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Vespers is the evening prayer service in the liturgies of the canonical hours. The word comes from the Greek εσπερινός and its Latin equivalent vesper, meaning "evening." In Lutheranism the traditional form has varied widely with time and place. Martin Luther, in his German Mass and Order of Divine Service (1526') recommended reading the gospel in Latin in schools: "Then let another boy read the same chapter in German for practice, and in case any layman were there to hear...In the same way at Vespers, let them sing the Vesper Psalms as sung hitherto, in Latin, with an antiphon; then a hymn, as there is opportunity." While Latin vespers continued to be said in large churches, many experiments with simplified liturgies were made, including combining the hours of vespers and compline, later taken up in Thomas Cranmer's Anglican evensong. Under the influence of the 20th century Liturgical movement the Alpirsbach circle reintroduced Gregorian chant and spawned the Evangelisch-Lutherische Gebetsbruderschaft, established in 1954, which publishes the Breviarium Lipsiensae or Leipzig Breviary.

Many of Bach's cantatas were first heard in the context of vespers, which are still celebrated Friday evenings in Leipzig's Thomaskirche.

Representative examples

A few examples of Vespers in the Lutheran Church can be found below. The first column is the Office of Vespers as found in the pre-Reformation breviary from the Archdiocese of Magdeburg. The second column provides the Office of Vespers from the Lutheran Cathedral of Havelberg, a suffragan of Magdeburg, as found in the 1589 Vesperale of Matthäus Ludecus, dean of the Havelberg Cathedral. The third column provides Vespers as it was sung in the Lutheran Cathedral of Magdeburg in 1613, precisely one century after the pre-Reformation breviary in the first column. The final column contains the Order of Vespers as found in the 1941 Lutheran Hymnal of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. Along with the outline of the office itself, the various propers for First Vespers of the First Sunday in Advent are also included.

