Terminology - Vespers

VESPERS – The evening prayer service in the Orthodox Church. (Gr. Esperinos) An important service of the Orthodox Church which is mainly a Thanksgiving prayer for the closing day and a welcome of the new one to come the following morning. On the eve of an important holiday, the Vesper Service includes Artoclasia or the… Read More

WORSHIP – Literally, “to bow down.”  In the Christian sense worship is the adoration of God through participation in the services of the Church, the highest act of a Christian (John 4:19-24). Worship in the Orthodox Church is understood to be the highest calling of mankind, to fall down at the feet of the Almighty… Read More

VESPERS OF THE SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY – Vespers of the Sunday of Orthodoxy is served on the evening of the first Sunday of Great Lent (Sunday of Orthodoxy). Traditionally, this should follow the order of Sunday Lenten Vespers; however, it has become a popular custom in North America for all Orthodox parishes and missions in… Read More

VESPERS OF HOLY FRIDAY – Vespers of Holy Friday (sometimes called the Un-nailing Vespers) follows the usual order of Great Vespers, but omits the kathisma and includes both an Epistle and Gospel reading after the Old Testament readings. During this service the clergy remove the corpus (soma) icon of Christ from the cross in the… Read More

AGAPE VESPERS – ( Vespers of Love) Agape Vespers is served on the evening of Pascha. It follows the order of Great Vespers. After the prokeimenon the Gospel account of the empty tomb (John 20:19-25) is read. It is customary to read this pericope in many different languages, demonstrating the universal nature of the Good… Read More

VESPERAL LITURGY – Vespers with Divine Liturgy This service  is prescribed only a few times each year.  It opens with the blessing used at Divine Liturgy: “Blessed is the Kingdom . . .”  The service continues similar to great vespers. There is no psalter reading, and there is an entrance with the gospel book. After… Read More

ALL NIGHT VIGIL – (vsenoshchnoye bdeniye) A service of the Russian Orthodox Church that consists of Vespers, Matins, and the First Hour; in parish churches it is celebrated in the evenings before Divine Liturgy on Sundays and feasts; in monasteries the All Night Vigil sometimes follows a somewhat different format.

Vespers

Vespers recalls and represents events of the Old Testament: the creation of the world, the fall into sin of the first human beings, their expulsion from Paradise, their repentance and prayer for salvation, the hope of mankind in accordance with the promise of God for a Saviour and finally, the fulfillment of that promise.

The Vespers of an All-night Vigil begins with the opening of the Royal Gates. The priest and deacon silently cense the Altar Table and the entire sanctuary so that clouds of incense fill the depths of the sanctuary. This silent censing represents the beginning of the creation of the world. In the beginning God created heaven and earth. And the earth was without form and void, and the Spirit of God hovered over the original material earth, breathing upon it a life-creating power, but the creating word of God had not yet begun to resound.

Then the priest stands before the Altar and intones the first exclamation to the glory of the Creator and Founder of the world, the Most-holy Trinity, “Glory to the Holy, Consubstantial, Life-creating, and Indivisible Trinity, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.”

Matthew 27:1-38 (Vespers) When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death;  and they bound him and led him away and delivered him to Pilate the governor.  When Judas, his betrayer, saw that he was condemned, he repented and brought back the… Read More

Psalm 103 (Vespers (Sunset Psalm)) (Psalm 104 – Hebrew Numbering) Bless the Lord, O my soul; O Lord my God, Thou hast been magnified exceedingly. Confession and majesty hast Thou put on, Who coverest Thyself with light as with a garment, Who stretchest out the heaven as it were a curtain; Who supporteth His chambers… Read More

Psalm 129 (Vespers (Lord, I have cried)) (Psalm 130 – Hebrew Numbering) Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice. Let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If Thou shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, O Lord, who shall stand? For with Thee there… Read More

Psalm 140 (Vespers (Lord, I have cried)) (Psalm 141 – Hebrew Numbering) Lord, I have cried unto Thee, hearken unto me; attend to the voice of my supplication when I cry unto Thee. Let my prayer be set forth as incense before Thee, the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice. Set, O… Read More

Psalm 141 (Vespers (Lord, I have cried)) (Psalm 142 – Hebrew Numbering) With my voice unto the Lord have I cried, with my voice unto the Lord have I made supplication. I will pour out before Him my supplication, mine affliction before Him will I declare. When my spirit was fainting within me, then Thou… Read More

Psalm 116 (Vespers (Lord, I have cried)) (Psalm 117 – Hebrew Numbering) O praise the Lord, all ye nations; praise Him, all ye peoples. For He hath made His mercy to prevail over us, and the truth of the Lord abideth for ever.

LITURGICAL DAY – A liturgical day includes the cycle of services beginning with vespers in the evening and ending with the 9th hour the following afternoon. Thus when we speak of services for Sunday, or the Resurrection service, we begin with vespers, which is served Saturday evening. Similarly, vespers for the 25th of the month… Read More