and partly his contemporary cxii and cxiii, the Gradual psalms, Pss. cxix sqq. (cf. Gougaud, "Les chrétientés celtiques", 309; "Dict. d'arch. chrét. et de liturgie", s. v. Celtique, 3015). The "Antiphonary of Bangor", a document of Irish origin, gives for Vespers Ps. The Antiphonary of Bangor is an ancient Latin manuscript supposed to have been originally written at Bangor Abbey in modern day Northern Ireland. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world cxii and also the "Gloria in Excelsis". " Gloria in excelsis Deo " ( Latin for "Glory to God in the highest" is the title and beginning of a hymn known also as the Greater Doxology For modifications since the 12th century, cf. Bäumer-Biron, l. c. , II, 54 sqq.

Changes as of 1917

The Decree "Divino afflatu" (November 1, 1911) involves some important changes in the old Roman Office. Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The Latin Rite is one of the 23 Sui iuris Particular Churches within the Catholic Church. New psalms are appointed for each day of the week. Psalms ( Hebrew: Tehilim, תהילים, or "praises" is a book of the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament) included These psalms are to be recited with their antiphons, not only at the Office de tempore (Sundays and feriæ) but also on feasts of a lesser rite than doubles of the second class, that is to say, on simples, semidoubles (double minors), and double majors. This article is about the musical term See Antiphon (person the orator of ancient Greece This article incorporates information from the Catholic Encyclopedia of 1917 A religious festival is a time of special importance marked by adherents to that Religion. On feasts which are doubles of the second class and a fortiori of the first class, as well as on feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Angels, and Apostles, the psalms are proper to the feast as heretofore. This ecumenical article is about general Christian views on and veneration of the Virgin Mary The Twelve Apostles (Greek apostolos, "someone sent out" e On all feasts, of whatever rite, the second part of Vespers, that is, the capitulum, hymn, antiphon of the "Magnificat", is taken from the Sanctorale. A hymn is a type of Song, usually religious specifically written for the purpose of praise adoration or Prayer, and typically addressed to a deity/deities This article is about the musical term See Antiphon (person the orator of ancient Greece The Magnificat (also known as the Song of Mary) is a Canticle frequently sung (or spoken liturgically in Christian church services On semi-doubles and those of a lesser rite the suffrages are now reduced to a single antiphon and orison which is common to all the saints heretofore commemorated, whilst the preces ("Miserere" and versicles) formerly imposed on the greater feriæ are now suppressed. Psalm 51 ( Greek numbering Psalm 50) traditionally referred to as the Miserere, its Latin Incipit, is one of the Penitential psalms

Structure of Vespers: 1917-1969

The office of Vespers in general use before 1970 continues to be used today by those adhering to this extraordinary form of the Roman Rite. An extraordinary form of the Roman Rite is a form other than the ordinary normal form of that rite The structure of Vespers prior 1970 is as follows:

Symbolism: the Hymns

Notwithstanding the changes brought about in the course of time, Vespers still remains the great and important Office of the evening. As already pointed out, it recalls the sacrificium vespertinum of the Old Law. term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to In the same manner as the night is consecrated to God by the Office of the Vigil, so also is the end of the day by Vespers. Vigils is a term for night prayer in ancient Christianity. See Vespers, Compline, Nocturns, Matins, and Lauds It terminates, as Matins formerly terminated, and Lauds at present terminates, by a lection, or reading, from the Gospel, or canticum evangelii, which, for Vespers, is always the "Magnificat". Matins (also known as Orthros or Oútrenya in Eastern Churches) is the early morning or night Prayer service in the Roman Catholic Lauds is one of the two "major hours" in the Roman Catholic Liturgy of the Hours. This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament The Magnificat (also known as the Song of Mary) is a Canticle frequently sung (or spoken liturgically in Christian church services This is one of the characteristic traits of Vespers, one of the liturgical elements which this particular Office has retained in almost all regions and at all times. There are, however, a few exceptions, as in some liturgies the "Magnificat" is sung at Lauds (cf. Cabrol in "Dict. d'arch. et de liturgie", s. v. Cantiques évangéliques). This place of honour accorded so persistently to the canticle of Mary from such remote antiquity is but one of the many, and of the least striking, proofs of the devotion which has always been paid to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Church. The Magnificat (also known as the Song of Mary) is a Canticle frequently sung (or spoken liturgically in Christian church services This ecumenical article is about general Christian views on and veneration of the Virgin Mary The psalms used at Vespers have been selected, from time immemorial, from Pss. cix to cxlvii, with the exception of Ps. cxviii, which on account of its unusual length does not square with the others, and is consequently ordinarily divided up into parts and recited at the little hours. Pss. i to cviii are consecrated to Matins and Lauds, whilst the three last psalms, cxlviii to cl, belong invariably to Lauds. The series of hymns consecrated to Vespers in the Roman Breviary also form a class apart and help to give us some hints as to the symbolism of this hour. A breviary (from Latin brevis, 'short' or 'concise' is a Liturgical book of the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church Canonical hours are divisions of time developed by the Christian Church, serving as increments between the prescribed Prayers of the daily round The hymns are very ancient, dating probably, for the most part, from the 6th century. They have this particular characteristic--they are all devoted to the praise of one of the days of the Creation, according to the day of the week, thus: the first, "Lucis Creator optime", on Sunday, to the creation of light; the second, on Monday, to the separation of the earth and the waters; the third, on Tuesday, to the creation of the plants; the fourth, on Wednesday, to the creation of the sun and moon; the fifth, on Thursday, to the creation of the fish; the sixth, on Friday, to the creation of the beasts of the earth; Saturday is an exception, the hymn on that day being in honour of the Blessed Trinity, because of the Office of Sunday then commencing. SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных

