Devotions at Vespers
Although there is no express commandment which makes it a mortal sin to be absent from Vespers, yet every good Catholic will make it his duty to attend when he can, and sec that his family are present also. We are commanded to sanctify the Lord's day, and the other Holy-days of obligation; but if a Catholic neglects the public service of the Church on Sunday afternoons, without any reasonable excuse, how can it be expected that he will apply himself to sanctify it in other ways?
Be present, therefore, always in the Church at Vespers, and employ the moments you spend there in praying devoutly.
While the priest and choir are singing the Office, you can follow them by using the following translation; or, if you prefer, you may make use of some other prayers, according to your devotion.
PRAYER BEFORE THE OFFICE.
Lord, open my lips to praise Thy holy name: cleanse my heart also from all vain, perverse and wandering thoughts; enlighten my mind and inflame my heart, so that I may recite this office worthily, attentively, and devoutly, and merit a gracious hearing in the presence of Thy divine
Majesty: through Christ our Lord. Amen. Vespers for Sundays and Festivals.
First recite an Our Father and a Hail Mary; and then begin with the sign of the Cross, thus:
V. Incline unto my
aid, God.
R. Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Before and after each Psalm is sung an Antiphon, which varies according to the Festivals.
Antiphon. The Lord said:
Psalm cix. Dixit Dominus.
The Lord said to my
Lord: Sit' Thou at my right
hand, until I make Thy
enemies Thy footstool.
The Lord will send forth
the sceptre of Thy power
out of Sion: rule Thou in
the midst of Thy enemies.
With Thee is the principality in the day of Thy
strength, in the brightness
of Thy saints: from the
womb before the day-star
I begot Thee.
The Lord hath sworn,
and he will not repent:
Thou art a priest forever
according to the order of
Melchisedech.
The Lord at Thy right
hand hath broken kings in
the day of His wrath
He shall judge among
nations, He shall fill ruins,
He shall crush the heads in
the land of many.
He shall drink of the torrent in the way: therefore
shall He lift up the head.
Glory be to the Father, &c.
Ant. The Lord said to
my Lord, Sit Thou at my
right hand.
Ant. All His commandments. —
Psalm cx.
I will praise Thee,
Lord, with my whole heart:
in the assembly of the just,
and in the congregation.
Great are the works of
the Lord: exquisite and
agreeable to all His designs.
His work is His praise
and glory: and His justice
remaineth forever.
The merciful and gracious Lord hath appointed
a memorial of His wonderful works: He hath given
food to them that fear Him.
He will be forever mindful of His covenant: the
greatness of His works will
He publish to His people.
To give them the inheritance of the Gentiles: the
works of His hands are
truth and justice.
True and lasting are all
His ordinances, confirmed
for ever and ever; made in
truth and justice.
He hath sent redemption,
to His people: He hath appointed His covenant forever.
Holy and awful is His
name: the fear of the Lord
is the beginning of wisdom.
All understand it right,
who practise it: His praise
endureth for ever and ever
Glory be to the Father, &c.
Ant. All His commandments are faithful, confirmed for ever and ever.
Ant. He shall delight —
Psalm cxi. Beatus vir.
Blessed is the man that
feareth the Lord: in His
commandments He shall
take great delight.
Mighty on earth shall be
His seed: the generation
of the righteous shall be
blessed.
Glory and wealth shall
be in His house: and His
justice endureth for ever
and ever.
He is risen in darkness,
a light to the upright: He
is merciful, compassionate,
and just.
Acceptable is the man
that showeth mercy and
lendeth: He shall order His
words with judgment, and
He shall never give way.
The just man shall be in
eternal remembrance: He
shall net fear an evil report.
His heart is ready to
hope in the Lord: his heart
is strengthened: he shall
not yield till he despise his
enemies.
He hath distributed and
given to the poor: his
righteousness remaineth
forever: his power shall be
exalted in glory.
The sinner shall see it,
and be enraged: he shall
gnash his teeth and pine
away: the desire of sinners
shall perish.
Glory be to the Father, &c.
Ant. He shall delight
exceedingly in His commandments.
Ant. Blessed be the name-
Psalm cxii. Laudate pueri.
