Vespers, or the evening service, is the first of the seven Church Offices with which the public divine service of each liturgical day begins. The term “Vespers” is of Slavic origin (from *veceru*—“evening”) and was adopted into both Greek and Latin. The Latinized Romanian name is *Vesperina*.

Time of Celebration

In ancient times, Vespers was celebrated after sunset. Today, according to the Typikon, Vespers is celebrated approximately 4 hours before nightfall. On summer days when it gets dark later, Vespers may also be celebrated between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. Exceptions to this rule are cases in which Vespers is combined with one of the three Liturgies (with the Liturgy of St. Gregory the Dialogist on all Wednesdays and Fridays during Great Lent; with the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great: four times a year—on Christmas Eve, Epiphany Eve, Maundy Thursday, and Holy Saturday; with the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom: on the Annunciation, if this feast falls on a weekday). Other exceptions include cases where Vespers is celebrated in the morning: on Pentecost Sunday (Vespers of the Month of Pentecost—celebrated on Pentecost Sunday after the Divine Liturgy) and on Good Friday.

The Purpose of Vespers

The purpose of the evening prayer is to give thanks to God for the day that has passed and to ask for His help in getting through the night that is approaching.

St. Basil the Great said of Vespers: “When the day comes to an end, it is fitting to give thanks for all that we have received during the course of that day and for all that we have accomplished successfully; then to confess all that we have failed to accomplish, whether our fault was intentional or unintentional, whether committed in secret, through words, through deeds, or hidden in the heart; for all these things we must implore God’s mercy through prayer. For reflecting on the past is of great benefit, so that we may not fall into such sins again;”

Explanation of the Order of Vespers

The blessing formula at the beginning of Vespers: “Blessed is the Lord our God…” shows that, in the early era of salvation history—which this service represents—humanity knew nothing else about God except that He exists and that He is One. The incomplete nature of revelation in those distant times is also symbolized by the fact that at the beginning of the service only the dvera is opened, while the royal doors remain closed, thus representing the indistinct and vague knowledge that the world had of God at that time, which was based more on the memory of the primordial revelation at creation.

The priest’s exit from the sanctuary and his standing before the (closed) royal doors while reciting the prayers of the lights symbolizes the expulsion of our ancestors, Adam and Eve, from paradise.

The descent from “Lord, I have cried out…” is the visible symbol of our prayer, which we lift up to God just as the smoke of incense rises.

The procession with the censer symbolizes the Lord’s coming into the world, and the opening of the royal doors before the procession represents the reopening of paradise to humanity through the coming of the New Adam, our Savior Jesus Christ.

The hymn “Lumina Lina” is one of the oldest, dating back, according to some sources, to the second century. The recitation or singing of this hymn at this moment signifies that, amid the chaos and darkness in which humanity struggled during the period of the Old Law, the expectation and coming of the Messiah were like a guiding star, a source of confidence and hope. That is why the significance of this moment is marked by the phrase “Wisdom of the righteous!”

The prayer of the righteous Simeon: “Now let Your servant depart in peace, O Lord…” has biblical origins. We find its text in the Gospel of Saint Luke, chapter 2, verses 29–32. It symbolizes the end of the Old Testament era with the coming of the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Fr. Prof. Dr. Ene Braniste, Special Liturgy,
Published by Lumea Credintei, Bucharest 2008