[c]Great Vespers[/c]
The Beginning.
The service begins with the glorification of the Holy Trinity. With the Royal Gates open,
the Church being fully illumined, the priest, standing before the altar, sayeth: Glory to the holy, consubstantial, life-giving and indivisible Trinity; then the deacon* thrice invites the congregation to worship Christ, our God and King. In answer to this invitation, the faithful or the choir in their stead proceed to sing Psalm 103 of David, which glorifies God the Creator and His Providence: Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord, my God, Thou hast been magnified exceedingly. Confession and majesty hast Thou put on.... Wondrous are Thy works, O Lord! In wisdom hast Thou made them all.... Glory to Thee, Lord, Who hast made all things! The Psalm is concluded with the thrice-sung Alleluia! which means Praise the Lord, or May the Lord be praised! This Psalm beginning the series of the daily services, it is called Proemiac, i.e., prefatory or introductory. The words of it induce the worshippers into the blissful condition of the first man, when he, innocent as yet, praised his Creator together with the holy angels. The open Royal Gates remind us that sin did not at that time separate men from God, while the light of the lamps and candles and the fumes of the incense symbolize the Divine Light, which illu-mined men, and the grace of the Holy Spirit which quickened them.
The Great Ecténia.
After the glorification of the Creator in the words of the Introductory Psalm, short peti-tions for the granting of various favors are slowly recited by the deacon, and after each petition the worshippers or the choir in their stead sing the response Lord, have mercy! The collection of these petitions is called ectenia, from a Greek word which means extended, protracted. It begins with the invitation: In peace let us pray to the Lord (i.e., being at Peace with all men and undistracted in spirit), and consists of supplications for the peace from above and the salvation of our souls (i.e., that the Lord may be at peace with us, forgive us our transgressions and grant through this salvation to our souls); for the peace of the whole world, the good estate of the holy churches of God and the union of all (i.e., that the Lord may grant peace to the whole world, help Christian communities to stand firm in faith and piety, cause the divisions between Christians to cease, and unite them all into one Church); for this holy temple (wherein the service is performed), and for them that with faith, reverence and the fear of God
enter herein. Then follow supplications for various members of the Church and the State: For the Orthodox episcopate of the Church of Russia (or another national Church under which the service is being held); for our Lord the Very Most Reverend Metropolitan N., First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad; for our Lord the Most Reverend (Archbishop or Bishop N, whose diocese it is); for the venerable priesthood, (i.e., the body of bishops and presbyters or priests who govern the Church), the diaconate in Christ, (the body of deacons), for all the clergy (all persons attached to the Church, including readers, choristers, sextons) and people, (the congre-gation and parishioners); for the suffering Russian Land and its Orthodox people both in the homeland and in the diaspora, and for their salvation; for this land, its authorities and armed forces; that He may deliver His people from enemies visible and invisible, and confirm in us oneness of mind, brotherly love, and piety; for this city (or town or holy monastery, wherein the Church is), for every city and country, and those that in faith dwell therein (i.e., the Chris-tian population).* After offering up petitions for the members of the Church and the State, we pray to the Lord for seasonable weather, abundance of the fruits of the earth and peaceful times, (i.e., that the Lord may deliver us from calamitous weather, and from airborne maladies, from bad crops, and from war); For travelers by sea, land, and air, for the sick, the suffering, the imprisoned, and for their salvation; that we may be delivered from all tribulation, wrath, and necessity; that He may help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by Thy grace. The ectenia ends by our committing ourselves to the will of God: Calling to remembrance our most holy, most pure, most blessed, glorious Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary with all the saints, let us commit ourselves and one another and all our life unto Christ our God.
In response to these words, the worshippers sing To Thee, O Lord. Upon which, the pe-titions being ended, the priest calls out aloud For to Thee are due all glory, and honor, and worship, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of the ages; i.e., we offer our supplications unto Thee, because to Thee, the Triune God, we owe glory, honor and adoration. In response to this exclamation of the priest, the worshippers utter the word, Amen, which means yes, truly is this so.
This ectenia is called the Great, because it consists of many petitions, also the Ectenia of Peace, because it beseeches for mercy. It is recited in front of the closed Royal Gates, in token that sin has removed us from God and has closed against us the doors of the Kingdom of Heaven. The closing of the Royal Gates soon after the Introductory Psalm is meant to signify that the bliss of our first parents in Eden was of brief duration.
