Vespers

[2] Vespers typically follows a set order that focuses on the performance of psalms and other biblical canticles.

Eastern Orthodox liturgies recognised as vespers (εσπερινός, esperinós) often conclude with compline, especially the all-night vigil.

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

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.

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.

After the readings from the Old Testament, the Trisagion is chanted, followed by the Epistle and Gospel, and the Divine Liturgy proceeds normally from that point.

The office of vespers Old Armenian: Երեգոյին Ժամ, romanized: Eregoyin Zham commemorates the hour when "the Son of God descended from the Cross, and was wrapped in the winding sheet, and laid in the tomb."

Gladsome light...(Loys zouart`...)"; Exhortation for the blessing of candles: "Blessed Lord who dwells in the heights...(Awrhneal Tēr...)"; Proclamation: "Having assembled...(Hasealk`s...)"; Exhortation: "Having assembled...(Hasealk`s...)" Vespers Hymn (varies) At Sunday Vespers (Saturday Night): Proclamation: "Let us all say...(Asasts`owk`...)"; Exhortation: "We have the intercessions...(Barekhaws ounimk`...)" During Fasts: Proclamation: "Let us beseech almighty God...(Aghach`ests`ouk` zamenakaln Astouats...)" Otherwise continue here: Prayer: "Hear our voices...(Lour dzaynits` merots`...)"; "Holy God...(varies)"; "Glorified and praised ever-virgin...(P`araworeal ev awrhneal misht Astouatsatsin...)"; Exhortation: "Save us...(P`rkea zmez...)"; Proclamation: "And again in peace...That the Lord will hearken to the voice of our entreaty...(Vasn lsel linelov...)"; "Blessing and Glory to the Father...Now and always...Amen.

Hymn After Psalm 121 (varies); Proclamation: "For the peace of the whole world...(Vasn khaghaghout`ean amenayn ashkharhi...)"; Prayer: "Father compassionate...(Hayr gt`ats...)" On fasting days: Exhortation: "Almighty Lord...(Tēr amenakal...)"; 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.

"; Proclamation: "Let us entreat...(Khndrests`ouk`...)" On Sundays: Prayer: "King of peace...(T`agawor khaghaghout`ean...)" On Sundays during Eastertide: Prayer: "By your all-powerful and joyous resurrection...(K`oum amenazawr ev hrashali...)" On Feasts of the Cross: Proclamation: "By the holy cross...(Sourb khach`iws...)"; Prayer: "Defend us...(Pahpanea zmez...)" All liturgies conclude with: "Blessed is our Lord Jesus Christ.

Presbyterians 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.

[citation needed] 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".

Cassian describes this Office as it was celebrated by the monks of Egypt and says they recited twelve psalms as at the vigil (matins).

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).

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.

[18] 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.

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 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.

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.

[18] 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.

The Eastern Orthodox Church retains the "Lumen hilare" and some other traces of the ancient lucernarium in the offices of vespers and compline (cf.

There is an entire rearrangement of the psalms (see Reform of the Roman Breviary by Pope Pius X) with new ones appointed for each day of the week.

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.

[18] 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.

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.

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.

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 celebrant sits at the sedile, in front of which is placed a lectern, covered with a cloth in the color of the day.

The psalms and hymns of the Vespers liturgy have attracted the interest of many composers, including Claudio Monteverdi, Antonio Vivaldi, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Anton Bruckner.