Ah, My Longsuffering Friends...# 8 Vespers has Arrived

My dear husband has been pointing out to me that I have neglected this blog. For all who have not abandoned me in this long interval, here is the story of Vespers, perhaps the sweetest of the Hours.

Vespers is the hour of gathering in and the lighting of the lamps. The work day has ended for most of the us and we have tied up the loose ends of what we were doing during the day. Now we turn for home as darkness descends and the lamps begin to glow. The evening meal is being prepared and we begin the transition to a peaceful close to the day.

In the monastery the monks may choose this time to walk in the garden on their way to prayer. I have sometimes gone out to my own back garden to light a lamp or candle when it is time for Vespers. Surrounded by my flowers, vegetables and trees, I watch the light fade from the sky and the stars come out and I have a sense that the creatures of the world are coming home to their nests and dens. My neighbors are gathering with their families all around me and my children are with their spouses in their homes. Soon we will have our evening meal, followed by a good night of rest.

Some days I may come to the Hour of Vespers with unresolved conflicts inside. I may have prayed in the Hour of None for forgiveness, and the ability to forgive others, but that may not have lifted the whole burden of concern from my shoulders. I may still be holding onto pieces of the day and trying to put them together in ways that make sense.

Vespers is the time to let go of all of that and place it into God's hands. He has made the night for sleep and He wants me to come to my place of rest with an untroubled heart. I do not have the strength, wisdom or power to resolve all of life's issues everyday, but God has promised to oversee all that concerns me and Vespers is the time to release those things to Him.


Since Vespers is the time of gathering in, it is also the Hour to enter into fellowship with those who share my home. Vespers prepares us to be hospitable to each other, to listen to each other's stories and help each other toward a peaceful close to the day. This is the time for loving greetings and genuine interest in each other.

T.S. Eliot points out that "In our rhythm of earthly life we tire of light. We are glad when the day ends, when the play ends...the day is long for work or play." (from his poem, Choruses from the Rock)

Vespers is the gentle transition from the glare of the day into the serenity of the evening. Breathe deeply the evening air and pause to watch the changing of the light in the world around you. Turn on the lamps, greet your loved ones and share together in a prayer of thanks for another day of Grace. Let God be God and trust Him to carry on for you while you prepare for rest.

*********************************************

There is liturgy that goes with each of the Hours that I am mentioning in this blog. There are verses to read, songs to sing or chant and prayers to pray. The best way to learn about the Hours is to stay with a community that practices them, but many of us will never do that. I hope that will not discourage us from bringing these practices of prayer into our lives. My own experience is that it is hard to remember to observe all of the Hours through the day, but I find that I am more mindful of prayer simply because I am aware of the passing of these Hours.

It may be best to choose one or two of the Hours to practice in your day. If all you observe is Vespers, for instance, your day will still be enriched and your life with your family will be blessed. Lauds may become part of your daily Quiet Time or Sext may be part of your lunch time. Many Christian communities choose these three, Lauds, Sext and Vespers as their observance of the Hours of prayer.

We are nearing the end of our day of prayer. Next is Compline, the completing of the circle of Hours.