Vespers /ˈvɛspərz/ () is a

liturgy Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and participation in the sacred through activities reflecting praise, thanksgiving, remembra ...

of evening prayer, one of the

canonical hours In the practice of Christianity, canonical hours mark the divisions of the day in terms of Fixed prayer times#Christianity, fixed times of prayer at regular intervals. A book of hours, chiefly a breviary, normally contains a version of, or sel ...

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

(both

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

and Eastern Catholic liturgical rites),

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, otherwise known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity or Byzantine Christianity, is one of the three main Branches of Christianity, branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholic Church, Catholicism and Protestantism ...

Oriental Orthodox The Oriental Orthodox Churches are Eastern Christianity, Eastern Christian churches adhering to Miaphysitism, Miaphysite Christology, with approximately 50 million members worldwide. The Oriental Orthodox Churches adhere to the Nicene Christian ...

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

, and

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

liturgies. The word for this prayer time comes from the Latin ''vesper'', meaning "evening". Vespers typically follows a set order that focuses on the performance of

psalms The Book of Psalms ( , ; ; ; ; , in Islam also called Zabur, ), also known as the Psalter, is the first book of the third section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) called ('Writings'), and a book of the Old Testament. The book is an anthology of B ...

and other biblical canticles. Eastern Orthodox liturgies recognised as vespers (, ) often conclude with compline, especially the

all-night vigil The All-night vigil is a service of the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches consisting of an aggregation of the canonical hours of Compline (in Greek usage only), Vespers (or, on a few occasions, Great Compline), Matins, and the ...

. Performing these liturgies together without break was also a common practice in medieval Europe, especially outside of monastic and religious communities.

Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...

speakers translated the Latin word as , which became evensong in modern English. The term is now usually applied to the Anglican variant of the liturgy that combines vespers with compline, following the conception of early sixteenth-century worshippers that conceived these as a single unit. The term can also apply to the pre-Reformation form of vespers or forms of evening prayer from other denominations. Vespers is usually prayed around sunset. In Oriental Orthodox Christianity, the office is known as Ramsho in the Indian and Syriac traditions; it is prayed facing the east by all members in these churches, both clergy and laity, being one of the seven fixed prayer times.

Current use

Roman Rite

Vespers, also called Evening Prayer, takes place as dusk begins to fall. Evening Prayer gives thanks for the day just past and makes an evening sacrifice of praise to God ( Psalm 141:1). The general structure of the

Roman Rite The Roman Rite () is the most common ritual family for performing the ecclesiastical services of the Latin Church, the largest of the ''sui iuris'' particular churches that comprise the Catholic Church. The Roman Rite governs Rite (Christianity) ...

Catholic liturgy of vespers is as follows: * Vespers begins with the singing or chanting of the opening responsory consisting of the verse '' Deus, in adiutorium meum intende'', followed by the '' Gloria Patri'', and the '' Alleluia''. The ''Alleluia'' is omitted during

Lent Lent (, 'Fortieth') is the solemn Christianity, Christian religious moveable feast#Lent, observance in the liturgical year in preparation for Easter. It echoes the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring Temptation of Christ, t ...

. This opening formula is common to all the liturgical hours apart from the first of the day where it is replaced by the Invitatory. * The appointed

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' d ...

(from the hymnaria) is then sung; * The appointed psalmody is then sung: in the liturgy in general use since 1970 there are two

psalm The Book of Psalms ( , ; ; ; ; , in Islam also called Zabur, ), also known as the Psalter, is the first book of the third section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) called ('Writings'), and a book of the Old Testament. The book is an anthology of H ...

s and a New Testament canticle. In older forms of the Roman Office five psalms were sung. Each psalm (and canticle) concludes with a doxology ( Gloria Patri) and is preceded and followed by an antiphon. Additionally, most Psalms also have a short caption explaining how the Psalm/Canticle relates to the Church in a Christological or spiritual way; lastly, English translations oftentimes have a psalm-prayer said after the Gloria and before the antiphon. * After the psalms, there is a reading from the Bible. * Following the reading, there is a short responsory consisting of a verse, a response, the first half only of the Gloria Patri, and then the verse again. * The '' Magnificat'' follows – the canticle of the

Blessed Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

from the Luke 1:46–55 – the key daily canticle of Vespers. Like the psalmody, the ''Magnificat'' is always preceded by an antiphon, and followed by the Gloria and the repeated antiphon. While singing the Magnificat the altar may be incensed, followed by the ministers and the people.'' * The

preces In Christian liturgical worship, ; ), also known in Anglican prayer as the Suffrages or Responses, describe a series of short petitions said or sung as versicles and responses by the officiant and the gathered worshippers respectively. Versi ...

