Great Vespers
The solemn evening service on the eve of Sundays and great feasts, often joined to Matins as the All-Night Vigil.
The Beginning
Priest:Glory to the holy, consubstantial, life-creating, and undivided Trinity, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Reader:Amen.
O Come, Let Us Worship
O come, let us worship and fall down before God our King.
O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King and our God.
O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, our King and our God.
The Introductory Psalm
Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, Thou art become exceeding glorious; Thou art clothed with majesty and honour. How magnified are Thy works, O Lord! In wisdom hast Thou made them all.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, O God. (Thrice)
The Great Litany
Deacon:In peace let us pray to the Lord.
Choir:Lord, have mercy.
Deacon:For the peace from above, and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir:Lord, have mercy.
Deacon:For the peace of the whole world, for the good estate of the holy churches of God, and for the union of all, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir:Lord, have mercy.
Deacon:For this holy house, and for those who enter it with faith, reverence, and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir:Lord, have mercy.
Deacon:For our father and bishop (Name), for the honourable priesthood, the diaconate in Christ, for all the clergy and the people, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir:Lord, have mercy.
Deacon:For this land, its authorities, and armed forces, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir:Lord, have mercy.
Deacon:For this city, for every city and country, and for the faithful who dwell therein, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir:Lord, have mercy.
Deacon:For seasonable weather, for the abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir:Lord, have mercy.
Deacon:For travellers by land, by sea, and by air; for the sick and the suffering; for captives; and for their salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir:Lord, have mercy.
Deacon:For our deliverance from all tribulation, wrath, danger, and necessity, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir:Lord, have mercy.
Deacon:Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by Thy grace.
Choir:Lord, have mercy.
Deacon:Calling to remembrance our most holy, most pure, most blessed and glorious Lady Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commit ourselves and one another, and all our life, unto Christ our God.
Choir:To Thee, O Lord.
Priest:For unto Thee are due all glory, honour, and worship: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Choir:Amen.
The First Kathisma
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly. Alleluia.
For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, and the way of the ungodly shall perish. Alleluia.
Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice in Him with trembling. Alleluia.
The Little Litany
Deacon:Again and again, in peace let us pray to the Lord.
Choir:Lord, have mercy.
Deacon:Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by Thy grace.
Choir:Lord, have mercy.
Deacon:Calling to remembrance our most holy, most pure, most blessed and glorious Lady Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commit ourselves and one another, and all our life, unto Christ our God.
Choir:To Thee, O Lord.
Lord, I Have Cried
Lord, I have cried unto Thee, hearken unto me; attend to the voice of my supplication when I cry unto Thee.
Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice.
The stichera of the feast or resurrection are sung upon the psalm verses, ending with the doxasticon and the theotokion.
The Entrance
Deacon:Wisdom. Let us attend.
O Gladsome Light
O Gladsome Light of the holy glory of the immortal Father, heavenly, holy, blessed 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.
For meet it is at all times to worship Thee with voices of praise, O Son of God and Giver of life; therefore all the world doth glorify Thee.
The Prokeimenon
Deacon:Wisdom. Let us attend.
Reader:The Lord is King, He is clothed with majesty. (Saturday evening)
On great feasts, the appointed readings from the Old Testament follow.
The Augmented Litany
Deacon:Have mercy on us, O God, according to Thy great mercy, we pray Thee, hearken and have mercy.
Choir:Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Deacon:Again we pray for our father and bishop (Name), and for all our brethren in Christ.
Choir:Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Deacon:Again we pray for this land, its authorities, and armed forces.
Choir:Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Deacon:Again we pray for our brethren, the priests, hieromonks, and all our brotherhood in Christ.
Choir:Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Deacon:Again we pray for the blessed and ever-memorable founders of this holy church, and for all our fathers and brethren gone to their rest before us, and the Orthodox here and everywhere laid to rest.
Choir:Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Deacon:Again we pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, and visitation for the servants of God, all the brethren of this holy church, and for the pardon and remission of their sins.
Choir:Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Deacon:Again we pray for those who bring offerings and do good works in this holy and all-venerable church, for those who labour in its service, for the singers, and for the people here present, who await Thy great and rich mercy.
Choir:Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Priest:For Thou art a merciful God and lovest mankind, and unto Thee we ascribe glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Choir:Amen.
Vouchsafe, O Lord
Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this evening without sin. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is Thy name unto the ages. Amen.
Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we have hoped in Thee. Blessed art Thou, O Lord; teach me Thy statutes.
The Litany of Supplication
Deacon:Let us complete our prayer unto the Lord.
Choir:Lord, have mercy.
Deacon:Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by Thy grace.
Choir:Lord, have mercy.
Deacon:That the whole day may be perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless, let us ask of the Lord.
Choir:Grant this, O Lord.
Deacon:An angel of peace, a faithful guide, a guardian of our souls and bodies, let us ask of the Lord.
Choir:Grant this, O Lord.
Deacon:Pardon and remission of our sins and offences, let us ask of the Lord.
Choir:Grant this, O Lord.
Deacon:Things good and profitable for our souls, and peace for the world, let us ask of the Lord.
Choir:Grant this, O Lord.
Deacon:That we may complete the remaining time of our life in peace and repentance, let us ask of the Lord.
Choir:Grant this, O Lord.
Deacon:A Christian ending to our life, painless, blameless, and peaceful, and a good defence before the dread judgment seat of Christ, let us ask.
Choir:Grant this, O Lord.
Deacon:Calling to remembrance our most holy, most pure, most blessed and glorious Lady Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commit ourselves and one another, and all our life, unto Christ our God.
Choir:To Thee, O Lord.
The Litya
On vigils, the clergy go in procession to the narthex, where the stichera of the litya are sung, followed by the prayers of supplication and the bowing of heads.
The Aposticha
The stichera at the aposticha are sung, with their appointed verses.
The Song of Saint Simeon
Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people: a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel.
The Trisagion Prayers
O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere present and fillest all things, Treasury of good things and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, cleanse us from our sins. O Master, pardon our iniquities. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name's sake.
Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The Lord's Prayer
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Priest:For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Reader:Amen.
The Apolytikion and Blessing of the Loaves
The troparion of the resurrection or of the feast is sung thrice. On vigils, the five loaves, wheat, wine, and oil are blessed:
Priest:O Christ our God, Who didst bless the five loaves and didst satisfy the five thousand: do Thou Thyself bless these loaves, this wheat, wine, and oil; and multiply them in this city and in all Thy world, and sanctify the faithful who partake of them. For Thou art He that blesseth and sanctifieth all things, O Christ our God, and unto Thee we ascribe glory, together with Thine unoriginate Father, and Thy most holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Choir:Amen. Blessed be the name of the Lord, from henceforth and for evermore. (Thrice)
The Dismissal
Priest:Glory to Thee, O Christ our God, our hope, glory to Thee.
Choir:Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Lord, have mercy. (Thrice.) Father, bless.
Priest:May Christ our true God, through the prayers of His most pure Mother and of all the saints, have mercy upon us and save us, for He is good and the Lover of mankind.
Choir:Amen.