Praise the Lord, ye servants of the Lord: praise
ye the name of the Lord.
Let the name of the
Lord be blessed: now and
for evermore.
From the rising of the
sun to the setting thereof:
worthy of praise is the
name of the Lord.
High is the Lord above
all the nations: and above
the heavens in his glory.
Who is like unto the
Lord our God, who dwelleth on high: and beholdeth what is below in heaven
and on earth ?
Who from the earth raiseth up the needy one: and
from the dunghill lifteth
up the poor one:
To place him with the
princes: the princes of His
people.
Who maketh the barren
woman to dwell in her
house: the joyful mother
of many children.
Glory be to the Father, &c.
Ant. Blessed be the name
of the Lord for evermore.
Ant. We who live —
psalm cxiii. In exitu Israel.
When Israel came out of
Egypt: the house of Jacob
from among a strange people.
Judah was made His
sanctuary: and Israel His
dominion.
The sea beheld and fled:
Jordan was turned back.
The mountains skipped
like rams: and the little
hills like the lambs of the
flock.
What aileth thee, thou
sea, that thou fleddest: and
thou Jordan, that thou wast
turned back ?
Ye mountains, that ye
skipped like rams: and ye
little hills like the lambs
of the flock?
At the presence of the
Lord the earth was moved:
at the presence of the God
of Jacob.
Who turned the rock into
a standing water: and the
stony hill into a flowing
stream.
Not unto us, Lord, not
unto us: but unto Thy
name give the glory.
For Thy mercy and for
Thy truth's sake: lest the
gentiles should say, Where
is their God ?
But our God is in heaven: He bath done whatsoever He would.
The idols of the gentiles
are silver and gold: the
work of the hands of men.
They have mouths, and
they shall not speak: they
have eyes, and they shall
not see.
They have ears, and they
shall not hear: they have
noses, and they shall not
smell.
They have hands, and
they shall not feel; they
have feet, and they shall
not walk: neither shall they
speak through their throat.
Let those that make them
become like unto them: and
all such as put their trust
in them.
The house of Israel hath
hoped in the Lord: He is
their helper and protector.
The house of Aaron hath
hoped in the Lord: He is
their helper and protector.
They that fear the Lord,
have hoped in the Lord:
He is their helper and protector.
The Lord hath been
mindful of us: and hath
blessed us.
He hath blessed the house
of Israel: he hath blessed
the house of Aaron.
He hath blessed all that
fear the Lord: the least together with the greatest.
May the Lord add blessings upon you: upon you,
and upon your children.
Blessed be ye of the Lord:
Who Hath made heaven
and earth.
The heaven of heavens is
the Lord's: but the earth
hath He given to the children of men.
The dead shall not praise
Thee, Lord: neither all
they that go down into
hell.
But we who live, bless
the Lord: from this time
forth for evermore.
Glory be to the Father,
&c.
Ant. We who live, bless
the Lord.
Then follow the Little Chapter and the Hymn; after which is said, with its proper Antiphon:
The Magnificat, or Canticle of the Blessed Virgin.
My soul doth magnify the Lord;
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour,
For he hath regarded:
the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold from henceforth:
all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me:
and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him throughout all generations.
He hath showed strength with his arm:
he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat:
and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things:
and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He hath received Israel His servant, being mindful of His mercy.
As He spoke to our fathers: to Abraham and his seed forever.
Glory be to the Father, &c.
Here follow the proper Collect, and the Commemorations, if any; after which one of the Antiphons of the Blessed Virgin is sung, as at page 63.
[N. B. — The Psalms hitherto given, are sung on Sundays when the Vespers are those of the Sunday. When the Vespers are those of a Saint, d-c, some changes are made, which we shall now indicate, observing that when only one Psalm is given, as the last Psalm, the others are the same as on Sundays.]
COMMON OF APOSTLES AND EVANGELISTS.
First Vespers.
Psalms as on Sundays, with the exception of the last, for which Psalm cxvi., Laudate Dominum, is used, as follows:
Psalm cxvi. Laudate Dominium.
Praise the Lord, all ye
gentiles: praise Him, all ye
people:
For His mercy is confirmed upon us: and the
truth of the Lord endureth
forever.
