The Service of Light with which Evening Prayer begins is one of my favorite parts of the liturgy. On this gloomy, rainy day, it came to mind and I thought I'd post it. I don't think I am ever more at peace than when we're gathered together as a congregation and praying these beautiful words.Jesus Christ is the light of the world.
The light no darkness can overcome.
Stay with us, Lord, for it is evening
And the day is almost over.
Let Your light scatter the darkness.
And illumine Your church.
Joyous Light of glory:
Of the immortal Father;
Heavenly, holy, blessed Jesus Christ.
We have come to the setting of the sun
And we look to the evening light.
We sing to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy of being praised with pure voices forever,
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
The Universe proclaim Your glory.
We praise and thank You, O God, for You are without beginning and without end. Through Christ You are the creator and preserver of the whole world; but above all, You are His God and Father, the Giver of the Spirit, and the Ruler of all that is, seen and unseen. You made the days for the works of light and the night for the refreshment of our weakness. O loving Lord and source of all that is good, mercifully accept our evening sacrifice of praise. As You have conducted us through the day and brought us to night's beginning, keep us now in Christ; grant us a peaceful evening and a night free from sin; and at the end bring us to everlasting life, through Christ, our Lord; through Him be glory, honor, and power to You in the Holy Spirit now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
--LSB, Evening Prayer (with Thanksgiving for Light - 2)
8 comments:
is Vespers the same as Evening Prayer or is there a difference in the LSB?
I love this liturgy too. We use it at Good Shepherd for Advent midweek service (with incense, if you can believe it!) I think it is especially beautiful to sing "Jesus Christ is the light of the world, the light no darkness can overcome" in preparation for His most holy Nativity.
Chris,
LSB offers essentially two settings for the evening office, one called Vespers, one Evening Prayer. The one called Vespers is more distinctly Western and is basically no different from that employed by Rome (pre-Vatican II). The one called Evening Prayer draws more on Eastern sources, and so not only does it feature the lucinarium, but it also includes the Litany "in peace, let us pray to the Lord..." and the singing of Psalm 141 also.
However, in structure they are largely the same:
Psalmody - Readings - Canticle - Prayers
Fr. Roemke,
Do you just set the incense upon the altar? I think that's a wonderfully unobtrusive way to introduce the practice to our parishes, as we are singing: "Let my prayer rise before You as incense..." Yes, that liturgy and the Hymn: "Creator of the Stars of Night" absolutely make for Advent joy!
Is the Phos Hilarion in Vespers too? Or just Evening Prayer? I can't recall, but it is one of my favorite parts of Vespers in the Eastern Rite.
Fr. Weedon,
I have a small table-top censer that I elevate at the beginning and the end of the psalm, the rest of the time it remains on the altar before the crucifix. I have an altar assistant bring out the lit incense after the Thanksgiving for Light (a very reverent and capable young man whom I have dubbed my arch-subdeacon).
Harry,
No Phos Hilaron in Vespers unless you sing it as the hymn (something we often do when we pray Vespers in Lent).
The Magnificat is the staple of Western Vespers, whereas the Phos Hilarion is for Eastern Vespers, and the Magnificat is associated with Matins in the East.
So if Vespers is Western Vespers and Evening Prayer is more Eastern, and assuming that the pattern holds for Matins and Morning Prayer, the LSB runs true to form -- the Magnificat is not in Morning Prayer, but remains in Evening Prayer as well as the Phos Hilarion!
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