* If the service is done without the assistance of a deacon, all that a deacon should do (except asking the blessing of the priest to perform his deacons duties) is done by the priest.
The Kathismata.
The Great Ectenia is followed by the singing or reading of the kathismáta (singular, kathísma). This name is given to sections of the Psalter, that book of the Old Testament in which are collected the Psalms, or sacred songs of the ancient Hebrews.* Each kathisma is subdivided into three stáses, and each stasis is separated from the next by the thrice repeated singing of Alleluia, with the addition of the words Glory to Thee, O God; whence the stases are also called Glories. In ancient times all the kathismata were sung alternately by two choirs; hence the separate parts of them have also been called Antiphons, i.e., hymns sung antiphonally, in alternate, responding parts. The word kathisma is derived from a Greek word which means to sit. The sections of the Psalter are so called, because, in ancient times, they were followed by homilies, during which the congregation was permitted to sit. At the present time, though the homilies have been suppressed, the name is preserved, because it is permitted to sit during the reading of the Psalms. At Sunday and feast-day Vespers, the Antiphon of the first kathisma is sung, containing regrets over the happy estate forfeited through sin, together with hopes of salvation The verses of the Psalms are separated by the singing of Alleluia.: Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly (Alleluia!) Serve ye the Lord with fear, and rejoice in Him with trembling (Alleluia!) Blessed are all that have put their trust in Him (Alleluia!) Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God (Alleluia!) Salvation is of the Lord, and Thy blessing is upon Thy people, (Alleluia).
The Small Ectenia. After the kathisma follows the Small Ectenia, which is an abridgment of the Great Ectenia. It begins with an invitation to prayer: Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord; it consists of only one petition: Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by Thy grace, and ends with the commendation to Gods will and the doxology. The Small Ectenia serves to divide one portion of the service from the next.
* The present formulation reflects the current (2001) usage of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. In Imperial Russia, the petitions were as follows:
For the Most Holy Governing Synod (i.e., the body of bishops and presbyters or priests who govern the Church), for our Bishop N.,... and for all the Clergy and people; for our most pious sovereign, the Emperor, and the entire reigning House (the Imperial family), all the Palace (the functionaries appointed by the Tsar), and the Army; that He may aid them and put down beneath their feet every enemy and adversary, (i.e., that the Lord may aid them in all things, and subdue their enemies, open or secret, and their adversaries); etc.
* The entire Psalter, containing 150 Psalms, is divided into 20 kathismata which are all read in the course of the services of the week. During Lent, the entire Psalter is read through twice in the course of the week
At present, the evening kathisma is sung only at Sunday and feast-day Great Vespers on all other days and almost always at Matins the kathismata are read, and only the Glories are sung.
Lord, I Have Cried.
Repentance for sins committed calls forth in the human soul entreaty for mercy. There fore, after the kathisma, selected verses from the Psalms are read (Lord, I have cried unto Thee, hearken unto me), in which are expressed: in the first place, supplication from the bottom of the heart, that the Lord may hearken to our unworthy prayers, help us to keep away from evil and from evil men, and receive us among his elect; In the second place, the assurance that the Lord will hear our prayer. The last verses of the Psalms, in which is expressed the hope of salvation, are sung alternately with hymns composed in honor of the person or event to whom the service is consecrated, and assuring us that the Lord accepts the prayer of those who love Him. These hymns are called the Sticheræ (a Greek word, meaning, verses) on Lord, I have cried. The last of them glorifies the Mother of God and contains the dogma of the Incarnation, whence it has the name of the Dogmatic Theotokion, or, simply, Dogmaticon.
Lord, I have cried unto Thee; hearken unto me; attend to the voice of my supplication when I cry unto Thee; hearken unto me, O Lord. Let my prayer be set forth, as incense before Thee; the lifting of my hands as an evening sacrifice. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may confess Thy name. (Here follows a stichera). The righteous shall wait patiently for me until Thou shalt reward me. (Stichera). From the morning watch until night, from the morning watch let Israel hope in the Lord. (Stichera). For with the Lord there is mercy; and with Him is plente-ous redemption, and He shall redeem Israel (His chosen people) out of all his iniquities. (Stichera). O Praise the Lord all ye nations, praise Him, all ye peoples (Stichera). For He hath made His mercy to prevail over us, and the truth of the Lord abideth for ever. (The Dogmati-con.).
