Categories: orthodox-life
Date: 27 September 2004 23:12:08
Saturday evening is when we celebrate Great Vespers: and the words of the liturgy are still ringing in my ears today (Tuesday). As I've mentioned before, singing (or chanting) a service tends to help me recall it during the week. The liturgical day begins at the setting of the sun in Orthodoxy, so Vespers would be the first service of the day. The Vespers service covers the entire history of salvation: it is an amazing service, rich, nay soaked, with doctrine.
Psalms 104, 141 and 142 are always chanted. With Psalms 141 and 142 there is a particular type of chanting where the congregation chants the end of each verse. As an example: "Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the doors of my lips" (the italicised part is where the congregation joins the reader). I don't know if there is a technical term for this, being a musical ignoramus, but I am swept up to heaven especially during this time. It is beautiful. In addition, the verses are interspersed with doctrine and theological statements.
Other Scripture is read, and there are continual cycles of prayer. One of these, O Gladsome Light, has been a favourite of mine for a long time (I first discovered it in an Irish Benedictine Prayer Book). I'll leave you with it:
O Gladsome Light of the holy glory of the immortal Father: heavenly, holy, blessed, O Jesus Christ. Now that we have come to the setting of the sun, and behold the light of evening we praise God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. How right it is at all times to worship You with voices of praise, O Son of God, and giver of life. Therefore, all the world glorifies You!