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Vespers (from Latin vesper 'evening' [1]) is a liturgy of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Catholic (both Latin and Eastern Catholic liturgical rites), Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Lutheran liturgies. The word for this prayer time comes from the Latin vesper, meaning "evening". [2]
From Late Antiquity onwards, the office of vespers normally included psalms, the Magnificat, a hymn, and other prayers. By the Early Middle Ages, it became common for secular clergy to combine vespers and compline. By the sixteenth century, worshippers in western Europe conceived 'evensong' as vespers and compline performed without break. [3]
By the second and third centuries, such Church Fathers as Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Tertullian wrote of the practice of Morning and Evening Prayer, and of the prayers at terce, sext, and none. Daily morning and evening prayer preceded daily Mass, for the Mass was first limited to Sundays and then gradually spread to some feast days.
Similarly, Evening Prayer, also derived from German Lutheran liturgies, incorporated both the Magnificat from Vespers and the Nunc Dimittis from Compline. In Cranmer's adaptation of preceding Lutheran forms, each canticle was preceded by a reading from scripture.
Vespers is the evening prayer service in the liturgies of the canonical hours. The word comes from the Greek εσπερινός and its Latin equivalent vesper , meaning "evening." In Lutheranism the traditional form has varied widely with time and place.
Vouchsafe, O Lord (Greek Καταξίωσον, Κύριε, Latin Dignare, Domine) are the initial words of a prayer from the Matins and Vespers service of the Eastern Orthodox, [citation needed] and the former Prime and Compline of the Roman and Eastern Catholic Churches, and for Matins and Vespers (or Morning and Evening Prayer) of the Anglican, Lutheran, and other liturgical Protestant churches.
"Evening prayer" may also refer to: Ma'ariv, the evening prayer in Judaism. See Jewish services; Maghrib, the obligatory prayer in Islam offered in the evening; Vespers, the Christian service of evening prayer celebrated in the Roman Catholic, Lutheran and Adventist denominations
The liturgical vespers is an evening prayer service according to the Catholic Officium Divinum (Divine Office). At Monteverdi's time, it was sung in Latin, as were all Catholic services then. A vespers service at the time contained five psalms, a hymn and the Magnificat (Mary's song of praise). [11]