(intercessory prayers) are then said, followed by the Lord's Prayer, and then the

collect The collect ( ) is a short general prayer of a particular structure used in Christian liturgy. Collects come up in the liturgies of Catholic, Lutheran, or Anglican churches, among others. Etymology The word is first seen as Latin ''collēcta'' ...

(oratio) and blessing. * The office is sometimes followed by

Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, also called Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament or the Rite of Eucharistic Exposition and Benediction, is a devotional ceremony, celebrated especially in the Roman Catholic Church, but also in some other C ...

First and Second Vespers

Sundays and solemnities have two Vespers. The church worship day begins in the evening with the setting of the sun or at sunset. This practice follows the tradition of the Old Testament which says in the story of creation: "Evening came, and morning followedthe first day." (Gen1:5). The solemnity begins with First Vespers prayed around sunset on the day before the observance, with Second Vespers held around sunset on the day itself.

Byzantine Rite

The

Byzantine Rite The Byzantine Rite, also known as the Greek Rite or the Rite of Constantinople, is a liturgical rite that is identified with the wide range of cultural, devotional, and canonical practices that developed in the Eastern Christianity, Eastern Chri ...

has three basic types of vespers: great, daily, and small. Great vespers is used on Sundays and major

feast day The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context does n ...

s (those when the

Polyeleos The Polyeleos is a festive portion of the Matins or All-Night Vigil service as observed on higher-ranking calendar of saints, feast days in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Lutheran, and Eastern Catholic Churches, Byzantine Rit ...

is prescribed at matins) when it may be celebrated alone or as part of an

All-Night Vigil The All-night vigil is a service of the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches consisting of an aggregation of the canonical hours of Compline (in Greek usage only), Vespers (or, on a few occasions, Great Compline), Matins, and the ...

, as well as on a handful of special days ''e.g.'', Good Friday and Pascha afternoon; on certain days of strict fasting when, in theory, fasting before communion should be day-long, vespers also commences the

divine liturgy Divine Liturgy () or Holy Liturgy is the usual name used in most Eastern Christian rites for the Eucharistic service. The Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Lutheranism, Eastern Lutheran Churches and the Eastern Orthodox Church believe the Divi ...

and always commences the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. Daily vespers is otherwise used. Small vespers, which is seldom used except in monasteries, is a very abbreviated form used only on the afternoon before a vigil and is redundant to the subsequent great vespers, being a placeholder between the ninth hour and compline. Since the liturgical day begins at sunset, vespers is a day's first liturgy and its hymns introduce the day's themes.

Outline

The general structure of the liturgy is as follows (psalm numbers are according to the

Septuagint The Septuagint ( ), sometimes referred to as the Greek Old Testament or The Translation of the Seventy (), and abbreviated as LXX, is the earliest extant Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible from the original Biblical Hebrew. The full Greek ...

): * Vespers opens with a

blessing In religion, a blessing (also used to refer to bestowing of such) is the impartation of something with doctrines of grace, grace, Sacred, holiness, spiritual Redemption (theology), redemption, or Will of God, divine will. Etymology and Germani ...

by the

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

and then "Come, let us worship ..."; when part of an All-Night Vigil, the blessing that normally begins matins is used; when part of the Divine Liturgy, the blessing that is part thereof is used. * Proemial Psalm (Psalm 103 (104)): "Bless the Lord, O my soul; O Lord my God, Thou hast been magnified exceedingly...". * The "Litany of Peace". * A

kathisma A kathisma (Greek: κάθισμα; Slavonic: каѳисма, ''kai-isma''), literally, "seat", is a division of the Psalter, used in the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Rite Catholic churches. The word may also describe a hymn sung at Matins, a ...