Importance

We can now see the great importance which the Church appears to have attached always to the Office of Vespers. It is the only one which has remained popular (excepting, of course, the Holy Sacrifice which we do not consider here as an Office) among Roman Catholics up to the present day. The Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Roman Catholic Church. Matins and Lauds, on account of the hour at which they are celebrated, have always been more or less inaccessible to the faithful; likewise the little hours, except, perhaps, Terce, which serves as an introduction to the Mass. Matins (also known as Orthros or Oútrenya in Eastern Churches) is the early morning or night Prayer service in the Roman Catholic Lauds is one of the two "major hours" in the Roman Catholic Liturgy of the Hours. ~The Little Hours are the fixed daytime hours of prayer in the Divine Office of Chrisitians both Western Christianity and the Eastern Orthodox Church Terce, or Third Hour, is a fixed time of prayer of the Divine Office of almost all the Christian liturgies The Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Roman Catholic Church. Vespers, on the contrary, occupies a privileged place towards the end of the day. On Sundays it is the Office most likely to bring the faithful together in church for the second time and thus becomingly completes the Divine Service for that day. This is why, in the majority of Catholic countries, the custom of Sunday Vespers has been for so long a time, and is still, maintained. It is quite conformable to tradition, moreover, to invest this Office with a particular solemnity. The Vesper psalms, as well as the hymns and antiphons, are well calculated to edify the faithful. Lastly, the ancient custom of having a lection or reading from the Old, or from the New, Testament, or from the homilies of the Fathers, might well in certain cases and to a certain extent be re-adopted, or serve as the subject-matter for the sermon which is sometimes delivered at this service. The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, or Fathers of the Church are the early and influential theologians and writers in the Christian Church A sermon is an oration by a Prophet or member of the Clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, or religious topic

Solemn Vespers before the Second Vatican Council

Usually on week days, vespers features hardly any ceremonies and the celebrant wears the usual choir dress. Choir dress is the vesture of the Clerics seminarians and religious of traditional churches worn for public prayer either apart from the However, on Sundays and greater feasts, Vespers may be solemn. Solemn Vespers differ in that the celebrant wears the cope, he is assisted by assistants also in copes, incense is used, and two acolytes, a thurifer, and at least one master of ceremonies are needed. The cope (Known in Latin as pluviale 'rain coat' or cappa 'cape' is a liturgical Vestment, which may conveniently be described as a very long mantle Incense is composed of Aromatic biotic materials It releases fragrant Smoke when burned This article is about religious acolytes For other uses see Acolyte (disambiguation. A thurible is a metal Censer suspended from chains in which Incense is burned during Worship services On ordinary Sundays only two assistants are needed while on greater feasts four or six assistants may be used. The celebrant and assistants vest in the surplice and the cope, which is of the color of the day. Priest or seminarian with censorjpg|thumb|Seminarian vested in a pleated Roman-style surplice with lace inserts holding a Thurible. The celebrant sits at the sedile, in front of which is placed a lectern, covered with a cloth in the color of the day. The assistants sit on benches or stools facing the altar, or if there are two assistants, they may sit at the sedile next to the celebrant (the first assistant in the place of the deacon and the second assistant in place of the subdeacon). An altar is any structure upon which Sacrifices or other offerings are made for religious purposes or some other sacred place where ceremonies take place Deacon is a role in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind but which varies among theological and denominational traditions Subdeacon (or sub-deacon is a title used in various branches of Christianity.

