www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Vespers?

Peace be with all!
I would like to ask a question regarding the office of vespers. Say it is monday, and I decide to celebrate vespers monday night. Now, would I use the Troparion and other "inserts" of monday or would I use the "inserts" of tuesday, because the Byzantine liturgical day begins at sundown?
Also, is there anyone who can guide me through the actions and "inserts" of a simplified, single-person service of vespers? And one final question, what is the canononical hour of 11:00am
in a version that I can celebrate in about thirty minutes? Thank you for all your answers.
-Slava Isusu Christu!
Slava Na Viki!
Justin

Justin,

Byzantine Vespers during the Great Fast is confusing in that there are two cycles. In the normal cycle the day begins and ends at sunset. Therefore the saint of the new day is commemorated at vespers. During the Fast the lenten day runs from midnight to midnight. Commemorating everything properly can get quite complex. I recommend following the format provided on this website at https://www.byzcath.org/faith/worship/vespers-great-fast.htm and just changing the stichera as appropriate. The Sisters of St. Basil do have a "Lenten Triodion" available and it is a wonderful resource. The very best English language Triodion is the "The Lenten Triodion" (1977) and "The Lenten Triodion Supplementary Texts" (1979) translated by Mother Mary and Archimandriate Kallistos Ware (now Bishop Ware). St. Tikhon's Seminary Press (South Cannan, Scranton, PA) reprinted these a few years ago and they are worth every penny. The introductions are well written and profitable for everyone to read and pray over.

The general format is as follows:

-Introductory Prayers (Trisagion Prayers)
-Psalm 103 [104]
-Litany of Peace
-The 18th Kathisma (Psalms 119-133 [120-134]) with a "Glory�" and the "Alleluia" and a short litany after each set of 5 psalms.
-Psalm 140 (also 141, 129 and 116)
--The stichera from the Triodion
--The stichera for the saint of the next calendar day
--Glory, now and ever, Theotokion of the Menaion.
-The Hymn "O Joyful Light"
-The Prokimny and the Old Testament readings from Genesis and Proverbs
-Hymn of Glorification ("Count us worthy, O Lord")
-Litany of Fervent Intercsssion
-Apostica (repeat the ones from above with the proper scriptural verses from Psalm 122 if there are no specific ones provided)
-Canticle of Simeon
-Trisagion Prayers ("O Most Holy Trinity�.", etc. and the Lord's Prayer)
-The Lenten Troparia and the Lenten Prostrations)
-Lord, have mercy. (40), Glory�., More honorable�..
-The Prayer of St. Ephraim twice (the first time with the prostrations after each verse, the second time with the prostration after the entire prayer).
-The Trisagion Prayers (again)
-Psalm 33 [34]
-Dismissal

[This is not every detail but almost.]

Moose

Justin-

Cool name! (my name is actually Dustin!)

I like praying Vespers a lot. What you want to do is the following:

Insert the saint for the next day, except as noted, during Lent.

You want to remember that Sunday is the last day in the week for the purposes of liturgical stuff: the fifth week of lent ends on Sunday, then the sixth week starts Monday, for instance.

TO learn how to CHANT the service of Vespers, you absolutely should purchase the Vespers book and acompanying CD's from J. Michael Thompson at Byzantine Seminary Press. Total cost is $42. Send it to J. Michael Thompson c/o Byzantine Semianary (address is on this website). He will send it within a week.

If you are more interested in other types of melodies, such as the Byzantine system, or the Russian system, there are other things available out there. New Valaam Trading Company has some stuff for Russian tones in English.

In Christ,

anastasios