Magdeburg Breviary (1513)^[1]	Vesperale (Havelberg, 1589)^[2]	Cantica Sacra (Magdeburg, 1613)^[3]	The Lutheran Hymnal (LCMS, 1941)
Vespers	Vespers	Vespers	Vespers
			"O Lord, open Thou my lips"
Deus in adiutorium	Deus in adiutorium	Deus in adiutorium	"Make haste, O God, to deliver me"
Gloria Patri	Gloria Patri	Gloria Patri	Glory be to the Father...
Alleluia	Alleluia	Alleluia	Alleluia
Psalmody - Generally five psalms with antiphons First Vespers of Advent I: Antiphon: Benedictus Dominus Deus meus Psalm: Benedictus Dominus Antiphon: In eternum et in seculum seculi Psalm: Exaltabo te Deus Antiphon: Laudabo Deum meum in vita mea Psalm: Lauda anima Antiphon: Deo nostro iocunda sit laudatio Psalm: Laudate Dominum Antiphon: Benedixit filiis tuis in te Psalm: Lauda Hierusalem	Psalmody - Generally five Latin psalms with antiphons First Vespers of Advent I: Antiphon: Benedictus Dominus Deus meus Psalm: Benedictus Dominus Antiphon: In aeternum et in saeculum saeculi Psalm: Exaltabo te Deus Antiphon: Laudabo Deum meum in vita mea Psalm: Lauda anima Antiphon: Deo nostro iucunda sit laudatio Psalm: Laudate Dominum Antiphon: Benedixit filiis tuis in te Psalm: Lauda Ierusalem	Psalmody - Generally five Latin psalms with antiphons First Vespers of Advent I: Antiphon: Veni Domine visitare nos in pace on Advent ferias, otherwise as below: Antiphon: Benedictus Dominus Deus meus Psalm: Benedictus Dominus Antiphon: In aeternum et in saeculum saeculi Psalm: Exaltabo te Deus Antiphon: Laudabo Deum meum in vita mea Psalm: Lauda anima Antiphon: Deo nostro iucunda sit laudatio Psalm: Laudate Dominum Antiphon: Benedixit filiis tuis in te Psalm: Lauda Ierusalem	Psalmody - "One or more psalms may be said or chanted" First Vespers of Advent I: Unspecified
Chapter (seasonal, common, or proper) with the response Deo gratias First Vespers of Advent I: Deus pacis sanctificet vos... (1 Thessalonians 5:23)	Lection with the response Deo gratias	(see after Hymn)	Lection with the response: "Thanks be to God."
	Responsory (common, seasonal, or proper to a certain Sunday or feast) First Vespers of Advent I: Ecce dies veniunt	Responsory (common, seasonal, or proper to a certain Sunday or feast) First Vespers of Advent I: Ecce dies veniunt	Responsory (common, seasonal, or proper to a certain Sunday or feast) First Vespers of Advent I: "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord..."
		Sermon (optional)
Hymn (seasonal, common, or proper) First Vespers of Advent I: Conditor alme siderum	Hymn (seasonal, common, or proper) First Vespers of Advent I: Conditor alme siderum	Hymn (seasonal, common, or proper) First Vespers of Advent I: Creator alme syderum	Hymn
		Chapter (Latin, proper to the day) First Vespers of Advent I: Ve pastoribus... (Jeremiah 23:1-8)
Versicle and response (seasonal, common, or proper) First Vespers of Advent I: V: Rorate celi desuper et nubes pluant iustum. R: Aperiatur terra et germinet salvatorem.		(See before Collect)	Versicle and response (seasonal, common, or proper) First Vespers of Advent I: V: "Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness:" R: "Let the earth open and bring forth salvation."
Magnificat with antiphon (usually proper, frequently taken from Gospel at Mass) First Vespers of Advent I: Antiphon: Ecce nomen Domini	Magnificat with antiphon (usually proper, frequently taken from Gospel at Mass) First Vespers of Advent I: Antiphon: Ecce nomen Domini	Magnificat with antiphon (usually proper, frequently taken from Gospel at Mass) First Vespers of Advent I: Antiphon: Ecce nomen Domini	"My soul doth magnify the Lord..." or "Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant..." First Vespers of Advent I: Antiphon: "Behold, the name of the Lord cometh from far..."
		On ferias, the Office of Compline may be subjoined here as follows: Psalmody: Cum invocarem exaudivit In te Domine speravi, through Domine Deus veritatis. Qui habitat in adjutorio altißimi Ecce benedicite Domino Hymn (seasonal, common, or proper) First Vespers of Advent I: Veni Redemtor gentium Chapter (German, the same text that was read in Latin at Vespers) First Vespers of Advent I: Wehe euch Hirten... (Jeremiah 23:1-8) Nunc Dimittis with antiphon First Vespers of Advent I Antiphon: Paratus esto Israel
Kyrie			"Lord, have mercy upon us..."
Pater noster			"Our Father..."
Preces on specified ferias and vigils; sequence often as at Lauds			Optional suffrages
Oremus and Dominus vobiscum	Oremus and Dominus vobiscum		"The Lord be with you"
Versicle before the Collect First Vespers of Advent I: Egredietur virga de radice Iesse		Versicle before the Collect First Vespers of Advent I: V: Rorate coeli desuper, et nubes pluant justum. R: Aperiatur terra, et germinet Salvatorem.	"Each Collect may be preceded by a Versicle"
Collect of the day or week First Vespers of Advent I: Excita quesumus Domine potentiam tuam...	Collect of the day or week First Vespers of Advent I: Excita quaesumus Domine potentiam tuam...	Collect of the day or week First Vespers of Advent I: Excita quaesumus Domine potentiam tuam...	Collect of the day or week First Vespers of Advent I: "Stir up, we beseech Thee, Thy power, O Lord..."
			Collect for Peace: "O God, from whom all holy desires..."
	Dominus vobiscum
Benedicamus Domino	Benedicamus Domino	Benedicamus Domino	"Bless we the Lord."
		Sermon, followed by a vernacular hymn.

Modern revisions

In the latter half of the twentieth century, in response to the liturgical innovations in the wake of the Second Vatican Council, some Lutheran hymnals, such as the 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship provide a modified form of Vespers in addition to or in place of the traditional form. Generally called Evening Prayer, it begins with a Service of Light in which a lighted candle is carried in procession to the altar while the Phos Hilaron is sung, and the Office Hymn is moved to a new place between the Psalmody and Reading, among other changes.

References

^ Breviarum Magdeburgense, 1513
^ Vesperale et Matutinale, hoc est cantica, hymni, et collectæ, sive precationes ecclesiasticæ, quæ in Primus et Secundis Vesperis, itemque Matutinis precibus, per totius anni circulum, in Ecclesiis et religiosis piorum congressibus cantari usitate solent, notis rite applicatæ, et in duas partes ordine digestæ a Matthaeo Ludeco, Ecclesiæ Cathedralis Havelbergensis Decano, 1589
^ Cantica Sacra, Quo ordine et melodiis, per totius anni curriculum, in Matutinis et Vespertinis, itemque; Intermediis precibus cantari solent, una cum lectionibus et precationibus in unum volumen congesta pro S. Metropolitana Magdeburgensi Ecclesia, 1613