, a portion of the Psalter is read, or on Saturday evening, when it is the First Kathisma (Psalms 1–8), it is sung, and on major feast, the first third of that (Psalms 1–3) is sung. For about half the year, and for five of the six weeks of Lent, on weekdays, it is the Eighteenth Kathisma (Psalms 119-133 20-134. * The church is censed while "Lord I have Cried" (Psalms 140 (141), 141 (142), 129 (130), and 116 (117)) is sung with stichera (stanzas) about the feast day (or resurrection on a Saturday) inserted between the last several verses. * The Entrance is made with the censer unless there is a Gospel reading, in which case the Gospel Book is carried. * The hymn '' Phos Ilaron'' ("O Gladsome Light") is recited or sung. * The Prokeimenon is chanted. * On feast days, there are three or more readings from the

Old Testament The Old Testament (OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew and occasionally Aramaic writings by the Isr ...

, called Prophecies. * The Litany of Fervent Supplication * The prayer " Vouchsafe, O Lord", is read. * The Litany of Supplication * On major feast days, a Litiy is inserted. The clergy and the cantors process to the narthex or outside while hymns pertaining to the feastare sung. Then the deacon recites a litany with several long petitions, the response to each petition beings '' Kyrie eleison'' ("Lord, Have Mercy") many times. The priest ends with a long prayer invoking the intercessions of the saints and the Theotokos. * The Aposticha are chanted. These are verses that teach about the feast day (or on a Saturday evening, Christ's resurrection). * The Nunc dimittis, the Canticle of St. Simeon ("Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace...") ( Luke ), is read. * Then are sung the Apolytikia of the day (or an All-Night Vigil on Saturday night the hymn "Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos"). Litie1

* On major feast days, the artoklasia is performed, at which the priest blesses five loaves of bread which have been prepared in the center of the church, together with

wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...

and oil which are later distributed to the faithful. The beginning of

Psalm The Book of Psalms ( , ; ; ; ; , in Islam also called Zabur, ), also known as the Psalter, is the first book of the third section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) called ('Writings'), and a book of the Old Testament. The book is an anthology of H ...

33 (34) is then sung. * The dismissal is given by the priest. If it is an All-Night Vigil this is a simple blessing by the priest; otherwise, it is the full dismissal sequence. On strict fast days when food and drink are prohibited before vespers, ''e.g.'',

Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas, the festival commemorating nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus. Christmas Day is observance of Christmas by country, observed around the world, and Christma ...

, the

Annunciation The Annunciation (; ; also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord; ) is, according to the Gospel of Luke, the announcement made by the archangel Gabriel to Ma ...

when it falls on a weekday of great lent, or

Holy Saturday Holy Saturday (), also known as Great and Holy Saturday, Low Saturday, the Great Sabbath, Hallelujah Saturday, Saturday of the Glory, Easter Eve, Joyous Saturday, the Saturday of Light, Good Saturday, or Black Saturday, among other names, is t ...

, Vespers is joined to the

Divine Liturgy Divine Liturgy () or Holy Liturgy is the usual name used in most Eastern Christian rites for the Eucharistic service. The Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Lutheranism, Eastern Lutheran Churches and the Eastern Orthodox Church believe the Divi ...

, functioning in place of the typica as the framework of the hymns of the Liturgy of the Catechumens. After the readings from the

, the

Trisagion The ''Trisagion'' (; 'Thrice Holy'), sometimes called by its incipit ''Agios O Theos'', is a standard hymn of the Divine Liturgy in most of the Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox, Western Orthodox, Oriental Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodox, an ...

is chanted, followed by the

Epistle An epistle (; ) is a writing directed or sent to a person or group of people, usually an elegant and formal didactic letter. The epistle genre of letter-writing was common in ancient Egypt as part of the scribal-school writing curriculum. The ...

and

Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

, and the

proceeds normally from that point. On these occasions, as at other times when the Gospel is read at vespers, the Little Entrance is made with the Gospel Book instead of the censer. The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts always is similarly combined with Vespers, with the first half of Vespers (up to and including the

readings) making up a significant portion of the liturgy.

East Syriac liturgy

Vespers are known by the

Aramaic Aramaic (; ) is a Northwest Semitic language that originated in the ancient region of Syria and quickly spread to Mesopotamia, the southern Levant, Sinai, southeastern Anatolia, and Eastern Arabia, where it has been continually written a ...

or Syriac term ''Ramsha'' in the East Syriac liturgy which was used historically in the

Church of the East The Church of the East ( ) or the East Syriac Church, also called the Church of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, the Persian Church, the Assyrian Church, the Babylonian Church, the Chaldean Church or the Nestorian Church, is one of three major branches o ...

and remains in use in Churches descended from it, namely the

Assyrian Church of the East The Assyrian Church of the East (ACOE), sometimes called the Church of the East and officially known as the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East, is an Eastern Christianity, Eastern Syriac Christianity, Syriac Christian denomin ...

