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| Plaque with Censing Angels, ca. 1170–1180 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Cloisters Collection, 2001 (2001.634) |
At the hour of Vespers, the Church signifies the first coming of the Lord, which took place near the evening time of the world, in the final age; on account of this, She offers thanks to God...
In addition, Christ was taken down from the cross at Vespers.
At the same hour, at supper, He instituted the sacrament of His Body and Blood and He washed the feet of his disciples; and dressed as a pilgrim, He revealed himself in the breaking of the bread.
Therefore the Church rightly gives thanks to Christ at this hour.
William Durand, Commentary on the [Roman] Office (c1230-96)
The variable content of Vespers
Vespers is, in my view, something of a chameleon hour, taking on different spiritualities and themes depending on whether what is said is the 'ferial', or everyday version of this hour, described by St Benedict in his Rule; or Vespers for a feast or season, using the great many special texts - antiphons, hymns and more - that have been composed for use at it over the centuries.
The challenge in learning how to say this hour is that while the basic structure of the hour always stays the same, pretty much the only texts that are 'fixed' at the hour, or always said, are the basic framework components of the opening and closing prayers standard to all the hours, together with the canticle, the Magnificat.
Accordingly, I'm going to start, in this post, by focusing on the basic structure of Vespers.
In the second post, I'll provide a bit more of a guide to St Benedict's own particular take on the hour, in the ferial Office; in the third post on Vespers I will look at how Vespers changes during the key liturgical seasons; and I will finish off by looking at Vespers for feasts.
About Vespers
Vespers is one of the three 'major' hours of the Office (along with Matins and Lauds), important because it is typically the hour celebrated with most ceremony on feasts.
Vespers is typically said late afternoon or early evening.
Early accounts of it generally treat it as one of the four 'night hours (with Compline, Matins and Lauds), said either around the eleventh 'hour' of daylight (in a system where there are always twelve 'hours' of varying length from dawn to sunset), thus as the sun starts to set, or at sunset.
One of the key differences between Vespers and the other hours is that two sets of Vespers (I&II Vespers) can nominally relate to the same 'day', a legacy of the tradition that feasts start at dusk the night before the day of the feast.
Vespers in the 'pre-Benedictine' tradition
In the pre-Benedictine tradition, the Fathers typically associated Vespers with the evening sacrifice of a lamb in the Temple, the offering of incense at that hour, and the lighting of the lamps (originally in the temple, but which became a domestic ceremony amongst Christians).
The setting of the sun, in other words, was associated both with Christ's sacrifice on the cross, and his light shining in the darkness to lead us through the night.
Those elements are certainly at least vestigially present in St Benedict's version of Vespers as it is said today.
St Benedict uses, for example, the quintessential Vespers psalm, Psalm 140, which talks about evening prayer as akin to the offering of incense.
There are also references to the offering of incense in the versicles that have come down to us even though the texts for these are not explicitly mentioned in the Rule.
For this reason, Vespers is one of the two hours (with Lauds) when incense can be used in the Office (typically at the Magnificat).
In addition, some monasteries continue to include the traditional lamp-lighting ceremony as part of the hour.
In many ways though, I think that these traditional themes are more present, in the Benedictine Office at least, in what might be viewed as the second part of Vespers, namely Compline, with its three fixed psalms paralleling the three fixed psalms of Lauds (Psalms 148-150), and Psalm 4's reference to the sacrifice of justice.
St Benedict's version of the hour, it is worth noting, differs quite significantly from that of the Roman Office.
In his discussion of the hour, for example, the thirteenth century commentator William Durandus (see the quote above) associates it with the time that Christ was taken from the cross, and sees its five psalms as standing for the five wounds of Christ.
St Benedict's hour, though, has only four psalms each day, and the absence of most of the Gradual Psalms from the sequence gives it a rather different thematic focus in my view, as I'll explain in the next post.
Over the centuries though, the Roman version of Vespers has heavily influenced the Benedictine through the development of the 'festal'versions of Vespers which mean that this hour more than any other often reflects the particular feast day being celebrated.
St Benedict uses, for example, the quintessential Vespers psalm, Psalm 140, which talks about evening prayer as akin to the offering of incense.
There are also references to the offering of incense in the versicles that have come down to us even though the texts for these are not explicitly mentioned in the Rule.
For this reason, Vespers is one of the two hours (with Lauds) when incense can be used in the Office (typically at the Magnificat).
In addition, some monasteries continue to include the traditional lamp-lighting ceremony as part of the hour.
In many ways though, I think that these traditional themes are more present, in the Benedictine Office at least, in what might be viewed as the second part of Vespers, namely Compline, with its three fixed psalms paralleling the three fixed psalms of Lauds (Psalms 148-150), and Psalm 4's reference to the sacrifice of justice.
Vespers as it has developed over the centuries
St Benedict's version of the hour, it is worth noting, differs quite significantly from that of the Roman Office.
In his discussion of the hour, for example, the thirteenth century commentator William Durandus (see the quote above) associates it with the time that Christ was taken from the cross, and sees its five psalms as standing for the five wounds of Christ.
St Benedict's hour, though, has only four psalms each day, and the absence of most of the Gradual Psalms from the sequence gives it a rather different thematic focus in my view, as I'll explain in the next post.
Over the centuries though, the Roman version of Vespers has heavily influenced the Benedictine through the development of the 'festal'versions of Vespers which mean that this hour more than any other often reflects the particular feast day being celebrated.
The structure of Vespers compared to the other day hours
In terms of structure, Vespers differs from Prime to None in that after the opening prayers, the hours moves straight to the psalmody; the hymn, chapter and so forth follow after the four psalms.
