On the day, when the Western Church -and in particular the Ambrosian Church- celebrates the Solemn Feast of the Ordination of St. Ambrose of Milan, it seemed quite fitting to me to give our readership some information about a not very well known aspect of the liturgy of our Rite, but also deeply loved by our Blessed Patron: Vespers.
First of all, it must be said that, in the Ambrosian Rite, unlike the Roman Rite, the Vespers par excellence are always First Vespers.
So, the main Vespers for Saints' feasts of every degree and Solemnities (either Solemnities of Our Lord or Solemnities of Our Lady or of the Saints) are the First Vespers. Only the most important amongst saints feast, and of course, all Solemnities, have also Second Vespers.
Feriae and Sundays have only Second Vespers.
Ambrosian Rite Vespers are normally much longer than those of the Roman Rite, and have a completely different structure.
We will focus for now on the first of the three parts of the Ambrosian Rite Vespers: the Rites of the Light.
Most scholars consider this part of Vespers the true and most ancient part of the whole rite. It can be put into connection with the Jewish Evening Sacrifice, when light and incense were offered to God on the altar of the Temple.
When, according to Cassian's interpretation, (De coenob.instit 3,3) Christ offered Himself as the perfect Victim at the hour of the Evening Sacrifice, the sacrifice of the Old Law became a figura of the Perfect Sacrifice of the Lamb of God, as the Psalmist says: "Elevatio manuum mearum -the pre-figuration of the Crucifixion of Our Lord- sacrificium vespertinum".
Egeria -the 4th-5th century pilgrim and author of the famous Itinerarium- gives an account of a Rite of the Light in the Church of the Resurrection (the Anastasis) performed every night at the tenth hour, which is likely to be the most ancient form of Vespers.
The first part of the Vespers is always performed -even in the modern form- turning to liturgical East whence Christ-the Sun of the word comes.
The celebrant normally wears a cope, like in the Roman Rite. The only exception, for the first part of the function, are the Solemn Pontifical Vespers of Epiphany, the Dominica in capite Quadragesimae (first Sunday of Lent, but not considered penitential until St. Charles's days), and Easter. On those days, in fact, the Archbishop wears all pontifical vestments -but pontifical shoes and the pallium, and of course maniple - as for the Mass.
We can point out three important features of this rite, which, as always happens in the Ambrosian Rite for rites performed by the Archbishop, works like the perfect example of the liturgy of the day.
1) Epiphany originally began Christmastide - Christmas has a later origin than Epiphany!-, the Dominica in Capite Quadragesimae began Lent, and Easter, of course, began Eastertide. These three days sanctioned and sanctified the beginning of important sacred times of the liturgical year, when the Archbishop acts as the High Priest of his Church.
In fact, as an High Priest, he wears full pontifical vestments. But the Archbishop wears the Pontificalia only for this first part of the rite, then he takes them off, and wears the cope. It is a sign that the most solemn and meaningful part of the whole ceremony has ended. The rest is only a consequence and a development.
2) Only the Archbishop, again, on these three special day offers incense in addition to light on the altar of God, just like the oldest tradition prescribed.
3) This first part of the Vespers has a strong resemblance of the first part of the Pontifical Archiepiscopal Mass: the use of the Pontificalia, the prayer towards East, the offering of the incense, and the offering of the light -which took place only when the Archbishop celebrated the Pontifical Mass- are all elements common to both rites. Both of them, in fact, refer, though in two very different ways, to the only Sacrifice of the new Covenant.
If Vespers are sung solemnly, with the assistance of Deacon and Subdeacon, even if not pontifically, the two major ministers customarily wear dalmatic and tunicle, not copes.
Six servers serve at the ceremony, as well, like for the Mass.
After the private recitation of Pater and Ave (abolished in the 1954 reform of the Breviary), and a "Dominus vobiscum" by the Celebrant, the choir sings the "Lucernarium", which can be considered the centre of this first part of the Ambrosian Rite Vespers.
The Lucernaria are responsories whose texts are taken from the Holy Scriptures, with a strong reference to light.
They clearly recall the original function of Vespers as a ceremony of lighting of lamps and invoking from God "auctor Lucis et claritatis inventor" the spiritual Light upon the world.
Meantime, two servers put the lighted candlesticks on the front corners of the altar's mensa, which should be covered with the appropriate covering.
The traditional Ambrosian Breviary has as many as thirteen Lucernaria for Vespers throughout the liturgical year.
Here are some instances:
V. Quoniam tu illuminas lucernam meam Domine
R. Deus meus illumina tenebras meas
V. Quoniam in te eripiar a tentatione
R. Deus meus illumina tenebras meas
V. Quoniam tu illuminas lucernam meam Domine
R. Deus meus illumina tenebras meas
Used for feriae
and for Sundays
V. Lux orta est justo, et rectis corde:
R. Laetitia
V. Dominus regnavit: exultet terra: laetentur insulae multae:
R. Laetitia
V. Lux orta est justo, et rectis corde:
R. Laetitia
Used for feasts of an Apostle, and for the solemn feasts of a Martyr or a Confessor
V. Lucerna pedibus meis verbum tuum, Domine:
R. Et lumen semitis meis.
V. Juravi et statui custodire judicia justitiae tuae:
R. Et lumen semitis meis.
V. Lucerna pedibus meis verbum tuum, Domine:
R. Et lumen semitis meis.
Used for solemn feasts of a Virgin, or a Matron
V. Paravi lucernam Christo meo: inimicos ejus induam confusione:
R. Super ipsum autem florebit sanctificatio mea.
V. Memento, Domine, David et omnis mansuetudinis ejus:
R. Super ipsum autem florebit sanctificatio mea.
V. Paravi lucernam Christo meo: inimicos ejus induam confusione:
R. Super ipsum autem florebit sanctificatio mea.
Used for The First Vespers of Christmas
V. Apud te, Domine, fons est vitae, et in lumine tuo videbimus lumen:
R. Praetende misericordiam tuam scientibus te.
V. Non veniat mihi pes superbiae, et manus peccatoris non moveat me:
R. Praetende misericordiam tuam scientibus te.
V. Apud te, Domine, fons est vitae, et in lumine tuo videbimus lumen:
R. Praetende misericordiam tuam scientibus te.
Used for the First Vespers of Epiphany
V. Hallalujah
R. Dominus illuminatio mea, et salus mea, quem timebo?
V. Hallalujah
Used for Easter
V. Accedite ad Dominum Deum, et illuminamini:
R. Et vultus vestri non erubescent.
V. Gustate et videte quoniam suavis est Dominus:
R. Et vultus vestri non erubescent.
V. Accedite ad Dominum Deum, et illuminamini:
R. Et vultus vestri non erubescent.
Used for the First Vespers of Corpus Christi
Then, after another "Dominus vobiscum" sung by the Celebrant, the choir sings the Antiphona in Choro, where chorus stands for "circle". In fact, the oldest sources say that, during this antiphon, the singers stood in form of a circle, or crown. This antiphon is always omitted on feriae, except Saturdays, and on solemn saint's feasts.
Finally, the celebrant intones the Hymn for the day, and he and major and minor ministers genuflect and go to the choir, where they stand until the end of the Hymn.
The Ambrosian Breviary has 78 Hymns, some of them in common with the Roman Rite, and some unknown to the Roman Rite.
After the first verse of the Hymn, the two torch bearers take the candlesticks away from the altar, and thus ends the first part of the Vespers, and the second begins: the Psalmody.