The ceremonies of Solemn Vespers are as follow. All enter with the celebrant and assistants wearing the biretta, and the acolytes place their candles on the lowest altar step, after which they are extinguished. The biretta is a square Cap with three or four ridges or peaks sometimes surmounted by a tuft traditionally worn by Roman Catholic clergy and some Anglican The celebrant and assistants kneel on the lowest step and recite the Aperi Domine silently, after which they go to their places and recite the Pater noster and Ave Maria silently. A curious practice which exists from ancient times is the intoning of the antiphons and psalms to the celebrant. This article is about the musical term See Antiphon (person the orator of ancient Greece Psalms ( Hebrew: Tehilim, תהילים, or "praises" is a book of the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament) included The rubrics presuppose that the first assistant or cantors will intone all which the celebrant must sing by singing it to him first in a soft voice after which the celebrant sings it again aloud. The five antiphons and psalms are sung with the first assistant intoning the antiphons and the cantors intoning the psalms. During the singing of the psalms, all sit. After the psalms, the acolytes relight their candles, and then go to each side of the lectern for the chapter. The assistants follow, standing facing each other in front of the lectern. Following the chapter, all return to their places. The first assistant intones the hymn to the celebrant. All go their places and stand for the singing of the hymn. The first assistant intones the Magnificat to the celebrant, who sings the first line aloud. The Magnificat (also known as the Song of Mary) is a Canticle frequently sung (or spoken liturgically in Christian church services The celebrant and the first two assistants go to altar, and incense is put on. The altar is then incensed as at Mass while the first two assistants hold the ends of the cope. The Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Roman Catholic Church. Other altars in the church may be incensed as well. The first assistant then incenses the celebrant, after which the thurifer incenses the others as at Mass. If there are commemorations, the acolytes and assistants again go to the lectern as described above for the chapter. The choir sings the antiphons, the cantors sing the versicles, and the celebrant sings the collects. After all commemorations, the celebrant sings Dominus vobiscum, the cantors sing Benedicamus Domino, and the celebrant sings Fidelium animae. . . . The Marian antiphon is said in the low voice. Marian antiphons are a group of sacred devotional songs in the Gregorian chant repertory of the Roman Catholic Church sung in honor of the Virgin Mary. Especially in English-speaking countries, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament often follows Solemn Vespers. Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is a devotional ceremony celebrated within the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, as well as in some Anglican

Musical settings of Vespers

The psalms and hymns of the Vespers service have attracted the interest of many composers, including Claudio Monteverdi, Antonio Vivaldi, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Anton Bruckner, and Sergei Rachmaninoff (whose setting is more properly known as the All-Night Vigil). Anton Bruckner (4 September 1824 &ndash 11 October 1896 was an Austrian composer known primarily for his symphonies, masses, and Motets WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff (Сергей Васильевич Рахманинов For the liturgical service see All-night vigil The All-Night Vigil (Всенощное бдение Vsenoshchnoe bdenie) Opus 37 In addition, Rev. John Garcia Gensel in New York City in 1961 pioneered the now popular adaptation of Jazz Vespers.

References

See also

External links


This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913. Agni Parthene (Αγνή Παρθένε is a liturgical hymn composed by St "Blazhen Muzh" ( Church Slavonic, "Blessed is the Man" is a setting of verses from psalms 1 2 & 3 taken from the Byzantine ( Eastern A book of hours is the most common type of surviving Medieval Illuminated manuscript. Canonical hours are divisions of time developed by the Christian Church, serving as increments between the prescribed Prayers of the daily round Evening Prayer is a Liturgy in use in the Anglican Communion (and other churches in the Anglican tradition such as the Continuing Anglican Movement and Matins (also known as Orthros or Oútrenya in Eastern Churches) is the early morning or night Prayer service in the Roman Catholic The Night Hours are the fixed times of prayer in the Divine Office of the Roman Catholic Church, that take place after sunset and before sunrise Phos Hilaron ( is an ancient Christian Hymn originally written in New Testament Greek. Religious music (also sacred music) is Music performed or composed for religious use or through religious influence The Sicilian Vespers is the name given to a rebellion in Sicily in 1282 against the rule of the Angevin king Charles I of Naples, who had taken control The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia

Dictionary

vespers

-noun

  1. (Christianity) The sixth of the seven canonical hours

Vespers

-proper noun

  1. (Christianity) A Christian service held in the late afternoon or early evening; evensong
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