Vespers Introit and Doxology.
While the last stichera (the Dogmaticon) is being sung, the Royal Gates are opened, in token that the hopes of the faithful have not been idle and that the Incarnation of the Son of God hath opened to them the doors of the Kingdom of Heaven. At this moment, the priest comes out through the north door, preceded by the deacon with the censer and the candle bearer with the great candlestick and lighted candle, and, standing before the Royal Gates, gives a blessing with the sign of the Cross towards the east. The deacon exclaims aloud: Wisdom! Aright! The exclamation Wisdom! signifies that this entrance expresses the coming into the world of the Saviour, as thus: The entrance through the north door instead of the Royal Gates signifies that Christ came in lowliness; the lighted candle and the censer remind us that He brought us the light of truth and the grace of the Holy Spirit; the blessing by the sign of the Cross signifies that Christ hath opened to us the entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven by His passion on the Cross. By the exclamation Aright! the deacon invites the worshippers to stand reverently and decorously. They, having heard in the Dogmaticon the news of the Incarnation of the Son of God, and seeing in the priests entrance a symbol of the mercies which we have received through this incarnation, sing a hymn of praise to Christ, as being God. While this hymn is being sung, the priest enters the sanctuary and stands behind the altar, near the bema.
O Gentle Light of the holy glory of the immortal heavenly, holy Father, O Jesus Christ: we, Having come to the setting of the sun, (i.e., having lived to see the sun set), having beheld the evening light, we praise the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit: God. Meet it is for Thee at all times to be hymned with reverent voices, O Son of God, Giver of life. Wherefore, the world doth glorify Thee.
The Prokimenon.
After the Doxology the Prokímenon is recited. (The word means foremost, principal,
chief). This name is given to a short verse, generally selected from the Holy Scriptures, which embodies the meaning of the entire service, and therefore, refers to the chief contents of the prayers, hymns, and lessons from Scripture for the day.* From its importance, the prokimenon is emphatically singled out of the service: The deacon calls out, Let us attend! the priest blesses all present, saying Peace be unto all! to which the worshippers respond, with an obeisance, And to thy spirit, (i.e., we wish the same to thy soul); the deacon once more calls out Let us attend! Wisdom! (i.e., let us be attentive, for words of wisdom will be spoken). The proki-menon is then sung three times. After which the Royal Gates are closed. The Paremia. On certain days, the prokimenon is followed by the reading of paremía; This word means parable or allegory. In church services the name is given to selected lessons or readings from the Scriptures, principally from the Old Testament, containing the prototype of the commemorated event or a prophecy concerning the same, or else explaining the meaning of the feast, or praising the Saint in whose honor the feast is instituted. Paremia are prescribed for all feast-days except Sundays, and for the days of Lent. They differ as to number. Usually two or three are read.*
* Thus, the Prokimenon for Sunday Vespers is: The Lord is King; He is clothed with majesty.
* More paremia are prescribed for some days than for others. Thus five are read at Vespers before the Annunciation, eight on the vigil of Christmas day, twelve on the vigil of the Epiphany, and fifteen on the Saturday before Pascha Sunday.ഊ
The Triple Ectenia and the Ectenia of Supplication. After glorifying Christ as God, we offer up our petitions in the words of two ecteniæ, spoken by the deacon: in the first we entreat mercy for all Christians, while in the second we specify what mercies we desire for their souls. The former is called the Triple Ectenia because Lord, have mercy! is sung thrice after each petition. The other is called the Ectenia of Supplication, because the response to each petition is Grant [this], O Lord!
The Triple Ectenia begins with the invitation: Let us say with our whole soul, and with our whole mind let us say, and consists of petitions for our Emperor, for his prosperous rule, (the preservation of his life, his peace of mind, happiness, salvation; that the Lord may specially aid and assist him in all things, and subdue under his feet every foe and adversary; for the reigning House; for the most Holy Synod, the local bishop, and all our brethren in Christ; for the Christian army; for the blessed and ever-remembered founders of this holy Temple (in which the service is performed), and of all our Christian fathers and brethren that have gone to their rest and lie here (buried around the church) (and in all other places); for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, protection, forgiveness and remission of sins for the servants of God, the brethren of this holy Temple, (i.e., the Parishioners of the church), those that bring forth fruit (who make donations) and do good work (i.e., bring gifts for the adorning of the church, or do other works for the good of the parish) in this holy and most venerable church, that labor (for the good of the church), that sing, and for the people that stand here before Thee and await of Thee great and abundant mercies. The priest concludes these petitions by a Doxology, in which he explains that we hope to obtain from God what we ask, because he is merciful and a man-loving God.