, the Ancient Church of the East, the

Chaldean Catholic Church The Chaldean Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Catholic Catholic particular churches and liturgical rites, particular church (''sui iuris'') in full communion with the Holy See and the rest of the Catholic Church, and is ...

, and the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church.

Oriental Orthodoxy

Armenian liturgy

The office of vespers commemorates the hour when "the Son of God descended from the Cross, and was wrapped in the winding sheet, and laid in the tomb." Vespers is the only liturgy in the Armenian daily office other than the Morning Service which has hymns proper to the commemoration, feast, or tone assigned to it: a vespers hymn after Psalm 142 (or after Gladsome Light if it is appointed for the day) and the "Lifting-up Hymn" after Psalm 121. Vespers undergoes a wide range of changes depending on the liturgical season. The following outline contains only some of these variations. Outline of Armenian Vespers "Blessed is our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Our Father..." Psalm 55:16 "I cried unto God, and he heard me in the evening...()"; Psalm 55:17 "I waited for my God...()"; "Glory to the Father...Now and always...Amen."; "And again in peace..."; "Blessing and glory to the Father...Now and always...Amen."; "Peace to all." Psalm 86; "Glory to the Father...Now and always...Amen."; "Glory to you, O God, glory to you. For all things, Lord, glory to you."; "And again in peace..."; "Blessing and glory...Now and always...Amen."; "Peace to all." Psalm 140 "Rescue me...(...)"; Psalm 141 "Lord I called unto you...(...)"; Psalm 142 "With my voice I called out unto the Lord...(...)"; "Glory to the Father...Now and always...Amen." ''At Sunday Vespers (Saturday Evening):'' "Alleluia, Alleluia. Gladsome light...(...)"; Exhortation for the blessing of candles: "Blessed Lord who dwells in the heights...(...)"; Proclamation: "Having assembled...(...)"; Exhortation: "Having assembled...(...)" Vespers Hymn (varies) ''At Sunday Vespers (Saturday Night):'' Proclamation: "Let us all say...(...)"; Exhortation: "We have the intercessions...(...)" ''During Fasts:'' Proclamation: "Let us beseech almighty God...(Aghach`ests`ouk` zamenakaln Astouats...)" ''Otherwise continue here:'' Prayer: "Hear our voices...(...)"; "Holy God...(varies)"; "Glorified and praised ever-virgin...(...)"; Exhortation: "Save us...(...)"; Proclamation: "And again in peace...That the Lord will hearken to the voice of our entreaty...(...)"; "Blessing and Glory to the Father...Now and always...Amen."; "Peace to all." Psalm 121 "I lifted my eyes...(...)"; "Glory to the Father...Now and always...Amen." Hymn After Psalm 121 (varies); Proclamation: "For the peace of the whole world...(...)"; Prayer: "Father compassionate...(...)" ''On fasting days:'' Exhortation: "Almighty Lord...(...)"; Proclamation; Prayer ''On fasting days and lenten days which are not Sundays (Saturday evenings), continue here:'' The Prayer of Manasseh; "Glory to the Father...Now and always...Amen."; Exhortation; Proclamation; Prayer; "Remember your ministers...(...)"; "Merciful and compassionate God (...)" ''On Sundays (Saturday Evenings) and during the 50 days of Easter:''

Psalm 134 Psalm 134 is the 134th psalm from the Book of Psalms, a part of the Tanakh, Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Behold, bless ye the , all ye servants of the ". Its Latin title is "Ec ...

: "Now bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord...(...)"; Psalm 138; Psalm 54; Psalm 86:16-17; "Glory to the Father...Now and always...Amen."; Proclamation: "Let us entreat...(...)" ''On Sundays:'' Prayer: "King of peace...(...)" ''On Sundays during Eastertide:'' Prayer: "By your all-powerful and joyous resurrection...(...)" ''On Feasts of the Cross:'' Proclamation: "By the holy cross...(...)"; Prayer: "Defend us...(...)" All liturgies conclude with: "Blessed is our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Our Father..."

