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UID:3826@holymartyrpeter.ca
DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20240406T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20240406T193000
DTSTAMP:20210107T222600Z
URL:https://holymartyrpeter.ca/events/great-vespers-2024-04-06/
SUMMARY:Great Vespers
DESCRIPTION:Confessions afterwards.\nVespers\nIn the Orthodox Church the li
 turgical day begins in the evening with the setting of the sun. This pract
 ice follows the Biblical account of creation: “And there was evening and
  there was morning\, one day” (Gen 1.5).\n\nThe Vespers service in the C
 hurch always begins with the chanting of the evening psalm: “. . . t
 he sun knows it’s time for setting\, Thou makest darkness and it is nigh
 t . . .” (Ps 104.19–20). This psalm\, which glorifies God’s crea
 tion of the world\, is man’s very first act of worship\, for man first o
 f all meets God as Creator.\nBless the Lord\, oh my soul\, O Lord my God\,
  Thou art very great . . .\n\nO Lord\, how manifold are Thy works! In 
 wisdom hast Thou made them all. The earth is full of Thy creatures (Ps 10
 4.24).\nFollowing the psalm\, the Great Litany\, the opening petition of a
 ll liturgical services of the Church is intoned. In it we pray to the Lord
  for everyone and everything.\n\nFollowing this litany a number of psalms 
 are chanted\, a different group each evening. These psalms normally are om
 itted in parish churches though they are done in monasteries. On the eve o
 f Sunday\, however\, sections of the first psalm and the other psalms whic
 h are chanted to begin the week are usually sung even in parish churches.\
 n\nPsalm 141 is always sung at Vespers. During this psalm the evening ince
 nse is offered:\nLord\, I call upon Thee\, hear me. Hear me\, O Lord.\n\nL
 et my prayer arise in Thy sight as incense.\n\nAnd let the lifting up of m
 y hands be an evening sacrifice. Hear me\, O Lord (Ps 141.1–2).\nAt thi
 s point special hymns are sung for the particular day. If it be a Church f
 east: songs in honor of the celebration are sung. On Saturday evenings\, t
 he eve of the Lord’s Day\, these hymns always praise Christ’s resurrec
 tion from the dead.\n\nThe special hymns normally end with a song called a
  Theotokion which honors Mary\, the Mother of Christ. Following this\, the
  vesperal hymn is sung. If it be a special feast or the eve of Sunday\, th
 e celebrant will come to the center or the church building with lighted ca
 ndles and incense. This hymn belongs to every Vespers service.\nO Gladsome
  Light of the holy glory of the Immortal Father\, heavenly\, holy\, blesse
 d Jesus Christ. Now we have come to the setting of the sun and behold the 
 light of evening. We praise God: Father\, Son\, and Holy Spirit. For it is
  right at all times to worship Thee with voices of praise\, O Son of God a
 nd Giver of Life\, therefore all the world glorifies Thee.\nChrist is prai
 sed as the Light which illumines man’s darkness\, the Light of the world
  and of the Kingdom of God which shall have no evening (Is 60.20\, Rev 21.
 25).\n\nA verse from the Psalms\, the prokeimenon\, follows—a different 
 one for each day\, announcing the day’s spiritual theme. If it be a spec
 ial day\, three readings from the Old Testament are included. Then more ev
 ening prayers and petitions follow with additional hymns for the particula
 r day\, all of which end with the chanting of the Song of Saint Simeon:\nL
 ord\, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word\,
  for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation: which Thou hast prepared before th
 e face of all people. A light for revelation to the Gentiles\, and to be t
 he glory of Thy people Israel (Lk 1.29–32).\nAfter proclaiming our own 
 vision of Christ\, the Light and Salvation of the world\, we say the praye
 rs of the Thrice-Holy (trisagion) through to the Our Father. We sing the m
 ain theme song of the day\, called the Troparion\, and we are dismissed wi
 th the usual benediction.\n\nThe service of Vespers takes us through creat
 ion\, sin\, and salvation in Christ. It leads us to the meditation of God
 ’s word and the glorification of his love for men. It instructs us and a
 llows us to praise God for the particular events or persons whose memory i
 s celebrated and made present to us in the Church. It prepares us for the 
 sleep of the night and the dawn of the new day to come. On the evening bef
 ore the Divine Liturgy\, it begins our movement into the most perfect comm
 union with God in the sacramental mysteries.\n\n[Source]
CATEGORIES:Services
LOCATION:Holy Martyr Peter the Aleut Orthodox Church\, 1802 33 Ave SW\, Cal
 gary\, AB\, T2T 1Y9\, Canada
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