Vespers is the sunset evening prayer of the Church, has spiritually sustained the faithful for nearly two millennia. Evening Prayer gives thanks for the day just past and makes an evening sacrifice of praise to God.
Although painfully absent from parish life since the liturgical reforms of the last century, this newly typeset and edited volume provides everything a parish or individual needs to recite the evening office for Sundays and major feast days according to the rubrics of the 1962 Breviarium Romanum.
In addition to being printed with a dual-column Latin/English text, the book includes the Gregorian melodies necessary for singing Vespers in common; prayers to be said before and after the office; and an extensive introduction on the history of the breviary. Rubrics printed in red.
Sample Page from the Book of Vespers
The general structure of the Roman Rite Catholic service of vespers is as follows
- Vespers opens with the singing or chanting of the words Deus, in adiutorium meum intende. Domine, ad adiuvandum me festina. Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen. Alleluia. (O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia.) (“Alleluia” is omitted during Lent.)
- The appointed hymn (from the hymnarium) is then sung;
- The appointed psalmody is then sung: in the liturgy in general use since 1970 there are two psalms and a New Testament canticle, while in the older tradition, five psalms are sung instead. Each psalm (and canticle) concludes with a doxology (Gloria Patri) and is preceded and followed by an antiphon.
- After the psalms, there is a reading from the Bible.
- Following the reading, there is a short responsory consisting of a verse, a response, the first half only of the Gloria Patri, and then the verse again.
- Then the participants sing the Magnificat — the canticle of the Blessed Virgin Mary from the Gospel of Luke 1:46-55. The Magnificat is always preceded by an antiphon, and followed by the Gloria and an antiphon.
- The preces (intercessory prayers) are then said, followed by the Our Father, and then the closing prayer (oratio) and final blessing/invocation.
- The office is frequently followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
Vespers: Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
PRAYER BEFORE THE DIVINE OFFICE
COMMON OF SUNDAY VESPERS
CYCLE OF CHRISTMAS
First Sunday of Advent
Second Sunday of Advent
Third Sunday of Advent
The Great Antiphons
Fourth Sunday of Advent
The Nativity of Our Lord
Sunday within the Octave of Christmas
Octave-Day of the Nativity
The Most Holy Name of Jesus
The Epiphany of Our Lord
Feast of the Holy Family
Second Sunday after Epiphany
Third Sunday after Epiphany
Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
Sixth Sunday after Epiphany
CYCLE OF EASTER
Septuagesima Sunday
Sexagesima Sunday
Quinquagesima Sunday
First Sunday of Lent
Second Sunday of Lent
Third Sunday of Lent
Fourth Sunday of Lent
Sunday of the Passion
Second Sunday in Passiontide or Palm Sunday
Holy Saturday
The Resurrection of our Lord
Low Sunday
Second Sunday after Easter
Third Sunday after Easter
Fourth Sunday after Easter
Fifth Sunday after Easter
The Ascension of Our Lord
Sunday After the Ascension
Pentecost
TIME AFTER PENTECOST
Feast of the Blessed Trinity
The Feast of Corpus Christi
Second Sunday after Pentecost
The Feast of the Sacred Heart
Third Sunday after Pentecost
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost
Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost
Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost
The Last Sunday after Pentecost
PROPER OF THE SAINTS
Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Commemoration 6f Advent at Vespers of the
Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
St. Joseph
Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
St. Joseph the Workman
Nativity of St. John the Baptist
Sts. Peter and Paul
Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
St. Pius X
Dedication of St. Michael, Archangel
Our Lord Jesus Christ, King
All Saints
Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed
VESPER PSALMS GROUPED IN TONES
BENEDICAMUS DOMINO
PRAYER AFTER THE DIVINE OFFICE