Coptic Orthodox Church

In the Coptic Orthodox Church, Vespers refers to a series of liturgies: # The Vespers Prayer – This is taken from the Canonical Book of Hours. In the liturgical context, the 9th, 11th, 12th and Veil hours are prayed. # The Vespers Praises – This is taken from the Psalmody and is described in greater detail below. # The Vespers Raising of Incense Vespers, as a whole, is an introduction and preparation for the Eucharistic Liturgy, consisting of a collection of prayers, praises and Thanksgiving prayers which request the Lord's blessings upon the sacramental liturgy. The rite of Vespers Praises in the Coptic Orthodox Church is as follows: # The hymn Ⲛⲓⲉⲑⲛⲟⲥ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ( Psalm 116) # The Fourth Canticle (Psalms 148, 149, 150) # The Psali for the day (each day of the week has its own Psali) # The Theotokion for the day (each day of the week has its own Theotokion) # The Lobsh or Explanation of the Theotokion # The reading of the Antiphonary # On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday: The Conclusion of the Adam Theotokia # On Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday: The Conclusion of the Batos Theotokia # Ⲥⲱⲑⲓⲥ ⲁⲙⲏⲛ (Saved Amen.) # The Lord's Prayer The rite of Vespers Raising of Incense in the Coptic Orthodox Church is as follows: # The Thanksgiving Prayer – As with all Coptic Orthodox liturgies, Vespers first thanks God "for everything, concerning everything, and in everything" # Minor Circuit of Incense and Three Inaudible Litanies # The Verses of the Cymbals # The

Litany Litany, in Christian worship and some forms of Jewish worship, is a form of prayer used in services and processions, and consisting of a number of petitions. The word comes through Latin ''wikt:litania, litania'' from Ancient Greek wikt:λιτα ...

for the Departed # Major Circuit of Incense # Graciously Accord O Lord... # The

# The Doxologies – commemorating the saints of the church and the liturgical season of the church # The Creed # The Prayer of Ⲫⲛⲟⲩϯ ⲛⲁⲓ ⲛⲁⲛ (O God have mercy upon us...) # The Prayer for the Gospel # The Reading of the Psalm and Gospel # The Absolution, Conclusion, and Blessing

Indian Orthodox Church and Syriac Orthodox Church

In the Indian Orthodox Church, Vespers (Ramsho) is one of the canonical hours given in the Shehimo.

Lutheran Church

Following the

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

, the form of Vespers in the

Lutheran Church Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched the Reformation in 15 ...

remained largely unchanged. First Vespers and Second Vespers of Sundays and major feasts continued to be sung in Latin in many places, while some cathedrals and larger city churches continued singing Vespers in Latin on a daily basis into the eighteenth century.

In other Christian churches and religious bodies

Since its inception, the

Anglican communion The Anglican Communion is a Christian Full communion, communion consisting of the Church of England and other autocephalous national and regional churches in full communion. The archbishop of Canterbury in England acts as a focus of unity, ...

has maintained an evening office, which is called evening prayer (or ''evensong''). There are prescribed forms of the service in the Anglican

prayer book A prayer book is a book containing prayers and perhaps devotional readings, for private or communal use, or in some cases, outlining the liturgy of religious services. Books containing mainly orders of religious services, or readings for them are ...

. The ''

Anglican Breviary The ''Anglican Breviary'' is an Anglican edition of the Liturgy of the Hours, Divine Office translated into English, used especially by Anglicans of Anglo-Catholicism, Anglo-Catholic churchmanship. It is based on the ''Roman Breviary'' as it exis ...

'' contains Vespers in English according to the pre-1970 Roman Rite. For information on that service, see above, as in the Roman breviary. The Liberal Catholic Rite also includes Vespers, including the Te Deum as an alternative to the Magnificat. Daily office books that conform to the historic structure of Vespers have also been published by the Pilgrim Press ( The New Century Psalter) and Westminster John Knox Press (Book of Common Worship Daily Prayer). Both publishing houses are affiliated with churches in the

Reformed tradition Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyteria ...

. 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 Latin Catholic form.

Presbyterians Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

and Methodists, as well as congregationalist religious bodies such as Unitarian Universalism, often include congregational singing, readings, and a period of silent meditation, contemplation, or prayer. 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. In addition, during the 19th and early 20th centuries, synagogues in the Classical Reform tradition sometimes referred to their Friday evening worship services as "vespers". Nowadays, such services are instead called ''kabbalat shabbat'', which means "welcoming the Sabbath".

Historical development

''This section incorporates information from the Catholic Encyclopedia of 1917. References to

follow the numbering system of the

, and said in the

of the

Vulgate The Vulgate () is a late-4th-century Bible translations into Latin, Latin translation of the Bible. It is largely the work of Saint Jerome who, in 382, had been commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Gospels used by the Diocese of ...