Vespers also includes two elements common only to Lauds: the New Testament canticle (Magnificat for Vespers; Benedictus for Lauds); and the (short) responsory following the chapter.
The table below summarises the overall structure of Vespers.
Vespers also includes two elements common only to Lauds: the New Testament canticle (Magnificat for Vespers; Benedictus for Lauds); and the (short) responsory following the chapter.
The table below summarises the overall structure of Vespers.
The structure of Vespers
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Opening prayers - Deus in adjutorium etc
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Antiphon (Ant) +Psalm+Gloria+Ant
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Ant +Psalm+Gloria+Ant
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Ant +Psalm+Gloria+Ant
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Ant +Psalm+Gloria+Ant
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chapter+Deo gratias
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Antiphon for the Magnificat
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Magnificat+Gloria Patri
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Antiphon repeated
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closing prayers - Kyrie eleison, etc
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- Collect
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The components of Vespers
The opening prayers
Vespers opens in the same way as all the day hours, with the 'Deus in adjuorium' and Gloria Patri.
A more elaborate chant tone or musical setting is generally used at Vespers however, and the main variants can be found in the Antiphonale Monasticum from page 1205.
The most elaborate version of this (illustrated in the video below) is reserved for 'Solemn Vespers'.
The psalms and antiphons of Vespers
Vespers opens in the same way as all the day hours, with the 'Deus in adjuorium' and Gloria Patri.
A more elaborate chant tone or musical setting is generally used at Vespers however, and the main variants can be found in the Antiphonale Monasticum from page 1205.
The most elaborate version of this (illustrated in the video below) is reserved for 'Solemn Vespers'.
A more elaborate chant tone or musical setting is generally used at Vespers however, and the main variants can be found in the Antiphonale Monasticum from page 1205.
The most elaborate version of this (illustrated in the video below) is reserved for 'Solemn Vespers'.
Vespers has four psalms - or parts of psalms - each day (one less than the Roman version of the hour), compared to the three of the other day hours.
Like Prime to None, Vespers includes both psalms and antiphons.
The key difference is that while Prime to None allocates only one antiphon to a group of psalms, at Vespers in the Benedictine Office each of the psalms normally has an antiphon of its own Ithe exception is during Eastertide), which is said before and after it, so that the structure is as set out below:
Antiphon (Ant) +Psalm+Gloria+Antiphon
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Ant +Psalm+Gloria+Ant
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Ant +Psalm+Gloria+Ant
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Ant +Psalm+Gloria+Ant
|
As noted above, the particular psalms used on a particular day can either be those of the 'ferial' office, or for the feast. While the Sunday psalms are often used for feasts, several other psalms are often used as well, with particular psalms always used for feasts of Our Lady for example.
Chapter, responsory, hymn and versicle
After the psalms, Vespers has a short lesson (chapter), responsory, hymn and versicle.
For most the year, the psalter provides the 'default texts', the texts used in 'time throughout the year' on days that are not feasts.
The psalter section does not, however, include the texts used for special seasons of the year such as Advent and Lent, or for feasts.
Accordingly, you need to remember to use the appropriate texts from elsewhere in your book at these times.
The responsory used at Vespers is usually a short form responsory, using one of a few very standard chants (the ones for the Commons of saints can be found in the Antiphonale Monasticum from page 1170).
The short responsory is almost always provided in an even more abbreviated format in Office books: to understand how to interpret the cues given and sing or say it in full, take a look at the notes on short responsories.
Some monasteries do, however, use the full or 'prolix' responsories more commonly used at Matins at I Vespers of major feasts, and a selection of these are included in the Antiphonale Monasticum from page 1183.
The Magnificat and its antiphon
The other new element to this hour is the New Testament Canticle, the Magnificat, which is effectively said as if it were psalm with an antiphon.
When the canticle is sung, the intonation is used with each verse of the canticle.
On weekdays throughout the year, the canticle antiphon is normally that of the day of the week.
On Saturdays, Sundays, feasts and during many seasons during the year, however, the Magnificat antiphon is of the day, and so must be sourced from elsewhere in your Office books.
The closing prayers - Benedicamus Domino
The closing prayers of Vespers follow the standard structure for the day hours, with the collect being that of the relevant Sunday, feast, day or hour (for example during Lent, each Lentan day has two collects assigned to it, one of which is used exclusively at Vespers).
If you are singing Vespers, however, the greater importance of the hour is signalled by the variety of chants of the final 'Benedicamus Domio/Deo Gratias' (Let us give thanks to the Lord/Thanks be to God).
If you look in the Antiphonale Monasticum from page 1244 you will see that the chants used depends on the degree of solemnity of the day, whether the Office is of I or II Vespers, and/or the season.
SUMMARY
The table below summarises the overall structure of Vespers.
The structure of Vespers
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Opening prayers - Deus in adjutorium etc
|
Antiphon (Ant) +Psalm+Gloria+Ant
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Ant +Psalm+Gloria+Ant
|
Ant +Psalm+Gloria+Ant
|
Ant +Psalm+Gloria+Ant
|
chapter+Deo gratias
|
Antiphon for the Magnificat
|
Magnificat+Gloria Patri
|
Antiphon repeated
|
closing prayers - Kyrie eleison, etc
|
- Collect
|
Do you know when the suffragia or commemorationes communes were suppressed from Lauds and Vespers?
ReplyDeleteSo far as I can tell-- I have a diurnale monasticum from 1898-- there were then no preces, dominical or ferial, as exist in the Roman books: would I be right in deducing from that datum that the monastic use didn't have them?
I'm not sure I'm afraid - certainly not part of Office as St Benedict set it out in the Rule but whether they were ever added in is another matter!
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