Psalm 92/3, Isaiah 6, Genesis 3, Isaiah 51:9, cf. Isaiah 27:1, Ezekiel 29:3, Psalm 88/9:10 Having entered into God’s holy presence in Great Vespers, by means of the Lamplight Songs, and the ancient Hymn, O Gladsome Light, we are given a vision of the LORD, robed in majesty.  It is as though we are tracing the experience of the prophet Isaiah in the Temple, when he saw the LORD high and lifted…

Psalm 129LXX/130 MT  and 116/117; Deuteronomy 30:11-14; Romans 10:6-8, Luke 23:34-46, Mark 14:37, 15:34 In the darkness of Vespers, and from the depths of our hearts, we cry out to God, knowing that the Lord’s Day will follow the night. The third and fourth of the lamplighting Psalms (Psalm 129/130 and Psalm 116/117) are chanted one after the other.  We sing them in short bits, and in response with verses that recall…

Psalm 141 (LXX) /142 (MT); 1 Samuel (Kingdoms) 22; 1 Samuel (Kingdoms) 24; Hebrews 12:1-6 The second of the “Lamp-light” Psalms, Psalm 141 in the Greek, 142 in the Hebrew, continues the theme of the previous one—the plight of the righteous, and their cry to God.  In the Psalter, it is introduced by a superscription that reads “by David, when he was in the cave, a Prayer.”  David’s popularity was not appreciated…

Psalm 140 (MT141); Numbers 16; 2 Cor 5:21-6:1; Romans 5:1-2, 1 Thess 5:23-4 The first of the four “lamp-lighting” Psalms of Vespers has been prayed in the evening for about three millennia, since the time of King David, to whom Psalm 140/141 is ascribed. Because its context in the evening is clear from the first few verses, numerous Church fathers have commented on the importance of regular prayer for those who would…

Psalms 1-3; 2 Samuel (2 Kingdoms)15-18 In the first session of this series on the Psalms, we began with Psalm 103/104, the first Psalm recited for Saturday Great Vespers, seeing ourselves in that blessed place with God as, resting, He surveys and is pleased with all that He has created.  The next selection from the Psalter in Great Vespers is taken from what is called the “first kathisma,” literally, “the first sitting.”…

PSALM 103 (LXX); Hebrews 12:18-24; Exodus 24; Genesis 1; 1 Corinthians 15 Every week, beginning with sundown on Saturday, we recite Psalms with the Church, and so are illumined by God.  Great Vespers begins with the astonishing psalm of creation (Psalm 103 LXX/104 Hebrew text), by which we stand, as it were, alongside God during His rest on the sixth day, and survey with pleasure everything that He has made. We begin…

Song of Simeon/Nunc Dimittis (Luke 2:29-32); Genesis 26:26-30; 2 Samuel (Kingdoms) 20:41-42; Isaiah 54:10;  Nehemiah 8:3. “Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared before the face of all peoples— a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for the glory of thy people Israel.” So spoke the elder Simeon, when he received the infant God-Man in…