.''

Origins

From the time of the

early Church Early Christianity, otherwise called the Early Church or Paleo-Christianity, describes the historical era of the Christian religion up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325. Christianity spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and bey ...

, the practice of seven fixed prayer times have been taught; in '' Apostolic Tradition'', Hippolytus instructed Christians to pray seven times a day "on rising, at the lighting of the evening lamp, at bedtime, at midnight" and "the third, sixth and ninth hours of the day, being hours associated with Christ's Passion." Before the fourth century allusions to the evening prayer are found in the earlier Fathers, Clement I of Rome (''Clemens Romanus''), St. Ignatius,

Clement of Alexandria Titus Flavius Clemens, also known as Clement of Alexandria (; – ), was a Christian theology, Christian theologian and philosopher who taught at the Catechetical School of Alexandria. Among his pupils were Origen and Alexander of Jerusalem. A ...

Tertullian Tertullian (; ; 155 – 220 AD) was a prolific Early Christianity, early Christian author from Roman Carthage, Carthage in the Africa (Roman province), Roman province of Africa. He was the first Christian author to produce an extensive co ...

Origen Origen of Alexandria (), also known as Origen Adamantius, was an Early Christianity, early Christian scholar, Asceticism#Christianity, ascetic, and Christian theology, theologian who was born and spent the first half of his career in Early cent ...

, the Canons of St. Hippolytus, St. Cyprian. Vespers is, therefore, together with Vigil, the most ancient Office known in the Church. The Rule of St. Benedict was written about 530–43. A much earlier evening Office corresponds to both Vespers and Compline. Its name varies.

John Cassian John Cassian, also known as John the Ascetic and John Cassian the Roman (, ''Ioannes Cassianus'', or ''Ioannes Massiliensis''; Greek: Ίωάννης Κασσιανός ό Ερημίτης; – ), was a Christian monk and theologian celebrated ...

calls it ''Vespertina synaxis'', or ''Vespertina solemnitas''. Benedict used the name ''vespera'' which has prevailed, whence the French word ''vêpres'' and the English vespers. The name, however, by which it was most widely known during that period was ''Lucernalis'' or ''Lucernaria hora''. It was so called because at this hour candles were lit, not only to give light, but also for symbolical purposes. The "''Peregrinatio''", the date of which is probably the 4th century, gives the liturgical order as practised at

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

. The author states 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 The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also known as the Church of the Resurrection, is a fourth-century church in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, Old City of Jerusalem. The church is the seat of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchat ...

; all the lamps and torches of the church were lighted, making, as the author says, "an infinite light". 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''. 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). Cassian describes this Office as it was celebrated by the

monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

s of

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

and says they recited twelve psalms as at the vigil ( matins). Then two lessons were read as at vigils, one from the Old, and the other from the

New Testament The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...

. Each psalm was followed by a short prayer. Cassian says the Office was recited towards five or six o'clock and that all the lights were lit. The use of incense, candles, and other lights would seem to suggest the

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

rites which accompanied the evening sacrifice ( Exodus 29:39;

Numbers A number is a mathematical object used to count, measure, and label. The most basic examples are the natural numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and so forth. Numbers can be represented in language with number words. More universally, individual numbers can ...

28:4; Psalm 140:2; Daniel 9:21;

1 Chronicles The Book of Chronicles ( , "words of the days") is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Chronicles) in the Christian Old Testament. Chronicles is the final book of the Hebrew Bible, concluding the third section of the Jewish Tan ...

23:30). It may thus be seen that the ''Lucernarium'' was, together with Vigil, 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. 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 Gaul () was a region of Western Europe first clearly described by the Roman people, Romans, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Northern Italy. It covered an area of . Ac ...

and

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, and by the various

monastic Monasticism (; ), also called monachism or monkhood, is a religious way of life in which one renounces worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual activities. Monastic life plays an important role in many Christian churches, especially ...

rules.