Second Vespers.
psalm cixv. Dixit Domincs. Psalm cxii., Laudate, Pueri
Then the three following:
Psalm cxv. Credidi.
I believed, and therefore
did I speak: but I was
humbled exceedingly.
I said in my excess: All
men are liars.
What shall I render unto
the Lord: for all He hath
rendered unto me ?
I will take the chalice of
salvation: and call upon
the name of the Lord.
I will pay my vows unto
the Lord in the presence of
all His people: precious in
the sight of the Lord is the
death of His saints.
Lord, I am Thy servant: I am Thy servant,
and the son of Thy handmaid.
Thou hast broken my
bonds: I will offer unto
Thee the sacrifice of praise,
and will call upon the
name of the Lord.
I will pay my vows unto
the Lord in the sight of all
His people: in the courts
of the house of the Lord, in
the midst of Thee, O Jerusalem.
Psalm cxxv. In convertendo.
When the Lord turned
again the captivity of Sion:
we became like men that
are comforted:
Then was our mouth filled with gladness: and our
tongue with joy.
Then shall they say
among the gentiles: The
Lord hath done great things
for them.
The Lord hath done great
things for us: we are become very joyful.
Turn again our captivity,
Lord: as a river in the
south.
They that sow in tears:
shall reap in joy.
Going on their way, they
went and wept: scattering
their seed.
But returning, they shall
come with joyfulness: bringing their sheaves with them.
Psalm cxxxviii. Domine, probasti.
Lord, Thou hast proved
me, and known me: Thou
hast known my sitting down
and my rising up.
Thou hast understood my
thoughts long before: my
path and my line hast Thou
searched out.
And Thou hast foreseen
all my ways: for there is
not a word in my tongue.
Behold, Lord, Thou
hast known all things, new
and old: Thou hast formed
me, and laid Thine hand
upon me.
Thy knowledge is become
too wonderful for me: it is
strong and high, and I cannot attain unto it.
Whither shall I go from
Thy spirit: and whither
shall I flee from Thy face?
If I go up into heaven,
Thou art there: if I go
down into hell, Thou art
there also.
If I take to me the wings
of the morning: and dwell
in the uttermost parts of the
sea:
Even there also shall
Thy hand lead me: and
Thy right hand shall hold
me.
And I said, Peradventure the darkness shall
cover me: and night shall
be my light in my pleasures.
But darkness shall not be
dark to Thee, and night
shall be as light as the
day: the darkness thereof
and the light thereof are
alike to Thee.
For Thou hast possessed
my reins: Thou hast holpen me from my mother's
womb.
I will praise Thee, for
Thou art fearfully magnified: marvellous are Thy
works, and my soul knoweth them right well.
My bones are not hid
from Thee, which Thou
didst fashion in secret: and
my substance in the lower
parts of the earth.
Thine eyes did see my
imperfect being, and in
Thy book shall all men be
written: day by day shall
they be formed, while yet
there is no one.
But to me Thy friends,
God, are made exceedingly
honorable: most firmly is
their dominion established.
I will tell them, and they
shall be more in number
than the sand: I have
risen up, and am still with
Thee.
Wilt Thou not slay the
wicked, God: ye men of
blood, depart from me:
For ye say in your
thoughts: They shall take
Thy cities in vain.
Have I not hated them,
Lord, that hated Thee:
and pined away because of
Thine enemies?
I have hated them with a
perfect hatred: and they became as enemies unto me.
Prove me, God, and
try my heart: examine
me, and search out my
paths.
And look well, if there be
in me the way of iniquity:
and lead me in the way
everlasting.
COMMON OF MARTYRS.
First Vespers: last Psalm, Laudate Dominum, p. 5ft. Second Vespers: last Psalm, Credidi, p. 61,
COMMON OF A CONFESSOR AND BISHOP.
First Vespers: last Psalm, Laudate Dominum, p. 50. Second Vespers: last Psalm, Memento, Domine, as follows:
psalm cxxxi. Memento, Domine.
Lord, remember David:
and all his meekness.
How he sware unto the
Lord: and vowed a vow
unto the God of Jacob: