Vespers Topics

• anglican breviary
• roman breviary
• kyrie eleison
• night vigil
• feast days
• prayer books
• capitulum
• evening hour
• benedicti
• roman rite
• psalmody
• synaxis
• canticle
• pss
• magnificat
• vesper
• litany
• pater
• saturday evening

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Vespers, Vespers

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. 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.

For this reason, "Sunday Vespers" will be celebrated on Saturday evening, and so on throughout the week.

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. For information on that service, see above, as in the Roman Breviary.

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). The psalms 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, we find the capitulum , versicle, and canticle of the " Magnificat ". 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 . 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 formul 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 hourthat 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.

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 vpres and the English vespers. John Cassian calls it Vespertina synaxis , or Vespertina solemnitas (P. 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 . This is the Latin transcription of the Greek word lychnikon , which corresponds to the word Lucernarium ( cf.

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 Bumer-Biron, l. 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 Bumer-Biron, l. 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., x, 97). Vespers is, therefore, together with Vigils, the most ancient Office known in the Church.

These psalms are to be recited with their antiphons, not only at the Office de tempore (Sundays and feri ) but also on feast 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 Blessed Virgin Mary, 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 , hymn, 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 feri are now suppressed.

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 ". 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.

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. 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, 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.

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. 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.

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. 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, 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).

Especially in English-speaking countries, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament often follows Solemn Vespers.

Source: Wikipedia > Vespers