In the 6th century

In the sixth century the Office of Vespers in the

Latin Church The Latin Church () is the largest autonomous () particular church within the Catholic Church, whose members constitute the vast majority of the 1.3 billion Catholics. The Latin Church is one of 24 Catholic particular churches and liturgical ...

was almost the same as it has been throughout the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

and up to the present day. In a document of unquestionable authority of that period the

Office An office is a space where the employees of an organization perform Business administration, administrative Work (human activity), work in order to support and realize the various goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a po ...

is described as follows: The evening hour, or ''vespertina synaxis'', is composed of four

s, a ''capitulum'', a response, a

, a versicle, a canticle from the

litany Litany, in Christian worship and some forms of Jewish worship, is a form of prayer used in services and processions, and consisting of a number of petitions. The word comes through Latin ''wikt:litania, litania'' from Ancient Greek wikt:λιτα ...

('' Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison''), '' Pater'' with the ordinary finale, ''oratio'', or prayer, and dismissal ('' Regula Sancti Benedicti'', xvii). The

s recited are taken from the series of psalms from Pss. 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, the ''capitulum'', versicle, and canticle of the "'' Magnificat''" appear. The

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 The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

''cursus''. 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 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 hourthat of Complinewhich was prescribed to be celebrated in the evening, and which might be considered as a kind of doubling of the Office of Lucernarium.

Office of Vespers in the Middle Ages: variations

As has already been remarked, 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. St. Benedict called it only ''Vespera'', the name which has prevailed over that of ''lucernarium'' (''cf.'' Ducange, "''Glossarium med. et inf. lat.''", ''s.v. Vesperae''). The Gallican liturgy, the Mozarabic Liturgy, and, to a certain extent, the

Milanese Milanese (endonym in traditional orthography , ) is the central variety of the Western dialect of the Lombard language spoken in Milan, the rest of its metropolitan city, and the northernmost part of the province of Pavia. Milanese, due to t ...

, have preserved the ''lucernarium'' (''cf.'' Bäumer-Biron, l. c., 358). The

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church, and also called the Greek Orthodox Church or simply the Orthodox Church, is List of Christian denominations by number of members, one of the three major doctrinal and ...

retains the "''Lumen hilare''" and some other traces of the ancient ''lucernarium'' in the offices of vespers and compline (''cf.'' 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. 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. cxii and also the "'' Gloria in Excelsis''". 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 important changes in the old

office. There is an entire rearrangement of the

s (see Reform of the Roman Breviary by Pope Pius X) with new ones appointed for each day of the week. 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. On feasts which are doubles of the second class and a fortiori of the first class, as well as on feasts of the

, the Holy Angels, and Apostles, the psalms are proper to the feast as heretofore. On all feasts, of whatever rite, the second part of vespers, that is, the ''capitulum'',

, antiphon of the "'' Magnificat''", is taken from the Sanctorale. 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.

Structure: 1917–1969

The office of Vespers in general use before 1970 continues to be used today by those adhering to the Roman Rite as in 1962 or to earlier versions. The structure of Vespers prior to 1970 is as follows: * Vespers begins with the singing or chanting of the opening versicles ''Deus, in adiutorium meum intende. Domine, ad adiuvandum me festina. Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen. Alleluia.'' (O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Alleluia.) From Septuagesima until

Easter Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...

, ''Laus tibi Domine, Rex aeternae gloriae'' (Praise be to Thee O Lord, King of eternal glory) replaces ''Alleluia''. * Five

are sung, each concluding with the doxology Gloria Patri. Each psalm is preceded and followed with an antiphon. * The Little Chapter, a short biblical verse, is read. * The hymn, which varies according to season and feast, is sung, followed by its versicle and response. * The '' Magnificat'', preceded and followed with an antiphon, is then sung. * The preces are then said on certain greater ferias. * The collect of the day is said, followed by commemorations of any concurring feasts according to the rubrics. * If Compline does not immediately follow, Vespers may end with the seasonal Marian Antiphon. * The office is frequently followed by

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. 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. It terminates, as Matins formerly terminated, and

Lauds Lauds is a canonical hour of the Divine office. In the Roman Rite Liturgy of the Hours it is one of the major hours, usually held after Matins, in the early morning hours (between 3:00:00 and 5:59:59). Name The name is derived from the three la ...

at present terminates, by a lection, or reading, from the

, or ''canticum evangelii'', which, for Vespers, is always the "'' Magnificat''". 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

in the Church. 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 A breviary () is a liturgical book used in Christianity for praying the canonical hours, usually recited at seven fixed prayer times. Historically, different breviaries were used in the various parts of Christendom, such as Aberdeen Breviar ...

also form a class apart and help to give us some hints as to the symbolism of this

hour An hour (symbol: h; also abbreviated hr) is a unit of time historically reckoned as of a day and defined contemporarily as exactly 3,600 seconds ( SI). There are 60 minutes in an hour, and 24 hours in a day. The hour was initially establis ...