The Ectenia of Supplication begins with the invitation: Let us complete our evening prayer unto the Lord; and consists of petitions that the Lord may grant us: That the evening may be perfect, holy, peaceful and sinless; an Angel of peace, a faithful guide, a guardian of our souls and bodies; forgiveness and remission of our sins and transgressions; what is good and profitable for our souls, and peace for the world; that the remaining part of our life may be spent in peace and repentance; a Christian end to our life, painless, blameless, peaceful, and a good account of ourselves before the dread judgment-seat of Christ. In the concluding exclamation the priest again proclaims that we hope to obtain from God what we ask because He is merciful and man-loving. In confirmation of this hope, the priest, after the conclusion of the ectenia, blesses the congregation, saying, Peace to all, whereto the latter responds by the good wish And to thy spirit. After the ectenia, hymns are chanted in honor and memory of the person or event to which the services of the day are dedicated. These hymns are separated by verses taken from various parts of the Scriptures, and are, therefore, called Sticheræ on Verses.
Conclusion of Vespers.
Filled with hope in the Son of God, Who, having become incarnate from the Virgin Mary, gave to those that believe in Him the right to call God their Father, we can retire to rest without fear, even though this rest should pass into that of death. Therefore we conclude our evening prayers with the last prayer of the blessed Symeon, the Lords prayer, a hymn in praise of the Mother of God, and ask Gods blessing, exclaiming: Blessed be the name of the Lord, hence-forth and forever more. In reply to this, the priest blesses the people, saying: The blessing of the Lord be upon you, by His grace and love toward mankind, always, now, and ever, and unto the ages of the ages.ഊ
St. Symeons Prayer. Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, O Master, ac cording to Thy word. For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples; a light of revelation for the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people, Israel.
The Litiá.
Sometimes, at an All-night Vigil, towards the end of Vespers, the officiating clergy go
forth with censers and candles into the vestibule of the church, there to perform the Litiá. The word means earnest supplication. In ancient times this was done in order that the catechumens and penitents who stood in the vestibule might participate in the gladness of the festival. The faithful used to come out with the clergy, to signify their humility and their brotherly love towards those who had sinned. At the present time this custom still survives and serves as a reminder to all Christians that they may have a care to the purity of their souls, which alone makes them worthy to enter into the House of God. The Litia consists chiefly of an ectenia, recited by the deacon, for the salvation of the people; for the sovereign and his House; for the clergy; for all afflicted Christian souls (afflicted by sorrow or sin), desirous of aid; for the city, the country and all Christians living therein; for the deceased fathers and brethren; for deliver-ance from famine, epidemics, earthquakes, flood, fire, sword, hostile invasion and civil strife. After the ectenia all present bow their heads and the priest says a prayer in which he beseeches the Lord to accept our prayer, to grant us the remission of our transgressions, to chase away from us every foe, to keep our life in peace, to have mercy on us and to save us. In the churches which have no vestibule, the Litia is performed inside the church, by the western entrance. Note. In times of public calamities, the Litia is sometimes performed out of doors, on fields, public squares or city halls. For this purpose the clergy comes out bearing Crosses, banners and icons, forming a procession.
After the Litia, the clergy, to the singing of verses, return from the vestibule into the church, and stand in the middle of it, before a table on which have been placed five loaves of bread and three vessels, one with wheat, one with grape wine and one with oil. After reading the concluding prayers of the Vespers office, the priest makes the sign of the Cross over the loaves and prays the Lord that He may bless them and multiply them in the whole world, and sanctify the faithful (Christians) who partake of these gifts. The service concludes with a blessing to the congregation. In ancient times, immediately after the blessing of the loaves, a portion of the Apostle was read,* with appropriate explanations. During this reading all sat, and the deacons distributed to the hearers a piece each of the blessed bread and a cup of the wine, that they might sustain their strength. At the present time, the services being abridged, no food is offered be-tween Vespers and Matins.
* The name of Apostle is given to that portion of the New Testament which contains the Acts of the Apostles, The Epistles, and the Apocalypse (Revelation).