. The hymns are very ancient, dating probably, for the most part, from the 6th century. They have this particular characteristicthey are all devoted to the praise of one of the days of the Creation as described in the

Genesis creation narrative The Genesis creation narrative is the creation myth of both Judaism and Christianity, told in the book of Genesis chapters 1 and 2. While the Jewish and Christian tradition is that the account is one comprehensive story, modern scholars of ...

, according to the day of the week, thus: #the first, "'' Lucis creator optime''", on Sunday, to the creation of light; #the second, "''Immense coeli Conditor''" on Monday, to the separation of the earth and the waters; #the third, "''Telluris alme Conditor''", on Tuesday, to the creation of the plants; #the fourth, "''Caeli Deus sanctissime''",, on Wednesday, to the creation of the sun and moon; #the fifth, "''Magnae Deus potentiae''", on Thursday, to the creation of the fish; #the sixth, "''Hominis supernae Conditor''",, on Friday, to the creation of the beasts of the earth; #Saturday is an exception, the hymn, "''Iam sol recedit igneus''",, on that day being in honour of the Blessed

Trinity The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, thr ...

, because of the Office of Sunday then commencing.

Solemn Vespers before the Second Vatican Council

On weekdays that are not major feasts Vespers features hardly any ceremonies and the celebrant wears the usual choir dress. 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 Incense is an aromatic biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt. The term is used for either the material or the aroma. Incense is used for aesthetic reasons, religious worship, aromatherapy, meditation, and ceremonial reasons. It ...

is used, and two acolytes, a thurifer, and at least one master of ceremonies are needed. 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. 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 An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

, 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 A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian denominations, such as the Cathol ...

and the second assistant in place of the

subdeacon Subdeacon is a minor orders, minor order of ministry for men or women in various branches of Christianity. The subdeacon has a specific liturgical role and is placed below the deacon and above the acolyte in the order of precedence. Subdeacons in ...

). The celebrant and assistants follow the acolytes into the church wearing the biretta. Upon arriving in the

sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred space, sacred place, such as a shrine, protected by ecclesiastical immunity. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This seconda ...

the acolytes place their candles on the lowest altar step, after which they are extinguished. 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

to the celebrant. 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 carry them to each side of the lectern for the chapter. The assistants follow, standing facing each other in front of the lectern. The celebrant then sings the chapter, after which all return to their places. The first assistant intones the hymn to the celebrant, and all stand while the hymn is sung. The first assistant intones the '' Magnificat'' to the celebrant, who sings the first line aloud. The celebrant and the first two assistants go to altar, and the altar is then incensed as at

Mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...

while the first two assistants hold the ends of the cope. 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

s. After all commemorations, the celebrant sings ''Dominus vobiscum'', the cantor sings ''Benedicamus Domino'', and the celebrant sings ''Fidelium animae...''. The Marian antiphon is said in the low voice. Especially in English-speaking countries,

often follows Solemn Vespers.

Musical settings

The psalms and hymns of the Vespers liturgy have attracted the interest of many composers, including

Claudio Monteverdi Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (baptized 15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, choirmaster and string instrument, string player. A composer of both Secular music, secular and Church music, sacred music, and a pioneer ...

Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist, impresario of Baroque music and Roman Catholic priest. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lif ...

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

, and Anton Bruckner. (

Sergei Rachmaninoff Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and Conducting, conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a compos ...

's "

Vespers Vespers /ˈvɛspərz/ () is a Christian liturgy, liturgy of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Catholic (both Latin liturgical rites, Latin and Eastern Catholic liturgy, Eastern Catholic liturgical rites), Eastern Orthodox, Oriental O ...

" is really a setting of the Eastern Orthodox

; calling it "Vespers" was an error in judgement made by a translator.)

References

External links

The text of Vespers for today's date (Roman Catholic)

The Roman Catholic General Instruction for the Liturgy of the Hours

An explanation of First Vespers

Vespers in the Orthodox Church

Sunday Vespers in Latin and with Gregorian chant (Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite)

An Order for Methodist Evening Prayer
(PDF)

{{Authority control Liturgy of the Hours Eastern Christian liturgies Catholic liturgy Christian liturgical music Major hours Evening